Gampel

[Waquoit]

I'd say the product is at least as good as the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack would beat UConn, what 10-0? 10-1?

 

[jdb50]

The OP makes a great point and something I've been thinking about too. The next few years are important years to upgrade Gampel just incase XL ever shut down. If XL shut down and they needed to do major work to Gampel where would they play?

Just a wag but a tear down of Gampel beginning right after graduation and a rebuild would take all of 2 years. It would be a major disruption to Campus. Could a new building be built elsewhere on Campus so we could still play there during construction? Otherwise we would be at the XL for the construction process. I don't know if having a hockey component as part of the new building would be doable. With the Athletic Dept having the $40 million deficit I have wondered about the men's hockey in regards to where do we find a place to cut that deficit. The women can play at Freitas and that program is necessary for Title IX reasons. With the men having to pay to use the XL it must make any revenue gain minimal.
The new hockey 2,500 arena is forecast to cost $45 million at least. That huge chunk of change would be a good start to a new Gampel especially if the hockey facility was part of it. That way in the future we are only maintaining the new Gampel plus Freitas for practice. Not a third arena.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

All for putting chairbacks throughout all of Gampel. Hate the bleachers

 

[Waquoit]

All for putting chairbacks throughout all of Gampel. Hate the bleachers

Not just that, is it possible structurally to put the rows farther apart? Spirit Air has more legroom.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Not just that, is it possible structurally to put the rows farther apart? Spirit Air has more legroom.

I’ve been siting in chairbacks for around 10 years now and haven’t been in the bleachers since. I remember them being tight but I don’t think the chair backs are that tight. Couldn’t they just do what they did for the chairback side? Probably lose some seats but still doable.

 

[Waquoit]

At least in chairbacks, you can move back and let people by. The best way to get out in the bleachers is for everybody to stand and you walk on the seat. That's probably a safety hazard.

 

[raf46]

The Bridgeport arena is surprisingly good. Just allow yourself like 45 minutes of extra time because the parking there is an absolutely nuclear level nightmare.

take the train. there is a walk way from the train station to the Arena. Coming from West Haven, I have been taking the train, for several years. You will be surprised how many people do so, when going to the WBA.

 

[zls44]

Not just that, is it possible structurally to put the rows farther apart? Spirit Air has more legroom.

Its all concrete, so not really.

Just a magnificently poorly designed building in every big-picture way. The roof, the seats, the location re: parking. And still 400x better than their other building, somehow.

 

[XLCenterFan]

The Wolfpack would beat UConn, what 10-0? 10-1?

When I say "product," I don't mean that the teams are on an equal skill level. I mean that for what you pay for both, there's not much drop off in the overall experience at a UCONN hockey game when compared to a Wolfpack game.

 

[UCLJ0211]

Put a bubble over The Rent and play there.

j/k I think

In theory not a terrible idea. Gotta cost less than $250-400 million to build a new arena right?

 

[Watchdog]

Gampel was built for $28 million finished in 1990. It was built on the cheap for many reasons but remember the corner seats were not there. The corner bleacher seats have some extra room but not much. The roof needed repair by 2015 and $10 million was spent giving the roof an expected 10 to 15 year extension in lifespan with the job finished by 2018. So in 10 to 15 years we do it all over again? Then a condensation problem was discovered with a fix that includes better Wi-fi coming in at $1.8 million. As homeowners know a condensation problem can quickly lead to a mold problem which is a big deal. With all the seams in the roofing structure we are told there are no leaks but with aluminium and all the hot /cold stresses this system will need to be changed permanently in the near future.
My point is there are major limiting factors to really improving the existing structure to be a modern arena even if we spent another pile of money on a concourse improvement. There is a real decision to be made here with State financial constraints seeming endless. This is the same boat the XL is in. With UConn committing big money to a new hockey arena they will be unable to really deal with Gampel's problems.

Not sure of your reasoning here. If the original interior roof panels (decorative as I understand it) lasted from 1990 to 2015, that's 25 years. Why should the replacement panels only last 10 to 15 years?
Also, how does wi-fi fix a condensation problem?

 

[smoothcriminal]

Time to build the Jim Calhoun pavilion. Should do the fundraising for this ASAP so he will still be around and healthy enough for the opening ceremony and the unveil of his statue out front.

 

[Rico444]

Not sure of your reasoning here. If the original interior roof panels (decorative as I understand it) lasted from 1990 to 2015, that's 25 years. Why should the replacement panels only last 10 to 15 years?
Also, how does wi-fi fix a condensation problem?

Not sure about the WiFi, but the ceiling tiles were replaced in 2015 but had been falling apart for years before that.

 

[gampelcrazies]

The WiFi just recently got installed. There are square shaped routers under where the huskies of honor are and where the championship banners use to be. For the first time ever my phone worked inside.

 

[CTBasketball]

Let’s be honest. Both arenas we have are dumps and out of date.

 

[ucawn]

Time to build the Jim Calhoun pavilion. Should do the fundraising for this ASAP so he will still be around and healthy enough for the opening ceremony and the unveil of his statue out front.

this!^

 

[gampelcrazies]

Let’s be honest. Both arenas we have are dumps and out of date.

Gampel isn’t a dump. It’s out of date but that doesn’t make it a dump.

 

[CTBasketball]

Gampel isn’t a dump. It’s out of date but that doesn’t make it a dump.

Eh it’s a dump. Not much is good about the place other than it’s special.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Eh it’s a dump. Not much is good about the place other than it’s special.

How is it a dump?? It’s clean, good sight lines. It’s basic but that doesn't make it a dump.

 

[kemba]

The WiFi just recently got installed. There are square shaped routers under where the huskies of honor are and where the championship banners use to be. For the first time ever my phone worked inside.

Like during this season?

I've been to the Florida and Tulane games this year. Florida my phone didn't work at all, Tulane it did. I had assumed it was just because there weren't many people there.

 

[CL82]

Its all concrete, so not really.

Just a magnificently poorly designed building in every big-picture way. The roof, the seats, the location re: parking. And still 400x better than their other building, somehow.

I wonder how much of that was intended. There was a concern at the time that a 1st class arena on campus would take away concert business from the Civic Center and the Coliseum.

The new course will add better food and restroom and additional seating. That helps considerably. I think the roof likely looked terrific in architectural drawings. Always beware the phrase "innovative design."

 

[Get a Job]

I wonder how much of that was intended. There was a concern at the time that a 1st class arena on campus would take away concert business from the Civic Center and the Coliseum.

This has got to be the most absurd thing I've ever heard. You could build Cowboys Stadium in Storrs, and people still wouldn't come out for it.

 

[CL82]

This has got to be the most absurd thing I've ever heard. You could build Cowboys Stadium in Storrs, and people still wouldn't come out for it.

Google is your friend. Educate yourself.

 

[Get a Job]

Google is your friend. Educate yourself.

I'm not saying it wasn't a worry that people had. I am saying that having that worry is absurd.

 

[GoatHouse]

I wonder how much of that was intended. There was a concern at the time that a 1st class arena on campus would take away concert business from the Civic Center and the Coliseum.

The new course will add better food and restroom and additional seating. That helps considerably. I think the roof likely looked terrific in architectural drawings. Always beware the phrase "innovative design."

Do you think the roof doesn't look good now? Or should I say post-initial construction as a whole? I would say it's pretty neat.. a cool feature to associate with a program that has a lot of history.