Hockey Arena Groundbreaking/Progress

[zls44]

The XL center is among the largest facilities used in College Hockey. If UConn manages and schedules right, average attendance will be more than fine. I’m hoping that fewer XL dates means significantly larger crowds there to offset the intimate capacity of Toscano. It seems that UConn realized they didn’t need to build large when then have the luxury of playing at two venues, and designed accordingly.

I suppose you could say the same for SHU who formerly played at the newly named Total Mortgage , but they’ve only been attracting 700-800 per game there, so 3600 may work in the near term due to the novelty, but we’ll see down the road as it may be too large for them on a given night,

Why do people act like this is some 3D chess move genius from UConn? Why can't you just admit its stupid? What in how this process has been managed in the last decade possibly makes you think THIS was THE PLAN??!?!?!

And for what? To have an extra lounge! Goodness, with the gaslighting, its amazing. Just admit this was badly handled! It won't hurt anyone!

Oh no, SHU has 1000 too many seats? Ok...so what? What's the negative outcome there? This isn't being in an arena with 5000 too many seats!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The XL center is among the largest facilities used in College Hockey. If UConn manages and schedules right, average attendance will be more than fine. I’m hoping that fewer XL dates means significantly larger crowds there to offset the intimate capacity of Toscano. It seems that UConn realized they didn’t need to build large when then have the luxury of playing at two venues, and designed accordingly.

I suppose you could say the same for SHU who formerly played at the newly named Total Mortgage , but they’ve only been attracting 700-800 per game there, so 3600 may work in the near term due to the novelty, but we’ll see down the road as it may be too large for them on a given night,

UConn is not SHU! They should not be trying to meet that bar!

The solution here was simple - build a stellar ~5K arena on campus and stop playing at XL. It would be perfect for the program, the state, and position them with one of the best, if not the best, facilities in the league. Let's be clear, Toscano is not that.

Instead they play now in either a cavernous garbage dump or a glorified high school rink that no one can go to. It will continue to hinder recruiting. They shot themselves in the foot with this when they had the chance.

 

[zls44]

UConn is not SHU! They should not be trying to meet that bar!

The solution here was simple - build a stellar ~5K arena on campus and stop playing at XL. It would be perfect for the program, the state, and position them with one of the best, if not the best, facilities in the league. Let's be clear, Toscano is not that.

Instead they play now in either a cavernous garbage dump or a glorified high school rink that no one can go to. It will continue to hinder recruiting. They shot themselves in the foot with this when they had the chance.

No, you have to understand: its good, actually, to build a rink for which you LITERALLY CANNOT SELL TICKETS FOR

This has never been done in the history of the sport. And people on here try to spin it. For what purpose! I get the AD spinning it, but why the heck would the fans!?!?!?

 

[mac2351]

How many season ticket holders are there?

With the students plus the season ticket holders, when will there ever be public tickets available?

 

[zls44]

How many season ticket holders are there?

With the students plus the season ticket holders, when will there ever be public tickets available?

Its a really great question! I believe its around 1800-2000 season tickets held

500 for students

Plus you have to hold some for the players' families and the opposing school. For the playoffs, youre required to give the visiting school a block for their fans plus their band, if they wish.


Do you see where the issues come up? Do you understand why this is so insane?

 

[mac2351]

I’m not a season ticket holder but I am an alum who has followed this program for years, follow recruiting and watch every game, home and away.

The fact that people like me cannot even get tickets to the games is an absolute travesty.

 

[LIUCHusky]

What's more likely...the place is TOO SMALL.

It is the smallest college hockey facility in the state.

It will rank 49th out of 60 in capacity among D1 men's programs.

It is the third-smallest college hockey facility to open since the turn of the century.

The list of schools who opened larger, new facilities since 2000:

ASU
Penn State
Notre Dame
Sacred Heart
Colorado College
Omaha
RIT
Bemidji
Duluth
QU
Miami OH
BU
Minnesota (exclusively for their women's program!)
North Dakota
Northern Michigan
Denver

Not one of those is below 3K.

Here's the list of schools who opened smaller, new rinks since 2000:
Bentley
Colgate



There is no refuting that the size of this arena is a complete and utter failure on the part of the university. The arena looks great and is a needed upgrade for the program in terms of facilities. Otherwise, it's a complete joke and embarrassment how small it is.

