Dave Benedict on future of XL Center | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Dave Benedict on future of XL Center

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Husky25 said:
...and another discussion where FFC residents seem as though they'd complain if UConn played ball in Shelton.
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I said I have no problem if all games are played at Gampel.
 
We will all agree that UConn and the XL Center are supported by the same source, the state of Connecticut. And, we know that the UConn AD is under pressure to reduce the annual deficit. Unfortunately, the current deal for using the XL Center makes the UConn AD losses higher than they need to be which makes Benedict's job to reduce costs more difficult as he could easily reduce the AD deficit by moving all games to campus. So, of course he should complain about the XL Center.

As for the XL Center, The Times Union Center in Albany has produced an operating profit for 24 years straight! In 2019, they had 125 events and 589k in attendance or 4.7k per event and they made $2.6 million in profit. I don't know if they are using accounting tricks, but why can't the XL Center be like the Times Union Center? By the way, The Times Union Center is 30 years old and it has about half of the luxury suites that the XL Center has.
 
8893 said:
I went to a concert there two years ago; I am posting this from the parking lot.





It's a fine venue and the train access is a nice benefit, but the traffic pattern and parking are a nightmare.

The best advice is to park at the Stratford train station and take the train for one stop, during which they don't even have time to check for tickets. If we have to drive there, we now park at shopping center on the other side of the overpass. It's a longer walk, but it saves you the madness of the circuitous route to get out of the parking area and back on the highway.
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You've got me there. Getting off of that I95 exit is indeed terrible. I took my kid to see Marvel Live there a few years back and, yes the parking garage is a nightmare. I parked in the outdoor lot a few times and didn't have the same issues but I think one time was for a Bluefish game so it wasn't exactly a packed house. Although it was Star Wars night. I'll be interested to see how the new amphitheatre works out.
 
EROCK CONN said:
I grew up in suburban Hartford and now life in FC. Moving all games to gampel would not be ideal for fans in the southwest part of the state.
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... yet would be incredibly ideal for fans in the northeastern part of the state.
 
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TheChamps990411 said:
Yeah id be really p`d off if they stopped playing in hartford. I dont even have to drive anymore. I just hop on the train to and from. Its the best! Im not a fan of driving out to Storrs from Meriden.
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It’s 45-minutes lol. Wow, people in CT really don’t like to drive.
 
Storrs South said:
I didn't hear his comments as a threat, more just stating plainly how poor the arena condition is at the moment, even touching on Gampel needing similar improvements. The problem as others have noted is that having a Mohegan / Foxwoods in the state that can get events to come and payout better because theyre looking to attract folks to gamble and looking more for the foot traffic hurt XL's ability to get non-UConn/Wolfpack events.

But, hopefully they can improve seating arrangements and expand concourses and modify concession locations/types to improve arena profitability.

The university is part of the state and is a partner with the government as reflected in who sits on the board and where a portion of university funding comes from so it's not as if one entity is going to do something without the full understanding and consent of the other.
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I know I've mentioned that point about Mohegan and Foxwoods in the other XL Threads. Those are just the facts. Even though Mohegan and Foxwoods always cry about losing money, they are loaded beyond loaded, and they will always outbid anybody In the state for a show or concert if they really want it that bad. Thats why I ask the question of what are you actually gaining by dumping tens or hundreds of millions of dollars into the XL Center? Connecticut will never get another professional sports team, so the only benefit of making major renovations to the XL is to improve the UConn basketball game day experience.
 
Apollo said:
It’s 45-minutes lol. Wow, people in CT really don’t like to drive.
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People in the northeast don't like to drive, not just CT. People from KC never seemed to have any problem driving to Lawrence for KU games. Part of it is culture. If you're going to a game, you get to leave work at 3:00. End of story. No questions asked.
 
Apollo said:
It’s 45-minutes lol. Wow, people in CT really don’t like to drive.
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I do not mind the extra drive time out to Gampel for one second. I prefer Gampel 99% of the time, but with that said, I don't hate the XL. One solution that kind of meets in the middle is to just have less games in Hartford. Play all the games during winter break at the XL Center like you already do, and maybe two conference games per year. That would be about 6-7 games in Hartford instead of the 10 or 11 like it is now.
 
