How UConn really feels about the XL Center

[intlzncster]

I'm out of state too, but I hate watching good money thrown after bad. I really don't like the idea putting any more money into the XL Center. The renovations cant cover the antiquated and poorly functioning design, which was barely acceptable in the '70s (Kling Stubbins also designed The Vet, and I don't think designs any stadiums any more), so I think it'd be trying to slap lipstick on a pig. A new indoor arena in Hartford is needed, hopefully designed by Populous or HKS or somebody else good. With any luck, it can be designed for a 50yr time horizon, with 20,000 seats, deliverable for under $400mm, to host NBA D, arena Football, indoor Lax, minor or NHL hockey and UCONN. As for how I like it now, it pretty much sucks. I've been to maybe 20 different indoor arenas around the country and the XL is near or at the bottom in terms of physical structure, atmosphere, and even proximity to other attractions. Even on TV, Id rather the game be somewhere else. Just my opinion.

I'm in complete agreement with you there. I only said renovations, because there's no way in hell CT taxpayers are coughing up $400mil for new digs.

 

[Husky25]

That's not a big deal for downtown when you think about. Pretty much everyone has to drive to a grocery store.

Should that be the case in what is supposed to be an urban environment? I don't think so.

 

[UconnU]

Having a premiere college basketball destination where the majority of the student body shows up like rupp or cameron or the pitt would be of greater value to the program than the accessibility of xl. Its all politics. The businesses in dt hartford the majority of whom are struggling want those games in hartford.

 

[BearJWS]

Let's just build a dome over Rentschler & call it a day! FBall & BBall all in one. If you build it, they will come!
(It's a joke - so the usual attackers relax)

 

[elduderino]

Let's just build a dome over Rentschler & call it a day! FBall & BBall all in one. If you build it, they will come!
(It's a joke - so the usual attackers relax)

Kinda wish you hadn't noted it was a joke. Exploding heads can be funny.

 

[Drew]

http://www.theday.com/article/20140609/SPORT01/306099950

I spoke to some folks in the UConn athletic department the other day to see if they were as touchy about this as I am. What I discovered was worse: ambivalence.

"Honestly," one veteran of the department said, "if the XL Center disappeared tomorrow and we had to play all our games on campus, everyone here would celebrate."

So I asked the person why, exactly, UConn plays in a building nobody likes.

"Intense political pressure," the person said, alluding to UConn's importance to keeping downtown businesses afloat.​

from a current student: THANK GOD

 

[asuwish]

http://www.theday.com/article/20140609/SPORT01/306099950

I spoke to some folks in the UConn athletic department the other day to see if they were as touchy about this as I am. What I discovered was worse: ambivalence.

"Honestly," one veteran of the department said, "if the XL Center disappeared tomorrow and we had to play all our games on campus, everyone here would celebrate."

So I asked the person why, exactly, UConn plays in a building nobody likes.

"Intense political pressure," the person said, alluding to UConn's importance to keeping downtown businesses afloat.​

It's a building nobody at Uconn likes because going to Hartford means packing everything and everyone up and busing it to the game. To the staff at Uconn going to Hartford is much more time and work. Gample is on campus and everything is there. They play in the state capital because Uconn is still out of the way for most of the fan base, and it is actually a small arena. The XL center allows for way more fans to attend games. Hartford is easier for family's, and alumni get to be wined and dined in Hartford in a way they can't at Uconn. Gample doesn't even have luxury boxes. Some recruits may pay attention to attendance figures, and with 7000 extra fans that can fit in Hartford Uconn ranks higher because of it. When the ball goes up the court is pretty much the same (who really cares or should care about how pretty the back hallway is. How loud and how many fans see a game is far more important. I know not as many students get to go to Hartford as they do Gample, and that sucks, but Uconn is a state school that desires to cultivate a fan base stretching from one end of CT to the other as it should!

