Hartford > Gampel

[How Sway?!]

Simple. The state either improves XL so that it is a peer to other off campus arenas in the league or that half and half split is done. If Hartford wants to continue to benefit economically, they'll need to pinch in their fair share.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Another factor that I'm sure is included in UConn's financial analysis/all-in assessment on this (but not spoken about by coaches and maybe every blue moon by the AD) is donations. My hunch is that most donations within CT come from people 45 minutes to two hours from Storrs. Not that all these people are season ticket holders, but I think that has to carry some weight in all of this.

 

[MU in MKE]

Attendance and atmosphere between the locations is an interesting topic. Something I just realized today, because of a comment on the MU board, was that despite the poor choice (in my opinion) of which games to play at Gampel vs XL, UConn is the ONLY school to show an increase in attendance this year in the BE. The rest of the conference are all down this year (probably b/c of covid) but despite the poor scheduling, UConn's attendance being up is pretty remarkable. Well, maybe not since it's the first season in the BE where fans can attend and the team is playing better. But at least the scheduling isn't completely holding fans back.


Side note @JB75 and @JohnFSilver, I can't speak for Texas, but I'm not sure where you get your impressions of the midwest from. We're not all rolling off the farm 2.5 hours before game time, knowing that it's the only thing going on in town and we might as well make the long trek because we've just got all this magical time to spare. I believe all the midwest Big East metro areas except Omaha are larger than Hartford.

Now if you'll pardon me, I only have 2 hours for lunch and that barely gives me time to get to the nearest convenience store and back to the office production line?...

 

[Bonamassa]

One minus for Gampel are the bench seats. Crammed in with knees in your back and your knees in the back of the person in front of you. No room for your coat. Now that they're serving beer get ready for the spills on people. It will be a tough maneuver even for a sober person.

 

[drayenob]

Noticed this from Kenpom:

Home games played at Gampel Pavilion (10,167, 93rd largest in D-I) or XL Center (15,564)

Home court advantage: 4.2 (6th in D-I)

I guess the XL center doesn't hurt too much.

I'm an XL season ticket holder. I would not be a Gample ticket holder because there is no way I could make the weekday games.

If this were to happen the occasional Saturday game would be an impossible ticket. Why not have the game where more fans can enjoy?

 

[Kemba Time]

Another factor that I'm sure is included in UConn's financial analysis/all-in assessment on this (but not spoken about by coaches and maybe every blue moon by the AD) is donations. My hunch is that most donations within CT come from people 45 minutes to two hours from Storrs. Not that all these people are season ticket holders, but I think that has to carry some weight in all of this.

The loss in potential donations of a Storrs-only scenario cannot be overstated. Given freedom to choose in UConn’s current split, more than 7,000 have chosen to become XL Center season-ticket holders. If we want to say 2,000 of those 7,000 are both venues season holders now, that leaves 5,000 fans you are taking a leap will:

A) Become Gampel season ticket holders who continue to donate despite making access more difficult than what they have chosen.

B) Double their investment. Currently single-venue fans buy 8-10 games in either venue. (Unless we are talking about splitting Gampel seasons up into a Blue & White package that comes with having to purchase 16-18 home games, simply doubling the number of games you have to buy becomes a financial issue for at least some of our current base in either location). AND increase their seat donation to make up for what one Gampel and one XL fan give for their current split.

C) Make donations after giving up their seats. Since moving to Gampel is about the students and the environment, you can’t really add a significant number of Hartford-only fans to Gampel as season-ticket holders, even in a best-case scenario that they would want to do so. And every fan who gives up their tickets and donor status also becomes less likely to give future additional donations — especially after being sold on These Are Your Forever Seats plan during a low-point in the program.

This is why the sweet spot for AD David Benedict is finding what allows UConn to maximizes Gampel while keeping enough in Hartford that XL season-ticket holders feel like they are getting enough big games to justify filling the arena while continuing to donate and choosing to keep their seats.

 

[CL82]

Not only is UConn not losing money, they are making more Tuesday playing in the XL than they would at Gampel.

Exclusive of seat licenses, not buy a whole heck of a lot. I did a quick and dirty computation and The XL Center, if sold out, makes, maybe, $25,000 more than a sold out Gampel. And that doesn’t take into account whatever the teams costs are in playing in Hartford. I don’t know if they stay overnight, I don’t know what the buses cost.

