Gampel vs. XL Center

[patrick]

If they sold beer at GAMPEL it would be PERFECT, that's the only thing that XL has over Gampel

 

[Husky]

I don't HATE XL, but won't deny that Gampel is a 1000000 times better place to see a game

 

[Husky]

Never mind actually: now that I thought about that post.....I kind of hate the XL center...lol

 

[whaler11]

OK, so Duke is 50-somethingth. But look at where we are!! 315th, with the lowest statistical home court advantage among high-major programs.

The article pretty much said it's not fans. There are a ton of northeast teams towards the bottom.

Leads me to believe a lot of what you capture is travel - anyone who follows the NEC can look at St Francis PA in the top 20. They average a few hundred fans at home games and play in dead silence. The road trip for the league is death.

Also pretty much if you play well on the road this metric is going to make you look good.

 

[alexd]

If they sold beer at GAMPEL it would be PERFECT, that's the only thing that XL has over Gampel

Every game at the XL, I bitch about paying $9.00 for a beer and then I pay it.

 

[benjordan]

The atmosphere itself is also a huge recruiting tool, for players AND students. They certainly don't take you on a tour of the XL center when you visit UConn.

 

[Tenspro2002]

The article pretty much said it's not fans. There are a ton of northeast teams towards the bottom.

Leads me to believe a lot of what you capture is travel - anyone who follows the NEC can look at St Francis PA in the top 20. They average a few hundred fans at home games and play in dead silence. The road trip for the league is death.

Also pretty much if you play well on the road this metric is going to make you look good.

Yeah, that's certainly true, but you also see teams like Wisconsin, Pitt, and Notre Dame towards the top of the list (i.e. teams that are renowned for their home-court advantage).

Maybe all it says is that we're a good road team, but I'm inclined to think that -- like for the Giants in the NFL -- a sterile, weak home court atmosphere really does erase any advantage that comes from playing at home.

 

[Husky25]

Oh good grief. No one thinks the Civic Center is a better venue for college hoops than Gampel. That is not the same as people who understand why it is a political and financial necessity.

Political, maybe. Not financial. XL Center Rent for UConn Basketball approaches $50k/game.

 

[businesslawyer]

Political, maybe. Not financial. XL Center Rent for UConn Basketball approaches $50k/game.

Financial impact includes not just net profit from games (although 2000 extra tickets more than covers the $50k a game if we care about math). It includes contributions from business and downstate types so they get better seats that wouldn't be made for games at Gampel.

 

[Husky25]

Financial impact includes not just net profit from games (although 2000 extra tickets more than covers the $50k a game if we care about math). It includes contributions from business and downstate types so they get better seats that wouldn't be made for games at Gampel.

2,000 extra seats may cover the $50,000 rent, but that means UConn must draw over 13,000 just to break economically even with Gampel (Probably more, this was a back of the envelope calc). UConn does not get any part of the concessions or parking at the XL Center. They do at Gampel. Hopefully they can strike a better deal with Global Spectrum, but they were Chip Diller'ed (Thank you, Sir. May I have another) by AEG.

Creative accounting makes contributions from business and downstate types tax write-offs. I doubt UConn would lose a tremendous amount of their benefit by playing more games in Gampel.

 

[benjordan]

Gampel >>>>>>>> XL Center

 

[Jerry1714]

You'd be surprised!

“@ESPNAndyKatz: Selfishly for me XL closer, but UConn games at Gampel don't compare. Atmosphere great here vs. Georgetown.”

You are on an island waquoit

 

[Waquoit]

“@ESPNAndyKatz: Selfishly for me XL closer, but UConn games at Gampel don't compare. Atmosphere great here vs. Georgetown.”

You are on an island waquoit

I go to more UConn games than Andy Katz. But I've been on the island before. Like when I said JC was gone and nailed the timeframe and why. Or when I said this team had bubble talent while everyone else was saying it was the weakest squad since JC's 1st year. Never gets old.

 

[BoatShow]

When was the last time an XL Center crowd was on it's feet for the final 12 minutes of a game?

 

[CL82]

On TV it looked and sounded amazing.

 

[CTMike]

Gampel was electric tonight. Hartford is often (not always) more convenient.

 

[BoatShow]

On TV it looked and sounded amazing.

It was something else in there tonight.

Having the luxury of comparing tonight vs. Cuse at the XL I can comfortably give Gample the edge using those two games. Atmosphere for the Cuse game was really altered by the amount of Cuse fans (ugh hate to give them credit for anything)

 

[Ts5034]

Yes that was a great atmosphere tonight. I was really getting into it and right now I barely have a voice left. I was at the Syracuse game as well but after tonight its just more confirmation that nothing beats Gampel for a big game. If Giffey hit that last second shot in regulation, i think the roof would have come off.

 

[Husky]

The amount of Orange at the XL 'cuse game was enough to raise an eyebrow, but basically clowning all of them after we won was an added bonus

 

[BoatShow]

The amount of Orange at the XL 'cuse game was enough to raise an eyebrow, but basically clowning all of them after we won was an added bonus

At times felt too much like a neutral/tourney site....until we completely owned the last 10 minute.

 

[benjordan]

No offense to the tourney petition, but we should really be lobbying for the games to all be played at Gampel. That is something we theoretically could change.

 

[Husky25]

No offense to the tourney petition, but we should really be lobbying for the games to all be played at Gampel. That is something we theoretically could change.

Only when the contract with the XL Center expires.

There was an article in the New London Day about how UConn was never consulted about the new XL and Rent managent company. That is because their contract is locked in for the next few years. Here's hoping they renegotiate with Global Spectrum ($50K/game with no concessions or parking is highway robbery), but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[UConn07]

When was the last time an XL Center crowd was on it's feet for the final 12 minutes of a game?

Cincy and Syracuse games this year.

 

[8893]

I go to more UConn games than Andy Katz. But I've been on the island before. Like when I said JC was gone and nailed the timeframe and why. Or when I said this team had bubble talent while everyone else was saying it was the weakest squad since JC's 1st year. Never gets old.

Yes, megalomania, like many other psychopathological disorders, tends to remain rather stubborn. And there are few things more predictable and constant in life than yours.

 

[Bryan Lord]

Sat behind Georgetown bench last night and their fans are horrible. This one guy got into an old UConn fans face after the game and started shoving him around. The Georgetown fan was like 25 and the UConn fan was 70. I stepped in and broke it up but it was a mess.

All game the Georgetown fans were getting into little fights down there in my section.