Future of the XL Center as a Home Site

[Tuna]

And people saying they would lose the "big time" donors if they stopped playing in Hartford have no idea what they are talking about.

oh really?

 

[CL82]

A seat donation is part of the season ticket package what are you talking about it has nothing to do with ad hoc donations. As noted the lower bowl around mid court go for $800 a season. The donation goes down as the seats get worse obviously, but it's non zero. That's a big part of this picture that is ignored.

You're now switching the argument and moving goalposts. Nobody is arguing that they take home is less at the civic center than Gampel. My position is that the school isn't public with the full picture and that being in Hartford has other benefits that serve to benefit UConn.

I’ve been entirely consistent, but you’ve meandered a bit moving from unquantified political considerations to unquantified economic considerations to unquantified savings earnings to the University.

It may be a typo, but you said no one is arguing that they take home less at the Civic Center than it Gampel. I am, that’s exactly the issue.

I haven’t said that seat donations are irrelevant, I just don’t have the numbers. Without them, I can’t comment on the meaningfully. That hasn’t stopped you referencing them vaguely, and that’s fine, but there’s no way for me to account for them one way or the other. As I’ve offered to repeatedly, if you can actually get that info, I’ll work it into my calculations and whatever they say, they say. But right now, it’s all speculative.

I’m pretty confident the school is relatively transparent with this information. You would just have to do a deep dive through the financials if you really that interested in it.

Oh, there’s not a doubt in my mind that there are some, currently unquantifiable, intangible benefits to playing in Hartford. There is also no doubt in my mind that there are some, currently unquantifiable, benefits, to playing in Storrs. Weighing the pros and cons of them is a practical impossibility until the unquantifiable becomes quantified. The fact that you “believe” that the value of being in Hartford outweighs, the value of playing in Storrs is all well and good, but just not particularly meaningful to this conversation.

All that said, somehow you’re locked in to the notion that the university must pay a premium to rent the XL Center. That is not etched in stone. There’s not a reason in the world why a quasi public entity should be price gouging the University and nothing that you’ve said is a valid argument for why it should.

At this point, it’s kind of pointless for you to reply back to say “But but but there are numbers that I don’t know that I’m sure would make a difference if I knew them but I don’t, but if I did, they would help support the meandering point I’m trying to make.” But if you want to feel free. I won’t respond because it’s readily apparent that this back-and-forth is going nowhere.

 

[gampelcrazies]

oh really?

You think someone who is giving big time money is going to stop because 8/9 more games are being played on campus??? Don’t think those people have to worry about getting out of work early to make the games

 

[UConnDad]

There should be no seat donation at XL for that crappy arena. Double the seat donation at Gampel to make up the difference.

 

[CL82]

There should be no seat donation at XL for that crappy arena. Double the seat donation at Gampel to make up the difference.

That’s the obvious answer, isn’t it? Double the games, double the donation.

 

[hardcorehusky]

It’s a 33 year old building that isn’t particularly nice or comfortable. And it was not about adding seats, so while common sense should have killed it, a broke-ass state of Connecticut killed it. (It was never actually on the schedule. It was a color-pencil sketch on a plan ten years ago.)

XL is not going to get better - it will simply get worse raster or slower, depending on what they do. Gampel is not going to get better - it’s just getting older.

We need a modern 12,500-15,000 seat facility. We can pretend we don’t, but do not be surprised when “game day” atmosphere kneecaps us again when realignment comes around again. Eventually, you all will figure it out.

Horse is partially out of the barn on this one. Even Massachusetts got it right with the Mullin Center. We should have built a new on campus facility that was the home to hockey and basketball and seats 12K. Multi purpose, modern, could have taken the money dumped into the Toscano Center and merged it with the new place. Additionally, it would have gotten UConn much more money in naming rights as well.

 

[krinklecut]

The “but the donations!” people are essentially making the argument that the rich UConn fans are actually fans of Hartford, not UConn.

 

[CaptainRon]

Psst, follow the people who control the money, the politicians… ill give you a hint, they aren’t in Storrs.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

At this point, it’s kind of pointless for you to reply back to say “But but but there are numbers that I don’t know that I’m sure would make a difference if I knew them but I don’t, but if I did, they would help support the meandering point I’m trying to make.” But if you want to feel free. I won’t respond because it’s readily apparent that this back-and-forth is going nowhere.

I’ve done a quick and dirty calculation and posted it here previously on a few occasions. Essentially UConn needs to have a sell out at the XL center to break even with playing in Storrs.

That quick and dirty computation did include ticket revenue, but did not include seat, donations, or “donations by the school by Hartford centric fans” because I don’t have access to those numbers. If you do, post them and I’ll incorporate them, otherwise, I’ll consider it a wash.

That's kind of your thing here. Make up numbers and pass off your results as conclusive facts.

 

[Waquoit]

I take it you're not a season ticket holder

Based on some of his comments in this thread, I don't even think he goes to games.

 

[CTBasketball]

Gampel, just like XL, is a dump. It’s just a smaller dump, with a better layout for basketball. It’s 30+ years old and feels like a high school gym when you walk in.

I’m all for a new on-campus arena, but that won’t happen until it’s desperately needed, and unless private funding pours in, the first I bet will not happen with our current deficit. Until then, play 4-5 timely games at XL and the rest at Gampel. But the lease deal needs to be reorganized.

And the President needs to be muzzled - she needs to pick her words. Everyone is laughing at her.