Also, putting 2,500 people in a facility with a high roof muffles noise, it doesn't amplify it.

Well, if they are only getting 2500 then it isn’t to small.

 

[DblCrossbar]

Why do people act like this is some 3D chess move genius from UConn? Why can't you just admit its stupid? What in how this process has been managed in the last decade possibly makes you think THIS was THE PLAN??!?!?!

And for what? To have an extra lounge! Goodness, with the gaslighting, its amazing. Just admit this was badly handled! It won't hurt anyone!

Oh no, SHU has 1000 too many seats? Ok...so what? What's the negative outcome there? This isn't being in an arena with 5000 too many seats!

You’re obviously reticent to believe this, but the XL is and always will be an integral part of the program. Think hard for a moment, real hard And ask yourself why Hockey East is at least copacetic with UConn building a facility 1400 seats smaller than originally required. They actually need Hartford to maintain a strong base that extends significantly further out than tiny Storrs and dinky rt 195 that connects it with the outer world. You might try to compare this to Gampel, which started with 8k seats and is now 10k, but that won’t work either - ask yourself why both BB programs continue to play there and you might figure this out…

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Playing in a 25% full decrepit AHL arena 25 miles from campus is good, actually, if you ignore that no other program does this and the head coach is on record that it's horrible for recruiting.

 

[zls44]

You’re obviously reticent to believe this, but the XL is and always will be an integral part of the program. Think hard for a moment, real hard And ask yourself why Hockey East is at least copacetic with UConn building a facility 1400 seats smaller than originally required. They actually need Hartford to maintain a strong base that extends significantly further out than tiny Storrs and dinky rt 195 that connects it with the outer world. You might try to compare this to Gampel, which started with 8k seats and is now 10k, but that won’t work either - ask yourself why both BB programs continue to play there and you might figure this out…

What you're going to say is something about UConn having to play in Hartford in order to maintain state funding.

This is an idiotic canard that bears absolutely no place in reality. It is not born in fact or claim or deed. It is, purely, stupid.

The state of Connecticut is not going to reduce funding to the school based on where the hockey or basketball teams play. There is no proof they will try and even less proof that trying to do so would be anything other than political suicide.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

What you're going to say is something about UConn having to play in Hartford in order to maintain state funding.

This is an idiotic canard that bears absolutely no place in reality. It is not born in fact or claim or deed. It is, purely, stupid.

The state of Connecticut is not going to reduce funding to the school based on where the hockey or basketball teams play. There is no proof they will try and even less proof that trying to do so would be anything other than political suicide.

But Hartford Has It!

 

[DblCrossbar]

But Hartford Has It!

Plenty of Information Tech - no argument there!

Considering your handle is brassbonanza, I’d assume, though perhaps wrongly, that you’re in support of games at the XL and the victory song played after goals.

At any rate I’ll guess that BB won’t be played after goals at Toscano - curious to hear what we’ll hear.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Wrongly indeed

 

[CTBballfan243]

The arena will be just fine. In the grand scheme of things, D1 Hockey is not a Major revenu generating sport, so attendance is not that critical a factor. The amenities for the team, weight room, players meeting room, player lounge, treatment facilities are what really matter to the players. The arena looks spectacular, it’s a state of the art first class facility. The facility will make recruiting top notch talent to UConn that much easier. The future looks bright.

 

[CTBballfan243]

I’m not a season ticket holder but I am an alum who has followed this program for years, follow recruiting and watch every game, home and away.

The fact that people like me cannot even get tickets to the games is an absolute travesty.

Once the “newness” of the arena wears off you will be able to get tickets. Just be patient.

 

[The Viking]

Playing in a 25% full decrepit AHL arena 25 miles from campus is good, actually, if you ignore that no other program does this and the head coach is on record that it's horrible for recruiting.

He's said that not having a nice arena on campus is bad for recruiting. He hasn't said playing at the XL is bad for recruiting and he's actually had positive things to say about playing at the XL.

I mean it is an arena being used by the Rangers AHL team and formerly an NHL team. It's not like playing at the XL is a disgrace. He gets the kids down to Hartford the night before in hotels, he plays it up.

