Do the Huskies play better at Gampel Pavilion or the XL Center?

[SVCBeercats]

I do believe the conclusion of this article is obvious.

UConn WBB Weekly: Do the Huskies play better at Gampel Pavilion or the XL Center?

Looking at UConn’s performance against top teams at its two home arenas.

www.theuconnblog.com

 

[Husky fanatic]

This article just shows that the season can’t come fast enough. Digging really deep to find something to keep our interest. Hopefully there is a media day soon.

 

[Inthepaint]

The Huskies basically have THREE home courts, if you include Mohegan Sun.
I notice that the BE conference tournament games moved there from the AAC last season.
Coincidence?
Wink Wink Nod Nod!
LOL!!

 

[Adesmar123]

I do believe the conclusion of this article is obvious.

UConn WBB Weekly: Do the Huskies play better at Gampel Pavilion or the XL Center?

Looking at UConn’s performance against top teams at its two home arenas.

www.theuconnblog.com

Yes!

 

[hoopsfan22]

The Huskies basically have THREE home courts, if you include Mohegan Sun.
I notice that the BE conference tournament games moved there from the AAC last season.
Coincidence?
Wink Wink Nod Nod!
LOL!!

As long as we're the big dog of the conference the conference tournament will be in our backyard. If we were in the B1G or ACC we'd be traveling for the conference tourney.

 

[Waquoit]

I remember reading Sue Bird say that playing in the XL said "big-time" to her.

 

[CL82]

I remember reading Sue Bird say that playing in the XL said "big-time" to her.

And it may have been in 1998 but it is decidedly less so in 2021.

FWIW the analysis that I'd like to see is the profitability to UConn of playing in Hartford versus playing Storrs. As I've posted frequently, UConn sports masks the ineptitude of CDRA by paying above market rates in their venues. I suspect for all but the biggest games it is more cost efficient to play at Gampel in a venue owned by UConn.

(And yes, I have a lot of good memories from games in Hartford, but I also have good memories of games in New Haven at the coliseum, that does change the math of whether it makes sense to do so now.)

 

[JoePgh]

As long as we're the big dog of the conference the conference tournament will be in our backyard. If we were in the B1G or ACC we'd be traveling for the conference tourney.

Do you mean "big dog" in terms of win-loss record, or in terms of attendance?

To me, it is obvious that any conference will schedule its conference tournament in the location where they can maximize attendance. The AAC, Old Big East (in its latter years), and new Big East all recognized that they could get more fannies in seats by holding the tournament in Connecticut than in any other location, so they decided to do that (quite sensibly).

If UConn were in a P5 conference but could draw more fans to a women's basketball tournament than any other team in the conference (even if the other team was more successful on the court), those conferences would hold their WBB tournaments in Connecticut as well.

 

[Inthepaint]

Instead of viewing it from the perspective of the teams, conference or fans, lets look at it from the point of view of the venue.
UCONN is, arguably, the premier marquee program in WCBB.
The purpose of any casino, wherever it may be, is to bring lots of people in and get them to lay out their moolah as often as possible for as long as possible
The BE Tournament lasts, what 5 days? How likely is it that the primary attraction, meaning Huskies, would get bounced before the final game? What to do in between, before or after the games?
How many coins will go into how many slots? How many meals will be eaten at how many dining establishments?
Last year, was an oddity due to the attendance restrictions. Next April the place will be packed with folks from all over.
I bet (pardon the pun) that the free advertising and media exposure doesn't hurt either.
I would be very surprised if Mohegan Sun didn't make the people who make the big decisions in the BE "an offer they couldn't refuse".

 

[hoopsfan22]

If UConn were in a P5 conference but could draw more fans to a women's basketball tournament than any other team in the conference (even if the other team was more successful on the court), those conferences would hold their WBB tournaments in Connecticut as well.

If we were in the ACC the tourney would continue to be held in North Carolina. That's just the way it is, so it would be off to Greensboro every March. It's one thing to tell Tulane, Wichita State, Xavier, and Creighton that we're having the tourney in our backyard and if they don't like it too bad, but it's another story to try that with ND, Louisville, Duke, UNC, etc. The B1G uses a bit of a midwest rotation of sites centered around Indianapolis, but they're always looking to show everyone that they are an east coast league, so I could see them adding a site on the east coast without too much objection which would also make Rutgers and Maryland and even Penn State happy. Would it be Mohegan? Who knows, but I could definitely see a site somewhere in greater NYC.

 

[boontonbomber]

Don't know if stats back it up, but it has always seemed to me that they shoot better in Hartford. Which makes no sense, since they don't practice there.

 

[Waquoit]

And it may have been in 1998 but it is decidedly less so in 2021.

She made the quote just a couple of years ago. And to do a true cost-benefit analysis you need to factor in the large number of fans who won't go to Storrs.

 

[CL82]

She made the quote just a couple of years ago. And to do a true cost-benefit analysis you need to factor in the large number of fans who won't go to Storrs.

I Yep but she was referring to when she played which was 1998 to 2002. The Hartford Civic Center feels decidedly “less big time“ now.

Agree with you that that analysis would have to include the loss of fans who won’t travel past Hartford, plus any additional fans who will go to Storrs and not Hartford, plus the cost in each venue. At the end of the day, I would bet that stores ends up being more cost effective venue, but we’d have to see the analysis to know that.

 

[Zanzman]

If we were in the ACC the tourney would continue to be held in North Carolina. That's just the way it is, so it would be off to Greensboro every March. It's one thing to tell Tulane, Wichita State, Xavier, and Creighton that we're having the tourney in our backyard and if they don't like it too bad, but it's another story to try that with ND, Louisville, Duke, UNC, etc. The B1G uses a bit of a midwest rotation of sites centered around Indianapolis, but they're always looking to show everyone that they are an east coast league, so I could see them adding a site on the east coast without too much objection which would also make Rutgers and Maryland and even Penn State happy. Would it be Mohegan? Who knows, but I could definitely see a site somewhere in greater NYC.

Didn’t ND and Louisville come here for the ok’d big east tourney

 

[Skeets]

Just in terms of comfort, the XL center wins. Gampel was designed for 14 inch hips and 2 foot long legs. Even the "chair back" seats are not very comfortable. Another thing that irks me about Gampel is paying for parking in lots that my tax dollars built.

 

[Puppy Love]

I don’t know about playing better, but games at Gampel just have the ‘it’ factor that the XL Center never will. Yes, the parking sucks, but being on campus just has a different feel to it.

 

[huskiemaniac]

Oh, had we both the ease/comfort of the XL yet the atmosphere of Gampel...

 

[Teacherdeb]

I remember back aways when tickets were hard to come by and the XL center sold out routinely, some incredible games at the XL with deafening noise and atmosphere! 16,000 plus rocking the arena!

 

[JJTB]

Just in terms of comfort, the XL center wins. Gampel was designed for 14 inch hips and 2 foot long legs. Even the "chair back" seats are not very comfortable. Another thing that irks me about Gampel is paying for parking in lots that my tax dollars built.

Not to mention getting a parking ticket at the Dayton game a few years back two days before Thanksgiving. We were one of 4 cars in the vacant lot because students were on break! All were ticketed!