Demolish the XL center

[superjohn]

I guess they don't care about the on campus experience.

Providence and Seton Hall are small private schools. Fiscally it would be almost impossible to justify building a 10,000 person arena on either campus. The money just isn't there and I doubt either of them even has the room for it if there was any possible way they could swing it financially. Seton Hall would have to buy more land which has always been a problem for them. Both of them have large arenas right down the street for them.

You're trying to compare a flagship state University who already has a 10,000 person basketball arena on campus to two small private schools who don't have the money or space to build what UConn already has. This is a really silly comparison.

 

[Kathy]

Have you not read these threads??

Nova has drastically cut back on games at the Wachovia Center (or whatever it’s called now)

Just last year because of covid and this year sonic won't be considered home court for the NCAA tournament

 

[superjohn]

Just last year because of covid and this year sonic won't be considered home court for the NCAA tournament

Not sure what you're trying to say here?

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Villanova

Its sad that the only other "major" team anyone can come up with is Villanova.

 

[Guapo]

hey, next time you're in Atlanta, make sure to stop by the Auburn Athletics HOF. It's impressive.

I live in Atlanta.

It’s such a shame Auburn makes all their alum here drive all the way out to their campus in the middle of nowhere smh.

Wouldn’t it just be sooo much easier if they just played their basketball games at State Farm Arena and their football games at Mercedes Benz?

 

[BGesus4]

In all fairness, I heard the reason nova cut back it’s games at Wachovia this year is so they can play there in the tourney. The rule (I think) is you can’t be in a bracket where you would play at a home arena, and a home arena means at least 4 home games played there, so they’re playing 3 games there this year.

Still, Chernobyl the damn civic center already

 

[bendm]

i'm just glad the XL center isn't as pathetic as the middle school gym georgetown is hosting SJU in right now. looks like it fits fewer than 1k people (not that it's even half full).

 

[CL82]

I guess they don't have donors, nor have they ever heard of financing. Strange.

Lol, first you suggest that schools should use their endowment to pay for a new arena, and then you seem surprised that most small private schools don’t have someone in the wings ready to contribute $175 million plus for the construction of a 10,000 seat on-campus arena.

But, but, but financing… That’s the ticket!

 

[BlueMAB]

/sarcasm

 

[Kathy]

Not sure what you're trying to say here?

He said they had cut back on games at Wells Fargo - they only did that because of covid last season and to keep them eligible to play there this year in the NCAA tournament. They will probably go back to more games there next season.

 

[tcf15]

There's just no reason anymore to play at XL. Those days of getting 15k consistently are gone. Give the students and fans the better product by playing at Gampel.

And turn the damn lights back on.

 

[BlueMAB]

Lol, first you suggest that schools should use their endowment to pay for a new arena, and then you seem surprised that most small private schools don’t have someone in the wings ready to contribute $175 million plus for the construction of a 10,000 seat on-campus arena.

But, but, but financing… That’s the ticket!

No, I mentioned one source as evidence that these schools know how to raise money. Most projects are funded through a combination of donations and financing, you know that.

You suggested the only option is to build and implied it's virtually impossible. Although DePaul, who hasn't really ever been good, found a way to make it happen with creative partnerships.

I would have expected you to know schools can renovate. And they also don't even have to pay for it themselves. Like Villanova, who found a way to raise $65 million in donations to fully fund their arena renovation.

You're suggesting the only reason to play off campus is because it's impossible to build or renovate an on campus stadium, after DePaul and Nova already have.

The schools that choose to play off campus do so because it benefits the schools and the fans in various ways.

 

[BlueMAB]

You've missed my sarcasm. Providence is doing what is right/best for Providence and their fans. If they needed an on campus arena, or they thought it was best for the school/fans, they'd find a way to make it happen.

 

[Ha Who]

I was there. It was average loud during the rally. The first half it was Pebble Beach

 

[BPT2Storrs]

Imagine the optics of UConn saying “Thanks, But No Thanks” to the XL Center.

We all seem to be forgetting that the Whalers left, Mohegan and Bridgeport both built arenas, and we live right in between Boston and New York. There’s not much demand here, and what little there was is now divvied between XL, Mohegan and Webster Bank Arena.

