Demolish the XL center

[BGesus4]

I was at Storrs from 2014-2018. I've had season tickets my entire life with my family. I've seen the shift in real time from a party school atmosphere to one that puts sports and fun dead last. I'm sure the nerds who need to study on a Tuesday night are realll big sports fans

Yet Duke manages an insane crowd every home game.

 

[Kolumbo]

So we all agree. Design and build a new on-campus arena which hosts both basketball and hockey. The design will allow close seating for basketball and will convert to hockey by retracting bleachers. It will be the best state of the art combo facility in North America.

Next subject.

 

[Guapo]

Yet Duke manages an insane crowd every home game.

BuT tHe sIzE

 

[CL82]

Why don't Seton Hall, Providence, and St. John's play all of their games on campus?

Because they are small private universities that can’t afford to build a 10,000 seat on-campus arena?

 

[superjohn]

It's generally clear who the UConn alum are and who aren't.

Many fans are UConn fans because they got to see the team in Hartford. I was able to go to Hartford games as a child. I didn't step foot in Gampel until I was an adult because tix were near impossible to get.

And it wasn't the drive, because we'd go to games at the Fieldhouse before Gampel, and we'd go to soccer games when Morrone was coaching.

this place greatly undervalues the impact playing in Hartford has had in helping UConn become the program it is.

Why doesn't Michigan play in Detroit? Culture for one. They are in an area of the country where people don't look down their noses at State U in favor of private schools. They take pride in their state school, and have a history of athletic excellence that predates the 80s and 90s. They weren't building a program in the 80s, they were already a major athletic department thanks to their football program and huge amount of alums. (Insert Auburn for Michigan and the argument is the same).

Put plainly, they never even had to consider doing that.

Why don't Seton Hall, Providence, and St. John's play all of their games on campus?

Walsh and Alumni Hall seat 1,300-1,500, Alumni/Carnesecca seats 5,500 and they have the world's most famous arena at their disposal where they only play 4 or 5 games a year when Duke, Nova, UConn comes to town.

 

[CL82]

So we all agree. Design and build a new on-campus arena which hosts both basketball and hockey. The design will allow close seating for basketball and will convert to hockey by retracting bleachers. It will be the best state of the art combo facility in North America.

Next subject.

We’ve already started on our on-campus hockey arena, and although it is a little smaller than many of us would like, appears to be a pretty nice facility, although a little pricey for the seating capacity.

 

[superjohn]

This makeup of this thread gives a lot of insight into the question itself. Most posters here would be super enthusiastic about never seeing the inside of the xl center again. There are about 2 posters who are complaining about the implications if we nix the xl center but they’d probably still ending going to games in Gampel if that was the only option.

Would be interested to know the age demographic of those who are all in on the Hartford.

Honestly, there's fans that aren't willing to drive an extra half hour to watch UConn games and that just sucks.

If you explain this to a Kansas/Kentucky basketball fan or a Big 10/SEC football fan they look at you like you have three heads.

 

[JohnFSilver]

If anyone wants to build us a 23,500 seat capacity brandy new arena within 10 minutes of campus, I’d be all in for renting that.

Think about this though, it isn't on campus and doesn't have a campus feel. UK is the state of Kentucky's team.

 

[aburks41]

you don't care how your degree is perceived and valued in the job market LOL?

I work in management consulting, my resume speaks for itself at this point...with or without UConn.

 

[aburks41]

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.

Rabid fan bases made up of 100 years of football tradition. We don't fit that mold. We don't have the luxury of converting hundreds of thousands (or millions in some cases) of football fans into basketball fans.

 

[Guapo]

Think about this though, it isn't on campus and doesn't have a campus feel. UK is the state of Kentucky's team.

My man, John. This is a bad take.

I’m also not really sure what UK being “the state of Kentucky’s team” has to do with anything, of course it is. Just like UConn is Connecticut’s team.

Do NOT say it’s Kentucky’s pro team.

 

[John]

I work in management consulting, my resume speaks for itself at this point...with or without UConn.

"at this point". Screw everyone else, right?

 

[BlueMAB]

Walsh and Alumni Hall seat 1,300-1,500, Alumni/Carnesecca seats 5,500 and they have the world's most famous arena at their disposal where they only play 4 or 5 games a year when Duke, Nova, UConn comes to town.

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

 

[BlueMAB]

Because they are small private universities that can’t afford to build a 10,000 seat on-campus arena?

Or because they don't care about the on campus experience?

$240+/-, $250+/-, and $700+/- million dollar endowments at each. They can afford it.

 

[aburks41]

"at this point". Screw everyone else, right?

People have different priorities, imagine such a novel concept! I care more about the basketball program than UConn academics. I donate to the basketball program.

 

[BlueMAB]

Seton Hall and Providence don’t have Gampel and St John’s should play more games on campus

Both chose to play off campus instead of their own gyms. Neither decided to build a new gym.

They don't care about the on campus experience.

 

[BlueMAB]

Still the closest city where a bunch of alumni are.

Why do state lines matter? We have people in here who routinely call for UConn to play home games in Boston and New York.

Doubling down on a stupid comment? Boneyard gotta Boneyard.

 

[Guapo]

Both chose to play off campus instead of their own gyms. Neither decided to build a new gym.

They don't care about the on campus experience.

Lol k

 

[CL82]

Think about this though, it isn't on campus and doesn't have a campus feel. UK is the state of Kentucky's team.

Yeah, but as you point out it’s a 23,500 seat brand new arena within a 10 minute walk of campus. I’m not sure how relevant comparison that is to a 47-year-old 15,564 seat capacity arena that is a 35 minute drive from campus.

 

[BlueMAB]

Lol k

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

 

[CL82]

Or because they don't care about the on campus experience?

$240+/-, $250+/-, and $700+/- million dollar endowments at each. They can afford it.

Well, I’m not sure many universities would make the decision to cash in their endowments to pay for most of a new arena. And to be honest I doubt many administrations would survive making that decision.

 

[BlueMAB]

The irony of posters arguing that the capacity of XL vs Gampel shouldn't matter to UConn, while arguing that Seton Hall, Providence, and St. John's shouldn't also be expected to play in their on campus gyms.

Bonus points for people saying we practice in Gampel after we built Werth.

Well, I’m not sure many universities would make the decision to cash in their endowments to pay for most of a new arena. And to be honest I doubt many administrations would survive making that decision.

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

Regardless, size doesn't matter. It's the on campus experience that is important here.

 

[Hogoff]

Name one other major basketball brand that splits home games between venues. College sports should be played on campus if there is a facility on campus. Duke has an Old and small gym, can you imagine if they decided to play half their games in Raleigh.

Villanova

 

[Guapo]

Villanova

Have you not read these threads??

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

 

[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.