Note that that is not a knock on the XL Center per se. The Nova game is exactly the kind of games we want to be playing there. I think the atmosphere is going to be insane there. As has been noted thoroughly in this thread, when full, for a big game, the XL has great game day atmosphere.

But, if you really want to advocate for games in Hartford, maybe some of your ire should be directed towards the CDRA’s ridiculous pricing policy for Connecticut games.

 

[zls44]

Also, what if the money spent on paying rent for the XL plus increased concessions revenue with beer being sold now could help pay for actual dang seats?

How come folks can pick XL over Gampel because of not having benches but Gampel getting rid of benches couldn't help those ticket sales? As would the planned Gampel renovation?

I ask again, why does @Waquoit want UConn basketball to fail? Why does he want the opposite of what the students, most fans, coaches and players want? He clearly wants the program to be worse off.

 

[superjohn]

Attendance and atmosphere between the locations is an interesting topic. Something I just realized today, because of a comment on the MU board, was that despite the poor choice (in my opinion) of which games to play at Gampel vs XL, UConn is the ONLY school to show an increase in attendance this year in the BE. The rest of the conference are all down this year (probably b/c of covid) but despite the poor scheduling, UConn's attendance being up is pretty remarkable. Well, maybe not since it's the first season in the BE where fans can attend and the team is playing better. But at least the scheduling isn't completely holding fans back.


Side note @JB75 and @JohnFSilver, I can't speak for Texas, but I'm not sure where you get your impressions of the midwest from. We're not all rolling off the farm 2.5 hours before game time, knowing that it's the only thing going on in town and we might as well make the long trek because we've just got all this magical time to spare. I believe all the midwest Big East metro areas except Omaha are larger than Hartford.

Now if you'll pardon me, I only have 2 hours for lunch and that barely gives me time to get to the nearest convenience store and back to the office production line?...

Thanks for tackling that. I was going to comment on how out for touch their comments are but didn't bother.

 

[Bonamassa]

If the state is going to put money into the XL do it right and not half-assed. I know what we're going to get though. What's our motto? Oh yes, "Connecticut, the half-assed State."

 

[Get a Job]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I read that plans for XL Center renovations have involved the elimination of thousands of seats?

 

[Waquoit]

Everyone says UConn loses money at the XL with a 10K crowd. If it was 11K they would say 11K. So I'll round up and say 10,284 is the break-even. The capacity Tuesday will be 16,284. The difference is 6,000 sold tickets, at $30 that's $180,000. For one game. You're not getting that back with Gampel beer sales. And sure, get rid of the bench seats. But capacity goes with. Can't sell seats that don't exist.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Also, what if the money spent on paying rent for the XL plus increased concessions revenue with beer being sold now could help pay for actual dang seats?

How come folks can pick XL over Gampel because of not having benches but Gampel getting rid of benches couldn't help those ticket sales? As would the planned Gampel renovation?

I ask again, why does @Waquoit want UConn basketball to fail? Why does he want the opposite of what the students, most fans, coaches and players want? He clearly wants the program to be worse off.

What's the planned Gampel renovation?

 

[JohnFSilver]

Noticed this from Kenpom:

Home games played at Gampel Pavilion (10,167, 93rd largest in D-I) or XL Center (15,564)

Home court advantage: 4.2 (6th in D-I)

I guess the XL center doesn't hurt too much.

I'm an XL season ticket holder. I would not be a Gample ticket holder because there is no way I could make the weekday games.

If this were to happen the occasional Saturday game would be an impossible ticket. Why not have the game where more fans can enjoy?

This is essentially the issue. Going to gampel takes something away from the UConn fan —convenience.

It really comes down to that. I am headed to nova Tuesday and Women’s game Friday.

If it was gampel, I gotta be honest, takes
More planning .

 

[WestHartHusk]

This is not true. My comments are based on the history of the ticket buying fanbase. If they liked Gampel so much the season tickets there would be sold out. It's not close. The great crowd last weekday was preceded by a flash sale. Not only is UConn not losing money, they are making more Tuesday playing in the XL than they would at Gampel.

That is just not true. DB just told you he needs well over 10k to BREAK EVEN in Hartford. Do you think he is losing money in a building that is paid off, where he gets concessions and parking?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I read that plans for XL Center renovations have involved the elimination of thousands of seats?

