Appreciating Our Future New Schedule

[Waterbury]

XL has it's flaws, but if you were at the Arizona game this year...it still brings it for marquee games.

We were going hard for the Cincy game too

 

[Travelman6]

The only team I don't care about is Depaul but I care about them more than ECU, Tulane, SMU or Tulsa. I am indifferent to Creighton but still care more about playing them than almost any team in the American other than Temple, Memphis and Cincy. In fact I will legit miss Cincy and Temple a tiny bit.

 

[Waquoit]

The XL Center is an abandoned NHL arena situated in the heart of a decaying city.

Last Saturday Hartford had the annual Blues festival in Bushnell Park, Cirque du Soleil, the Yard Goats and the Dave Matthews Band all performing in Hartford at the same time. Only a jackoff with an agenda would call it a decaying city.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm gonna throw in some pros for XL for @Nebraskan18 since everyone else is throwing cons.
(1) You can drink there; you cannot at Gampel.
(2) For most people in the state (students not included, of course) it's way more accessible, right off I-84.
(3) It's 15 minutes away from J. Timothy.
(4) You can drink there.

More comfortable there, too. If you don't have a chairback seat in Gampel you better be short or stand the entire time.

 

[Guapo]

Last Saturday Hartford had the annual Blues festival in Bushnell Park, Cirque du Soleil, the Yard Goats and the Dave Matthews Band all performing in Hartford at the same time. Only a jackoff with an agenda would call it a decaying city.

Yesterday’s agenda: get UConn into the Big East

Today’s agenda: move all UConn sports on-campus

 

[superjohn]

So glad to get my "local" UConn games back in Milwaukee and Chicago. Doesn't hurt that both are playing in new arenas since the last time UConn was there either...

Now for that UConn @ Wisconsin Gavitt Games matchup game 10 minutes down the road from me...

I'll be there.

 

[Waquoit]

Yesterday’s agenda: get UConn into the Big East
Today’s agenda: move all UConn sports on-campus

You miss the point, they are trying to attract fans and increase revenues.

 

[superjohn]

XL has it's flaws, but if you were at the Arizona game this year...it still brings it for marquee games.

XL is old and beaten up but I never understood the hate towards the crowd. You put any big game there and it's loud as hell.

 

[Guapo]

they are trying to attract fans and increase revenues.

Exactly.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Nobody needs to be convinced that is an upgrade for bball. There have been years where the likes of USF, Tulane or ECU have all had RPIs in the 250-300+ range. This will NEVER happen in the Big East. As we work towards competing for NCAA bids every year we will appreciate that.

I'm still pissed about football though.

It's okay to be both!

 

[AllAbout5]

Nova
@ Nova
Providence
@ Providence
St. Johns
@ St. Johns
Seton Hall
@ Seton Hall
Georgetown
@ Georgetown
Marquette
@ Marquette
Butler
@ Butler
Xavier
@ Xavier
Creighton
@ Creighton
Depaul
@ Depaul

And that is EVERY SINGLE YEAR!

I am giddy just writing that out!

In 20-21, our schedule right now looks like it will be:

20 Big East Games
1 Big Ten Game (Gavitt Games)
1 Big 12 Game (Big East - B12 Challenge)
@ Florida
3 Games (Pre-Season Tourney)
5 Cupcake Games
Big East Tourney at MSG

I. Can’t. Wait.

 

[superjohn]

Nobody needs to be convinced that is an upgrade for bball. There have been years where the likes of USF, Tulane or ECU have all had RPIs in the 250-300+ range. This will NEVER happen in the Big East. As we work towards competing for NCAA bids every year we will appreciate that.

I'm still pissed about football though.

It's okay to be both!

Exactly but for the few whining incessantly in every thread saying they are done with UConn clearly were never UConn fans to begin with.

 

[AllAbout5]

The only team I don't care about is Depaul but I care about them more than ECU, Tulane, SMU or Tulsa. I am indifferent to Creighton but still care more about playing them than almost any team in the American other than Temple, Memphis and Cincy. In fact I will legit miss Cincy and Temple a tiny bit.

Doesn’t Depaul have new basketball facilities or a new arena? I’m excited to play them.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Doesn’t Depaul have new basketball facilities or a new arena? I’m excited to play them.

They do. Very nice indeed. Last time we played their place it was a lot like Tulsa's building.

 

[AllAbout5]

They do. Very nice indeed. Last time we played their place it was a lot like Tulsa's building.

