Hartford Business Journal Editorial: XL Center

[UCONNJACK]

Hartford Business Journal editorial on why UConn sports should continue to be played in Hartford.

Bordonaro: UConn sports belong in downtown Hartford

Should UConn basketball and hockey games continue to be played in Hartford at the rundown XL Center?That question has been raised recently in a few articles and columns as well […]

www.hartfordbusiness.com

 

[Fairfield_1st]

As I've stated in another thread, the easy answer is to play both hoop teams and hockey in Hartford only during winter break when the students aren't on campus. This assumes that we get a better deal from the XL. I'd tie in a better deal with Rentschler as well into the negotiations. I'm sick and tired of reading about the sports budget "deficit". I know the deficit won't go away, but UConn is made out to be the bad guy in this financial shell game.

 

[John]

In that article I see more about what good it does for Hartford and not so much what good it does for UConn athletics. Pure propaganda.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

shocking from the hartford business journal.

 

[Chantry1101]

In that article I see more about what good it does for Hartford and not so much what good it does for UConn athletics. Pure propaganda.

The magazine in which the article appeared is called the Hartford Business Journal. It seems appropriate for that magazine to publish an article favoring the perspective of Hartford Businesses.

 

[Kolumbo]

1. Continue to play in Hartford because many people like it and we can't make a drastic change at this juncture.
2. Demand renovations to bring facility up to snuff. Nay, better than snuff.
3. This keeps the center open and available for hockey.
4. If no renovations are forthcoming, build a basketball arena overlooking the river.

 

[John]

The magazine in which the article appeared is called the Hartford Business Journal. It seems appropriate for that magazine to publish an article favoring the perspective of Hartford Businesses.

yes, of course. That's why I used the word propaganda.

 

[August_West]

Thanks for making the case for all games at Gampel until a 20th century ( not even 21st) arena is built.

 

[Palatine]

One of the reasons for the popularity of the Huskies in the state (besides winning) is that they are accessible. This was very important pre-Calhoun. Playing in Hartford made it easy for alumni and fans to see the team. It expanded the fan base.

Maybe UConn can move all games on campus and continue the relationship. Don't know.

 

[SubbaBub]

Hartford business is the sole reason the XL still exists. Of course, they would think that. Right or wrong, their opinion on the matter isn't unbiased.

 

[mussels]

2 X seat license + political reality > 1 X seat license

We’re not changing the current arrangement until the laws of mathematics change.

 

[Kolumbo]

2 X seat license + political reality > 1 X seat license

We’re not changing the current arrangement until the laws of mathematics change.

wouldn't it be:

2 X seat license + political reality > 1 X (2 x seat license)

* seat license would double since there would be double the number of games at Gampel.

 

[CL82]

In that article I see more about what good it does for Hartford and not so much what good it does for UConn athletics. Pure propaganda.

And the supposed good it does for Hartford was speculative and undocumented.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

The magazine in which the article appeared is called the Hartford Business Journal. It seems appropriate for that magazine to publish an article favoring the perspective of Hartford Businesses.

As a business journal, they must recognize that UConn must feel like they're better off after the new deal than they were before. Basic give and take. Would it have killed them to expound on what it might take for the relationship to continue. Without that, it's basically a Captain Obvious article that Hartford does better when the XL center is being used. No Sherlock!

 

[mussels]

wouldn't it be:

2 X seat license + political reality > 1 X (2 x seat license)

* seat license would double since there would be double the number of games at Gampel.

Only if you think there is demand to support the price increase. Since more seat licenses are sold for XL that wouldn’t seem to be the case.

In reality it more than 1 X, but definitely less than 2X if all the games are played in Gampel.

 

[Waquoit]

One of the reasons for the popularity of the Huskies in the state (besides winning) is that they are accessible. This was very important pre-Calhoun. Playing in Hartford made it easy for alumni and fans to see the team. It expanded the fan base.

Maybe UConn can move all games on campus and continue the relationship. Don't know.

I know.

 

[KembaKek]

i thought this was a random meme plugged into the article but nope, the author just has a comically large forehead

 

[gtcam]

All home Big East games should be at Gampel
Playing at the XL is like playing in a crypt

 

[UC313]

View attachment 74437i thought this was a random meme plugged into the article but nope, the author just has a comically large forehead

Thats a fivehead at bare minimum.

 

[Kolumbo]

Only if you think there is demand to support the price increase. Since more seat licenses are sold for XL that wouldn’t seem to be the case.