Hartford needs the XL (more so for optics then anything at this point) and the XL needs UConn. Hartford needing the XL goes way beyond this thread and we can have a much larger discussion as to why Hartford is in the position that it’s in.

I’ve continuously said that the State of Connecticut has historically done a poor job of planning and redevelopment. We believed UConn playing football games in East Hartford and now basketball games at the XL would prop up specific communities. It has not worked.

It’s time to Invest in Storrs becoming a true college town. That will allow for interest in the university to grow even more - which result in the both increased academics and college atmosphere that we all want. It’s that increased interest in UConn that will assist in strengthen the state as a whole. The spillover and benefit from an even more dynamic UConn is what will help places like Hartford not playing a few games a year at a particular venue.

 

[superjohn]

He said they had cut back on games at Wells Fargo - they only did that because of covid last season and to keep them eligible to play there this year in the NCAA tournament. They will probably go back to more games there next season.

I didn't know what sonic meant, thanks for clarifying.

I'll be interested in seeing if they go back to playing 5 or 6 games per season at Wells Fargo after spending $60 mil. on the on campus place.

EDIT- they probably will go back to playing 5 or 6 at Wells Fargo, Finneran is smaller than I thought.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Eh, your point would stand if you said "I'm retired." I care about UConn's academic reputation because it's on my resume. But, that being said, there are plenty of universities with better academics than UConn with rabid fan bases. Michigan and Notre Dame for example, and a big chunk of the B1G. I don't buy the "nerds in the library" don't care about basketball argument.

I love the dying hartford bit. UConn is very interested in making hartford successful. Not only do they have a downtown presence the seat of their funding is in Hartford. It's the capital of the state.

And I wouldn't say Hartford is dying. They have new ball park, public transport is getting improvements, the downtown area near UConn Hartford is nice and they have the music theatre.

And, apartment living and demand is booming in Central connecticutm including Hartford. City and state has problems, it isn't dying.

Professor: Surging Demand for Housing Creates Apartment-Construction Boom in Connecticut - UConn Today

A boom in construction as demand rises, but supply chain snares and other challenges still lie ahead

today.uconn.edu

 

[CL82]

No, I mentioned one source as evidence that these schools know how to raise money. Most projects are funded through a combination of donations and financing, you know that.

You suggested the only option is to build and implied it's virtually impossible. Although DePaul, who hasn't really ever been good, found a way to make it happen with creative partnerships.

I would have expected you to know schools can renovate. And they also don't even have to pay for it themselves. Like Villanova, who found a way to raise $65 million in donations to fully fund their arena renovation.

You're suggesting the only reason to play off campus is because it's impossible to build or renovate an on campus stadium, after DePaul and Nova already have.

The schools that choose to play off campus do so because it benefits the schools and the fans in various ways.

Lol, I didn’t suggest any of those things. Throwing out a bunch of strawman really doesn’t rehabilitate your post suggesting that private schools should use virtually all of their endowment to build an arena. Probably one of the dumber things I’ve ever heard on The Boneyard, which is saying a lot.

 

[zls44]

He said they had cut back on games at Wells Fargo - they only did that because of covid last season and to keep them eligible to play there this year in the NCAA tournament. They will probably go back to more games there next season.

No they won’t. They spent $65m on Finneran. They rarely use the WF now, per Jay Wright’s wishes. The results speak for themselves.

 

[zls44]

Imagine the optics of UConn saying “Thanks, But No Thanks” to the XL Center.

Once people see the onerous terms UConn rejected leading to do that, there would be bad optics alright.

But they wouldn’t be on UConn’s side.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Villanova

They play 3 home games in Wells Fargo, about 20% of their total home games. That's not a split. The facility is one of the better pro arenas in the NBA and NHL with a significant recent renovation. Its capacity is a 215% increase from their on-campus facility.

UConn plays 50% of its home schedule at XL. It's a minor league facility, and one of the worst in the AHL. It's had no significant renovations in decades. Its capacity is a 60% increase over Gampel.

Try again.

 

[superjohn]

Once people see the onerous terms UConn rejected leading to do that, there would be bad optics alright.

But they wouldn’t be on UConn’s side.

Are there any financials out there? I have to imagine UConn is losing money on XL Center games. It's all about the state trying to inject what little money and life they can into downtown Hartford.