NGL I HATED playing Tulsa. Somehow we get beaten there and their facilities are bad

 

[Guapo]

NGL I HATED playing Tulsa. Somehow we get beaten there and their facilities are bad

#hottake: Chicago>Tulsa

 

[uconnell]

I remember a time back in 2011 going to the Civic Center to watch Kemba play Marquette ( I think we lost), and saying to my wife it’s a shame it’s just Marquette and not Cuse or Georgetown. Now I will slurp up Marquette like a chocolate milkshake! My son lives in Arlington and I used to love seeing us play Gtown down there. Check. The BE tournament was a highlight week for me every year because you had many games and foodspots to plan the week around (and I also have a son in Brooklyn). I know there a many negatives that have been pointed out here but it seems like I just got a new lease on my basketball life. Please don’t rain on this parade.

Maybe it’s not a parade but a funeral procession,
Unfortunately right now we can’t distinguish the difference.

 

[bazzdog]

So glad to get my "local" UConn games back in Milwaukee and Chicago. Doesn't hurt that both are playing in new arenas since the last time UConn was there either...

Now for that UConn @ Wisconsin Gavitt Games matchup game 10 minutes down the road from me...

Oh yeah-I'll definitely make a trip to Madison.....sounds like a great college town that loves their teams

 

[Guapo]

Reading this thread and, I gotta say, I appreciate our future schedule

 

[UConnDad]

DePaul was our victim on day one of the tourney in 2011. There's hi5tory there!

 

[gampelcrazies]

The XL blows. Big crowds are good but that’s it.


However, I wonder if this move helps move the needle to renovate the arena.

 

[Wordbomar]

The XL blows. Big crowds are good but that’s it.


However, I wonder if this move helps move the needle to renovate the arena.

I would keep in mind that whenever XL has more than 10k, it is a great venue. Playing in the Big East and (hopefully) becoming a tournament team again under Hurley will make that a reality more often than not for conference games. When it has under 10k, it is a sucky atmosphere.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

As someone from Nebraska who has never been to Conn., can someone tell me the difference between Gampel and the XL Center and why we seem to hate the XL Center?

You're really getting the slow drip on having your question answered.

Hartford (by metro population) is a medium-sized American city with a downtown that has restaurants & bars & other urban attractions before & after the game. Someone else can add-on their opinion of such features. XL is the city's large concert venue and once was used for an NHL franchise.

Storrs is in a mostly rural setting, essentially the university, with increasing 'college town' features that, again, I leave someone else to weigh in on. Gampel is the on-campus arena.

Also noted: 2 Interstates intersect in Hartford, and Storrs is not directly along an Interstate highway.

 

[Towney007]

I dunno, I like both. For totally different reasons, but I like both.

 

[Waquoit]

Nobody needs to be convinced that is an upgrade for bball.

Besides Butch, you mean.

 

[jibsey]

Maybe it’s not a parade but a funeral procession,
Unfortunately right now we can’t distinguish the difference.

I don't agree with you. Good things are happening. Couple eye opening recruits will set you straight.

 

[AllAbout5]

I like the XL Center. It’s a shorter drive for me and the place holds so many memories for me as that’s where I’d usually go for games (I wasn’t as available to go to Gampel games)

 

[WrenchFan69]

XL would work just fine if we were smarter about it. Put winter break games and huge games there and it would be pretty solid. Selling out the XL can make for an awesome atmosphere, though I still prefer a sold out Gampel.

Also I think people underrate Creighton. Sure they're not a traditional rival, but they've put together some good teams and their fans are super supportive. We're going to have some real away battles there even when we're good. And not in a Tulsa sort of way.

 

[John]

Nova
@ Nova
Providence
@ Providence
St. Johns
@ St. Johns
Seton Hall
@ Seton Hall
Georgetown
@ Georgetown
Marquette
@ Marquette
Butler
@ Butler
Xavier
@ Xavier
Creighton
@ Creighton
Depaul
@ Depaul

And that is EVERY SINGLE YEAR!

I am giddy just writing that out!

Good stuff but in the old Big East those were second tier games.

 

[Guapo]

XL would work just fine if we were smarter about it. Put winter break games and huge games there and it would be pretty solid. Selling out the XL can make for an awesome atmosphere, though I still prefer a sold out
Also I think people underrate Creighton. Sure they're not a traditional rival, but they've put together some good teams and their fans are super supportive. We're going to have some real away battles there even when we're good. And not in a Tulsa sort of way.

1000% agree with all this. Play games in Hartford during break AND people poopooing Creighton is so ignorant. They have one of the best fan bases in the Big East.

Look at their home court environment for basketball and then look at the crowds they pull for baseball and soccer.