 

[krinklecut]

Based on some of his comments in this thread, I don't even think he goes to games.

I don’t even know what a basket balls is! Is that the orange round one ?

 

[krinklecut]

Can anyone point to any record of large dollar donors saying they would pull donations if UConn left Hartford? It’s been the argument for years, it should be pretty easy to produce a few donors saying on record they would pull their donations. Please send me a few. I’m happy and willing to be wrong about this if I am.

 

[John]

Can anyone point to any record of large dollar donors saying they would pull donations if UConn left Hartford? It’s been the argument for years, it should be pretty easy to produce a few donors saying on record they would pull their donations. Please send me a few. I’m happy and willing to be wrong about this if I am.

Are you familiar with the concept of seat licensing?

 

[gampelcrazies]

Gampel, just like XL, is a dump. It’s just a smaller dump, with a better layout for basketball. It’s 30+ years old and feels like a high school gym when you walk in.

I’m all for a new on-campus arena, but that won’t happen until it’s desperately needed, and unless private funding pours in, the first I bet will not happen with our current deficit. Until then, play 4-5 timely games at XL and the rest at Gampel. But the lease deal needs to be reorganized.

And the President needs to be muzzled - she needs to pick her words. Everyone is laughing at her.

In no way shape or form is Gampel a dump hahahaha. It's not a perfect arena but come on. It's bare basic but offers a better game day experience and better sightlines.

 

[Fishy]

And of course, none of this is factoring the amount we pay XL to play there.

UConn pays about $1.8M to play at XL.

They do not receive any money from concessions, parking, suites, etc.

Horse is partially out of the barn on this one. Even Massachusetts got it right with the Mullin Center. We should have built a new on campus facility that was the home to hockey and basketball and seats 12K. Multi purpose, modern, could have taken the money dumped into the Toscano Center and merged it with the new place. Additionally, it would have gotten UConn much more money in naming rights as well.

This.

 

[krinklecut]

Are you familiar with the concept of seat licensing?

I am! I covered the topic thoroughly earlier in the thread! In response to your comment!

 

[CTBasketball]

In no way shape or form is Gampel a dump hahahaha. It's not a perfect arena but come on. It's bare basic but offers a better game day experience and better sightlines.

You’re in denial, pampered by memories of old. It’s okay, I am too, I love Gampel. But Gampel is much closer to XL than it is to newer, state of the art arenas that others are building. 1990 is a long, long time ago in design and engineering. A classic place for sure, but a dump.

When the day comes to replace it, I have zero faith in the University to get it right either. It’ll end up a catastrophe like the rinky dink Ice Barn that we overpaid for. You could find more legit Pee Wee hockey arenas in Canada.

 

[krinklecut]

UConn pays about $1.8M to play at XL.

They do not receive any money from concessions, parking, suites, etc.


This.

Exactly right. $1.8m plus parking plus concessions plus merch more than makes up for the per seat donations we would lose.

 

[gampelcrazies]

You’re in denial, pampered by memories of old. It’s okay, I am too, I love Gampel. But Gampel is much closer to XL than it is to newer, state of the art arenas that others are building. 1990 is a long, long time ago in design and engineering. A classic place for sure, but a dump.

When the day comes to replace it, I have zero faith in the University to get it right either. It’ll end up a catastrophe like the rinky dink Ice Barn that we overpaid for. You could find more legit Pee Wee hockey arenas in Canada.

I'm not the one in denial lol. It's clean and has great sightlines. It's limited but not a dump. And I would bet some decent money they renovate it in the next few years which will only improve it.

 

[krinklecut]

You’re in denial, pampered by memories of old. It’s okay, I am too, I love Gampel. But Gampel is much closer to XL than it is to newer, state of the art arenas that others are building. 1990 is a long, long time ago in design and engineering. A classic place for sure, but a dump.

When the day comes to replace it, I have zero faith in the University to get it right either. It’ll end up a catastrophe like the rinky dink Ice Barn that we overpaid for. You could find more legit Pee Wee hockey arenas in Canada.

I don’t know what Syracuse’s hockey program has anything to do with this

 

[jdb50]

Watching Big East BB how many buildings do you see like Gampel with the big sidewalk halfway up the arena? I do not know of one. It was always a terrible design. Not to mention no chairbacks for the entire arena. I do not think there is any fiscally logical way to fix it. The sidewalk is a waste of great seating space. I had proposed building a new arena for Hockey and BB in the past. The UMass model made sense. The hockey teams could practice in Freitas. The problem was/is they spent the $ on the Gampel roof renovation. Where to put a new arena? Musical University Presidents. No vision. The XL contract needs a major league change in favor of UConn. That is the bare minimum for moves at this point in time.

 

[husky8273]

There's likely no way to quantity the general donations, but center court lower bowl seat donations are as high as $800/per seat/season.

those lower bowl seat donations are now $1400 per seat after phase in

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn should be making boatloads by playing in Hartford. It makes no sense that it would lose money and if that's the case, people need to fix this. That's like some dive bar requesting, no demanding, that a legendary deadhead cover band play, and the band has to pay for the privilege. The entertainers get paid. Let the Dogfather speak.

 

[CTBasketball]

UConn should be making boatloads by playing in Hartford. It makes no sense that it would lose money and if that's the case, people need to fix this. That's like some dive bar requesting, no demanding, that a legendary deadhead cover band play, and the band has to pay for the privilege. The entertainers get paid. Let the Dogfather speak.

Don’t you let that deal go down!