No, it includes a moveable wall system to reduce seating for events not needing full capacity. Still about 15-16k for a sold out basketball game.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Everyone says UConn loses money at the XL with a 10K crowd. If it was 11K they would say 11K. So I'll round up and say 10,284 is the break-even. The capacity Tuesday will be 16,284. The difference is 6,000 sold tickets, at $30 that's $180,000. For one game. You're not getting that back with Gampel beer sales. And sure, get rid of the bench seats. But capacity goes with. Can't sell seats that don't exist.

Lies, damn lies, statistics, then Waquoit math.

So you got to $180,000 in profit on 16,000 tickets. In a 10,000 seat arena that is paid off UConn only needs to sell tickets for $18/each. Hint: they sell them for more than $18/each. No beer needed (but it sure is a nice perk).

 

[Waquoit]

I ask again, why does @Waquoit want UConn basketball to fail? Why does he want the opposite of what the students, most fans, coaches and players want? He clearly wants the program to be worse off.

I've been a UConn BB fan for over 50 years and still pay money and go to games yet here's a numbnut that keeps saying I want the program to fail. Because I support a status quo that has brought us four titles. We've won more that Kansas and they hired Naismith. Playing home games in a barn clearly gets the program prepared to play in the buildings where the Big Dance is held. UConn is known for bringing it in any region. Would that have come with all the home games in an often indifferent on-campus facility? I say no. I clearly want continued success for a program that does things their way. This guy wants UConn to just fall in line.

 

[aburks41]

Everyone says UConn loses money at the XL with a 10K crowd. If it was 11K they would say 11K. So I'll round up and say 10,284 is the break-even. The capacity Tuesday will be 16,284. The difference is 6,000 sold tickets, at $30 that's $180,000. For one game. You're not getting that back with Gampel beer sales. And sure, get rid of the bench seats. But capacity goes with. Can't sell seats that don't exist.

That doesn't tell the whole story though. What point does Gampel break even considering operating costs on a gameday? Probably 1,000 seats, 2,000 max? Okay. So that leaves them with a minimum of 8,000 seats PLUS concessions AND parking (which we currently get $0 from both at XL).

How exactly is the XL a better deal for us?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

People need to think of this the University President/Board of Trustees hat on in addition to the coach/AD or cost accounting hat.

 

[AntG168]

I'm in East Haven.

XL is 42 minutes for me.
Gampel is 1:10.

So it's an extra hour (ignoring traffic/parking), plus it is much easier to get out of Hartford after a game.

So it isn't nothing - and for a marquee matchup I'm there. But for a midweek game against an average opponent? Maybe.

I won't stop buying season tickets - and I try to find people to go when I can't, but let's stop pretending there isn't a difference.

No ones going to a mid week game against average opponents at XL. A loud student section more than makes up for the 500-1000 fans that aren’t going to make the trip. Save XL for Villanova type games , and and breaks. I really don’t care where the games are played. I’ll be there. But let’s stop pretending that we’re traveling to Timbuktu. I drive 40 min to work everyday. Driving a hour to Gampel is not a big deal

 

[UConnDad]

Not true.

Given UConn must sell "well over 10K tickets" to break even at XL due to the costs to play there plus lost costs.

So you see no changes to the seat donation policy. I don’t see it addressed in your respons.

 

[TheChamps990411]

We are spoiled. We’re talking about the extra 20min like that’s not just 4 meek mill songs and I’m there. It’s preposterous lol

Well, im in a wheelchair and xl is far easier to get to than Storrs from Meriden.

 

[LIUCHusky]

Everyone says UConn loses money at the XL with a 10K crowd. If it was 11K they would say 11K. So I'll round up and say 10,284 is the break-even. The capacity Tuesday will be 16,284. The difference is 6,000 sold tickets, at $30 that's $180,000. For one game. You're not getting that back with Gampel beer sales. And sure, get rid of the bench seats. But capacity goes with. Can't sell seats that don't exist.

The seating capacity is no longer 16,284. It is now less than 15,500. In addition very few of the sky boxes have been used this season. Full capacity, less the sky boxes is less than 15,000. I also don’t believe all of the upper level seats have been going for $30.00.

 

[AntG168]

I just think Gampel is a better experience. Driving into storrs and seeing that silver dome in the distance invokes a different type of confidence and feeling. Most of the time when I walk into Gampel I feel like we can’t lose. I think the players feel the same way. There’s something to be said for the magic that you feel in Gampel. XL can be electric, but it just ain’t the same feeling. I know that not anything substantial, but just thought I’d add.