In reality it more than 1 X, but definitely less than 2X if all the games are played in Gampel.

It's an interesting situation. Surely the folks in Gampel want to keep their seats and many of the folks at the civic center would want to get seats in Gampel. Then you have the general population who also want to get games in Gampel. Demand would mostly exceed supply by a lot. No way to know by how much I guess.

 

[Get a Job]

It's an interesting situation. Surely the folks in Gampel want to keep their seats and many of the folks at the civic center would want to get seats in Gampel. Then you have the general population who also want to get games in Gampel. Demand would mostly exceed supply by a lot. No way to know by how much I guess.

Well there are worse problems to have than having every game sold out. It sucks for the fans who get priced out, but it's mostly upside besides that.

 

[Palatine]

The main reason the Huskies play at the XL is profit.

The Celtics used to play at the HCC because they made more money than at the old Boston Garden.

Of course, if any of you want to donate the difference to the university to move games on campus. I'm sure the AD would listen to your proposal.

 

[UConnJim]

The main reason the Huskies play at the XL is profit.

The Celtics used to play at the HCC because they made more money than at the old Boston Garden.

Of course, if any of you want to donate the difference to the university to move games on campus. I'm sure the AD would listen to your proposal.

The Celtics did make more money playing in Hartford than in the old Garden, but the economics changed with the opening of the new Garden and it made more sense financially to play in Boston over Hartford. Also, the Celtics had exclusive TV rights to the Hartford market because they played games in the HCC, but there was an out of court settlement between the NBA and the CT Attorney General to allow Knicks games to be shown in the Hartford market which eliminated another financial incentive for the Celtics to continue playing in Hartford. The CT AG: Richard Blumenthal.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

just get a big boat and make stops at Bridgeport, New Haven, New London, Stamford, Hartford, Mohegan Sun, heck, even Pawcatuck.
anywhere there is a parking space, just park that bad boy there. mebbe even call it the 'huskies to the people tour,' or 'ahoy huskies tour,' or sumthin like that.

a couple of f-35s parked by the ticket window should do it for security.
problem solved, everybody wins, except mebbe those mountain types living up in Litchfield. that big of a boat can't make it up the hoosy river.
anchors aweigh!

 

[Waquoit]

The Celtics did make more money playing in Hartford than in the old Garden, but the economics changed with the opening of the new Garden and it made more sense financially to play in Boston over Hartford. Also, the Celtics had exclusive TV rights to the Hartford market because they played games in the HCC, but there was an out of court settlement between the NBA and the CT Attorney General to allow Knicks games to be shown in the Hartford market which eliminated another financial incentive for the Celtics to continue playing in Hartford. The CT AG: Richard Blumenthal.

This reads like an attempt to smear Blumenthal for doing the right thing.

 

[CL82]

The main reason the Huskies play at the XL is profit.

The Celtics used to play at the HCC because they made more money than at the old Boston Garden.

Of course, if any of you want to donate the difference to the university to move games on campus. I'm sure the AD would listen to your proposal.

Pretty sure the school loses money for all but sold out games at the XL center. Even for sold out games when you consider loss concessions and loss parking revenue you’re probably looking at a profit of about than $20,000.

Auriemma once proposed having the XL Center just split the profits from games there with Connecticut. That would definitely make that venue more attractive financially.

 

[Waquoit]

Pretty sure the school loses money for all but sold out games at the XL center. Even for sold out games when you consider loss concessions and loss parking revenue you’re probably looking at a profit of about than $20,000.

Auriemma once proposed having the XL Center just split the profits from games there with Connecticut. That would definitely make that venue more attractive financially.

How did we go from "UConn loses money unless they sell 10,000 tickets" to "pretty sure the school loses money for all but sold out games"?

 

[CL82]

How did we go from "UConn loses money unless they sell 10,000 tickets" to "pretty sure the school loses money for all but sold out games"?

Did I say UConn loses money unless they sell 10,000 tickets? Link it, please.

I did a quick and dirty computation in another thread, but in essence, the rental for the XL center is $40,000 +3 dollars per seat. So it cost us about 88,000 for a full house. Assuming a cost of $25 per ticket the gross revenue we would make would be about $390,000 (15,600 x 25) in the net profit of $302,000.

At Gampel Arena we, essentially, keep our profit so 10,000 seats at $25 per seat comes out to $263,500, but at Gampel we also get parking in concessions revenue. Figure north and south garages park roughly 3000 each and add an event cost of five dollars per car that’s an additional $30,000. So revenue before concessions would be equal to $292,500 before concessions.