Ts5034 said:
I do not mind the extra drive time out to Gampel for one second. I prefer Gampel 99% of the time, but with that said, I don't hate the XL. One solution that kind of meets in the middle is to just have less games in Hartford. Play all the games during winter break at the XL Center like you already do, and maybe two conference games per year. That would be about 6-7 games in Hartford instead of the 10 or 11 like it is now.
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exactly - don't bail out completely on the XL, but cut it to 3-5 games. And for pete's sake, don't have bland cupcake games at the XL where there's barely anyone there (considering UConn is renting the place).
 
Husky25 said:
...and another discussion where FFC residents seem as though they'd complain if UConn played ball in Shelton.
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Absolutely. You’d trip over syringes on way into arena. Hartford has less of an issue.
 
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Uproot Gampel and plant it in Hartford. Problem solved. Everyone wins.
 
The "play all games at Gampel" crowd must hate drinking some of the most delicious microbrews that the state has to offer. The refreshing taste of Two Juicy on my lips while we provide a beatdown to Georgetown? Yes please!
 
Play games during break at XL; all other games should on campus. @HuskyHawk had it right. Nearly every other fanbase in America somehow makes it work, and if it were to come to pass I think UConn fans would figure it out too.

UConn is not Connecticut’s pro team. People suggesting the program barnstorm around the state in FFC and Mohegan Sun etc are out of their minds
 
Gampel is pretty outdated too...

No donor is going to donate to the XL Center - it’s so poorly run that’s like throwing money away. I freaking love the building and it’s history, but until Hartford has some sort of extreme gentrification the building shouldn’t be touched. There is zero money in downtown Hartford.
 
UCDaveD said:
Uproot Gampel and plant it in Hartford. Problem solved. Everyone wins.
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No, but maybe hiring someone to replicate Enzo Patoni's geodesic Gampel dome roof on the XL would do the trick!

IIRC there was word some years ago of a younger Patoni who had unearthed one of the original kilns Enzo used for the Gampel roof tiles, so perhaps they could commission it. Definitely worth checking out.
 
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businesslawyer said:
I saw a few of UConn's games in Bridgeport. It's a worse basketball arena than Hartford and the atmosphere was far more sterile. It's enough that someone in Fairfield County can go to the Civic Center on the weekend in 50 to 70 minutes. You don't need to move games to Bridgeport. But moving all games to Storrs does cut off a portion of the fan base.
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Almost a 2 hour drive from Greenwich to Hartford.
 
HuskyHawk said:
People in the northeast don't like to drive, not just CT. People from KC never seemed to have any problem driving to Lawrence for KU games. Part of it is culture. If you're going to a game, you get to leave work at 3:00. End of story. No questions asked.
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To be fair, driving the Northeast sucks. Particularly Connecticut.
 
CL82 said:
To be fair, driving the Northeast sucks. Particularly Connecticut.
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Add some tolls to generate revenue for highway infrastructure and problem solved.
 
Husky25 said:
...and another discussion where FFC residents seem as though they'd complain if UConn played ball in Shelton.
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Shelton would be awesome. Better bars than Hartford!
 
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CL82 said:
Sarcasm?
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Kinda. Not really. Maybe.

Whether it's traffic or upgrading/replacing XL extra revenue has to be generated in the state.
 
Chin Diesel said:
Kinda. Not really. Maybe.

Whether it's traffic or upgrading/replacing XL extra revenue has to be generated in the state.
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I don't know that CT can find reviews to work its way out the death spiral it is in. Don't have problem with tolls so long as they do not slow traffic.
 
8893 said:
No, but maybe hiring someone to replicate Enzo Patoni's geodesic Gampel dome roof on the XL would do the trick!

IIRC there was word some years ago of a younger Patoni who had unearthed one of the original kilns Enzo used for the Gampel roof tiles, so perhaps they could commission it. Definitely worth checking out.
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I know a guy...

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