Don't mistake this for me saying I'm fine with the small seating capacity because I've said before its crazy low.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[CTBballfan243]

Looks awesome. Gonna be a great on campus facility

 

[CTBballfan243]

He's said that not having a nice arena on campus is bad for recruiting. He hasn't said playing at the XL is bad for recruiting and he's actually had positive things to say about playing at the XL.

I mean it is an arena being used by the Rangers AHL team and formerly an NHL team. It's not like playing at the XL is a disgrace. He gets the kids down to Hartford the night before in hotels, he plays it up.

Don't mistake this for me saying I'm fine with the small seating capacity because I've said before its crazy low.

Actually the ice in the XL Center is really good.

 

[CL82]

I mean it is an arena being used by the Rangers AHL team and formerly an NHL team

LOL at “ formerly being used by an NHL team”. How many years ago was that?

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the 2600 seat capacity was a work of SuperGenius specifically designed with utilization of the XL Center and taken after a huge demographics study of need. I just think, given the fact that we have to pay a premium for labor as a state institution under Connecticut law, the cost to build a full size facility became out of reach. It is what it is.

I do think that Cav and Benedict decided to go with quality versus capacity once it was decided that the budget was limited. That’s not an unreasonable decision, though, it’s a frustrating one for the fans.

Just taking a look at the stadium. There are plenty of places to add seats. I suspect that that may be the plan, as it was with Gampel. You could add another row of the counter height seats and table behind the stands on the visitor side, extend the deck into the corners, a bit more, get rid of the ice level lounge, which, in my opinion, was a dumb idea, and reduce the standing room area. I would be surprised if that doesn’t comfortably get us another 400 seats. 3000 seats would be a more reasonable number. I think 3500 would be about ideal.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Not ideal but I just bought 2 tickets on stubhub for the first game. With fees it's $75 a ticket.

I was going to buy season tickets to the team this year but I just can't stand going to XL. 8 times a year for basketball is plenty enough. So figured I would wait for the Storrs only package. But maybe that was a mistake.

 

[DblCrossbar]

Wrongly indeed

Fair enough. Just curious if you were a Whalers fan back in the day, or there’s just a hint of irony in your handle name…

 

[DblCrossbar]

What you're going to say is something about UConn having to play in Hartford in order to maintain state funding.

This is an idiotic canard that bears absolutely no place in reality. It is not born in fact or claim or deed. It is, purely, stupid.

The state of Connecticut is not going to reduce funding to the school based on where the hockey or basketball teams play. There is no proof they will try and even less proof that trying to do so would be anything other than political suicide.

Nope…not even close. Who other than you ever said this had to do with state funding? What is important about the XL center is the ability to provide fans and alumni access to their teams in a centrally located convenient location, something even you must admit Storrs is not, nor ever will be. Hartford is simply a good choice to enhance the profile of the programs and their marketing, along with the brand new branch campus downtown.

 

[DblCrossbar]

Playing in a 25% full decrepit AHL arena 25 miles from campus is good, actually, if you ignore that no other program does this and the head coach is on record that it's horrible for recruiting.

The funny thing is that even in it’s current condition, the XL is a much better arena than almost every one is college hockey - far from decrepit and has great sight lines. They even make the effort to mic up the band, which is far superior to almost every experience I’ve had in a dozen arenas. It is too large, and that’s true, but the curtains help. When that place has 5k or more fans, it finally begins to rock, but unfortunately we haven’t seen that this season and yeah can be a little lackluster. With games at a premium there, hopefully it drives an increase in attendance there next season. What it does do is provide the marketing and ticketing staff the ability to concentrate group sales for XL events where Toscano will be fine with Season ticket holders and students and automatic sales for any tickets left for the general public without much effort.

 

[CL82]

Nope…not even close. Who other than you ever said this had to do with state funding? What is important about the XL center is the ability to provide fans and alumni access to their teams in a centrally located convenient location, something even you must admit Storrs is not, nor ever will be. Hartford is simply a good choice to enhance the profile of the programs and their marketing, along with the brand new branch campus downtown.

Lol exactly, that is what college athletics is all about, playing 30 minutes off campus. That’s why there isn’t a school in the nation that actually plays their sports on campus.