Thus, if we make $9,500 per game in concessions, and I have no figures whatsoever on what we do in concessions, then a sold out game at Gampel makes the school as much money as a sold out game at the XL Center, notwithstanding the differences in capacity.

Said differently a sold out game at the XL Center makes us less than $10,000 more than a sold out game at home, before any profit we make on concessions.

Now let me pick a few knits before you do, this does not include seat license fees. I don’t have that information readily available. It also doesn’t include the relatively nominal costs to open up and staff Gampel. On the other hand, it also doesn’t include the costs of transportation to Hartford, accommodations in Hartford, if we’re still doing that, and meals in Hartford. But the big take away from all of this is that playing at the XL center is not a windfall for us in any way shape or form. In the analysis above was under the best possible circumstances, a complete sell out of the facility. If we’re not selling it out, we’re losing money.

Helpful?

 

[Kemba Time]

Did I say UConn loses money unless they sell 10,000 tickets? Link it, please.

I did a quick and dirty computation in another thread, but in essence, the rental for the XL center is $40,000 +3 dollars per seat. So it cost us about 88,000 for a full house. Assuming a cost of $25 per ticket the gross revenue we would make would be about $390,000 (15,600 x 25) in the net profit of $302,000.

At Gampel Arena we, essentially, keep our profit so 10,000 seats at $25 per seat comes out to $263,500, but at Gampel we also get parking in concessions revenue. Figure north and south garages park roughly 3000 each and add an event cost of five dollars per car that’s an additional $30,000. So revenue before concessions would be equal to $292,500 before concessions.

Thus, if we make $9,500 per game in concessions, and I have no figures whatsoever on what we do in concessions, then a sold out game at Gampel makes the school as much money as a sold out game at the XL Center, notwithstanding the differences in capacity.

Said differently a sold out game at the XL Center makes us less than $10,000 more than a sold out game at home, before any profit we make on concessions.

Now let me pick a few knits before you do, this does not include seat license fees. I don’t have that information readily available. It also doesn’t include the relatively nominal costs to open up and staff Gampel. On the other hand, it also doesn’t include the costs of transportation to Hartford, accommodations in Hartford, if we’re still doing that, and meals in Hartford. But the big take away from all of this is that playing at the XL center is not a windfall for us in any way shape or form. In the analysis above was under the best possible circumstances, a complete sell out of the facility. If we’re not selling it out, we’re losing money.

Helpful?

UConn also "receives an incentive fee once an annual attendance threshold is met for each team" at the XL Center.

That quoted line is from a New London Day story this winter. I believe each team means men's basketball, women's basketball, men's hockey, but have never seen reported how much that amount is and that could certainly impact the math here.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Did I say UConn loses money unless they sell 10,000 tickets? Link it, please.

I did a quick and dirty computation in another thread, but in essence, the rental for the XL center is $40,000 +3 dollars per seat. So it cost us about 88,000 for a full house. Assuming a cost of $25 per ticket the gross revenue we would make would be about $390,000 (15,600 x 25) in the net profit of $302,000.

At Gampel Arena we, essentially, keep our profit so 10,000 seats at $25 per seat comes out to $263,500, but at Gampel we also get parking in concessions revenue. Figure north and south garages park roughly 3000 each and add an event cost of five dollars per car that’s an additional $30,000. So revenue before concessions would be equal to $292,500 before concessions.

Thus, if we make $9,500 per game in concessions, and I have no figures whatsoever on what we do in concessions, then a sold out game at Gampel makes the school as much money as a sold out game at the XL Center, notwithstanding the differences in capacity.

Said differently a sold out game at the XL Center makes us less than $10,000 more than a sold out game at home, before any profit we make on concessions.

Now let me pick a few knits before you do, this does not include seat license fees. I don’t have that information readily available. It also doesn’t include the relatively nominal costs to open up and staff Gampel. On the other hand, it also doesn’t include the costs of transportation to Hartford, accommodations in Hartford, if we’re still doing that, and meals in Hartford. But the big take away from all of this is that playing at the XL center is not a windfall for us in any way shape or form. In the analysis above was under the best possible circumstances, a complete sell out of the facility. If we’re not selling it out, we’re losing money.

Helpful?

Approximately 2600 tickets are reserved for students at Gampel. Students don’t pay for bball tickets. @ $25 per ticket that amounts to $65,000 in revenue you were counting.