 

[David 76]

Let's face it, I love Storrs, but it's really hard to get there from Madison. Hartford is easier to get to, but the XL really needs improvements

I live in Madison too and its hard getting to Storrs. Hartford defiantly needs to get a new arena

Live in Guilford but worked for the Town of Madison 31 years

 

[Cheddie]

I thought it was the New Haven Coliseum that they were looking to protect. At the time, Hartford was still a pretty successful venue but the Coliseum was struggling.

Tom Ritter was instrumental in both UConn 2000 and capping Gampel. UConn was drawing 150K to Hartford per season then - that would have been a loss to any arena.

 

[bmayuc]

Hartford is a classic modern corporate city. It lacks the city-center population that often drives business/development or the colleges that do the same(see: boston). Classic problem of a city that was designed poorly with little/no foresight on building a population amongst the monster corporate buildings. Now, as a state we are in the unenviable position of propping it up with events/teams that are expensive and marginally helpful.

Hartford should invest in moderate-income modern apartments(for the young employees of the corporate destinations) and small biz(tech) to try and get the 20-30 crowd to live in the city. that will create more of a base.

OR, they could spend 60 million on a duck*ng baseball team. dumb.

 

[Deepster]

Hartford is easier for family's, and alumni get to be wined and dined in Hartford in a way they can't at Uconn. Gample doesn't even have luxury boxes.

Yeah. Wined and dined in Hartford. A ton of people are closing business deals at dinner and a Tuesday night UConn/Quinnipiac game.

And when was the last time you were in a Civic Center "luxury" box? My former employer had access to luxury box tickets and we couldn't scare up enough people to half fill it most games. They're not that nice inside and the food/beverages choices are embarrassingly bad in options/taste yet ridiculously expensive.

 

[amory]

Yeah. Wined and dined in Hartford. A ton of people are closing business deals at dinner and a Tuesday night UConn/Quinnipiac game.

And when was the last time you were in a Civic Center "luxury" box? My former employer had access to luxury box tickets and we couldn't scare up enough people to half fill it most games. They're not that nice inside and the food/beverages choices are embarrassingly bad in options/taste yet ridiculously expensive.

That describes pretty much every "luxury box" at sporting events.

I sat in the Bank of America skybox at Fenway Park and even there the food was basically the same as what's available at the vendors, just in fancy catering trays. Never really understood why companies use them to wow clients, seats that are close to the court/field are way more impressive IMO.

 

[8893]

That describes pretty much every "luxury box" at sporting events.

I sat in the Bank of America skybox at Fenway Park and even there the food was basically the same as what's available at the vendors, just in fancy catering trays. Never really understood why companies use them to wow clients, seats that are close to the court/field are way more impressive IMO.

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

XL serves alcohol.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Should that be the case in what is supposed to be an urban environment? I don't think so.

I've never lived in Hartford, but in Boston, I can walk about 8 minutes to Stop & Shop.

 

[intlzncster]

Hartford should invest in moderate-income modern apartments(for the young employees of the corporate destinations) and small biz(tech) to try and get the 20-30 crowd to live in the city. that will create more of a base.

Tax subsidies for tech startups is the way to go. CT lawmakers are too stupid to make this happen though.

Hartford could easily become a small tech center. It doesn't take an enormous layout by the state or the taxpayers either.

 

[Husky25]

I've never lived in Hartford, but in Boston, I can walk about 8 minutes to Stop & Shop.

That's my point. You aren't driving out to Brighton. The closest market to downtown is across the Founders Bridge in East Hartford or on the Wethersfield line. For the 285 apartments going into the old BoA Building, I find that unacceptable.

 

[intlzncster]

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.

We ride in different crowds.

 

[gampelcrazies]

XL serves alcohol.

To be honest I think that they should not serve alcohol at the games.

 

[Husky25]

I'd rather sit in row VV than in a luxury box at the civic center and I'm pretty sure l'm not alone.

The boxes in the XL are embarrassingly bad as compared with others I've experienced. The ones I've been to most are in MSG. Both before and after renovations the ones at MSG were/are light years better than the ones at the Civic Center in all respects.

