UCONN should dictate everything about the program. Start the games after 7:30. Allow more students. Play on campus.
I mean, if we’re going to say how things would look in an ideal world:
Hartford blows up the XL Center in its own chicken grease and replaces it with a 13k or so hoops version of Dunkin’ Donuts Park, costs offset by a sports gambling hub. Men’s hoops plays a half-dozen definite sellouts in the building, including the non-conference marquee game that is being played in Newark. Pratt street follows suit with a revitalization to make downtown Hartford on game days a true destination.
The remainder are played in a renovated Gampel that allows non-students to enjoy such modern luxury as seatbacks, not having to hold their pee for the entire game and maybe a concession stand that isn’t straight out of high school gyms across the country. Would even make sense that the brand-carrying program of the university isn’t then playing at a venue that is a couple decades older than every other program on campus.
The Rent could also play host to the 42nd biggest bowl in the country every December, the same weekend UConn hosts a major hoops doubleheader at said downtown Hartford arena.
And the state could make every UConn basketball conference home date a holiday. Maybe a half day for schools, they don’t need those snow days with zoom and such now anyway.