 

[8893]

I'd rather sit in row VV than in a luxury box at the civic center and I'm pretty sure l'm not alone.

I would rather watch from home than sit in either an XL box or anything above the bottom of the 200s. The good news is that I can usually score a decent single in the 100s there, and I don't mind the drive (or the fact that I can stop at Eli Cannon's en route).

There are no bad seats in Gampel imo. But yeah, as yet another Madison resident and alum, I'll agree that the games for which I'm willing head to Gampel on a weeknight are few and far between these days. We still get there at least once a season for a family trip to an afternoon men's or women's game on a weekend, and I usually make a couple more trips myself.

 

[CallMeBruce]

That's my point. You aren't driving out to Brighton. The closest market to downtown is across the Founders Bridge in East Hartford or on the Wethersfield line. For the 285 apartments going into the old BoA Building, I find that unacceptable.

Sorry if I wasn't clear; I was agreeing with you.

 

[Husky25]

To be honest I think that they should not serve alcohol at the games.

Why? I'm very interested in your reasoning.

While I think Beer and wine are drastically overpriced for a college/minor-league venue (I.e. concessions do not contribute to players' salaries) and they are a terrible value, I will not deny a tax paying business the opportunity to maximize their revenues.

I take a very libertarian approach to the topic. At the end of the day, College sports is spectator entertainment and should be treated as such. If a patron is of age and the venue is able to provide it within the rules of the school and NCAA, and the law of the land, then beer and wine should be made available. If you don't want a beer then fine. Why would you move to deny someone else? On campus is different. The school can restrict sales of whatever they want on their own ground, but I'd think the School would have to compensate the XL Center (or their concessionaires) for lost revenue.

By the way, the NCAA currently has no rule preventing alcohol sales at regular season events but bans all advertising and sales of alcoholic beverages during all 88 NCAA championships (All beer stands were closed at MSG in March) and more schools are allowing sales on campus.

 

[Husky25]

Sorry if I wasn't clear; I was agreeing with you.

No, I think I understood you. My point is that merely building apartments downtown wont do a whole heck of a lot to spur residential activity There needs to be sustaining amenities as well. The person I had originally responded to said that people have to drive to grocery stores anyway. I don't think that should be the case in an urban residential environment.

 

[Husky25]

I would rather watch from home than sit in either an XL box or anything above the bottom of the 200s. The good news is that I can usually score a decent single in the 100s there, and I don't mind the drive (or the fact that I can stop at Eli Cannon's en route).

There are no bad seats in Gampel imo. But yeah, as yet another Madison resident and alum, I'll agree that the games for which I'm willing head to Gampel on a weeknight are few and far between these days. We still get there at least once a season for a family trip to an afternoon men's or women's game on a weekend, and I usually make a couple more trips myself.

You missed my point. For the amount one would have to pay for a "luxury box" vs. a ticket in row VV, row VV is the better value.

 

[elduderino]

Tax subsidies for tech startups is the way to go. CT lawmakers are too stupid to make this happen though.

Hartford could easily become a small tech center. It doesn't take an enormous layout by the state or the taxpayers either.

Im debating forming a tech startup to dislike the out of that no alcohol post.

 

[8893]

You missed my point. For the amount one would have to pay for a "luxury box" vs. a ticket in row VV, row VV is the better value.

No, I got the point and I agree. And by your same logic, staying home is the best value for me if those were my only other choices.

 

[Husky25]

No, I got the point and I agree. And by your same logic, staying home is the best value for me if those were my only other choices.

But home is not a choice in this hypothetical...

I agree with you though...Leather sectional, 47 inch high-def TV a mere 8 feet away (with a pause button), private bath, and all the Vodka-sodas I can handle on the way back to my seat. I went to a few games last year, but unless I'm in the first 1/2 of the single alphabet in the 200's, I'll have to think long and hard about it.

 

[Rocktheworld]

That describes pretty much every "luxury box" at sporting events.

hahaha not at MSG, my friend.... That is PIMP

 

[Waquoit]

I guess different strokes. TV has never been better than live for anything for me.