Hugh Bailey: What does UConn owe Hartford? Maybe nothing (Hearst Editorial)

[Mr. Wonderful]

Are you chicken? He challenged you to a duel.

Is he a proper two-fisted cellphone wielder?

 

[metsfan2323]

The academic side.

The state doesn't cut a check for the deficit?

 

[Kolumbo]

The state pays for the deficit, so in reality the state pays to play in Hartford. Why is this so hard to understand?

It's a simply question which you've yet to answer.

 

[superjohn]

yes. But Im just putting it in the frame of reasonable fan support in this case. We do not get reasonable fan support at XL generally, it's hyped for marquee games once maybe twice a year, sure, but a ghost town for the UMBC's of the world and early schedule.

Here is something else that I don't get since we are all UConn fans here.

Competitive advantage.

Having a steady home arena (especially on campus) is a competitive advantage. We, as fans, should want every competitive advantage our team can have. Make no mistake about it, we mitigate our home competitive advantage (in both arenas!) by splitting our home games. If anyone in this thread tries to tell me we don't have a bigger competitive advantage in Gampel, than Hartford, we don't see basketball the same way.

I promise you that every BigEast opposing coach when they get the season's schedule looks first thing at their UConn road game to see if it is at XL or Gampel and if it is at XL they breathe a sigh of relief. Opposing coaches know Gampel is a competitive advantage over XL, opposing fans know Gampel is a competitive advantage over XL (don't believe me? Head over to Friar Talk and read the threads before last weeks game). Why doesn't a big part of our fanbase know that?

Hurley can never say it publicly, but I know he knows this too.

Duke plays all their home games at Cameron it's smaller than Gampel. It is one of the best Home competitive advantages in college basketball.

If UConn played ALL their games at Gampel and it was our Cameron it would be an even greater competitive advantage than it all ready is, because of home familiarity. By only playing 1/2 the games there, we are giving away competitive advantage and it keeps us from making it a truly monstrous place to play.

Instead we play something that is a quasi neutral site game every time we play in Hartford, ( it is way more of a home game than a neutral site to be sure, but it is less of a home game than Gampel)

But god forbid FFC residents drive an extra 25-30 minutes.

The coaches and players hate playing in the XL Center, that's no secret. I'm sure if it wasn't a nearly 50 year old dump they would enjoy playing something like 5 games there per season with most of them over the winter break.

Waquiot whines about having to drive 25-30 more minutes to Gampel but thinks he's a better fan than someone not driving the 14 hours to support the team for home games.

 

[superjohn]

UConn is probably the only athletic department with national aspirations where a significant part of the fan base considers traffic to be a deal-breaker for their support.

You would think that ten years after being left behind in realignment in part due to ‘game day atmosphere’ these folks would have realized that their desire to avoid a few extra exits on 84 and the state’s desire for the school to prop up a dead city has been ruinous.

But go on, tell me about your commute.

Some of our fans are softer than baby poo, you simply don't hear this stuff from other fanbases across the country.

Whining about tacking on a half hour in the car. And the dreaded Hartford area traffic, give me a break.

 

[Fishy]

Nothing happens just by chance...

Long-elusive, big-ticket renovation of Hartford’s XL Center could get major boost from private investor

That article is a year old.

Spoilers….the “major break“ did not happen.

 

[huskymedic]

That article is a year old.

Spoilers….the “major break“ did not happen.

LOL... bad sources. Teach me not to click 1st. Thought it was deja vu all over again.

 

[metsfan2323]

It's a simply question which you've yet to answer.

The state sends UCONN and UCONN heath over 700 million every two years. So close to 400 million per year.

and UCONN is complaining about spending 400k to play at XL? WTF.

 

[pepband99]

UConn is probably the only athletic department with national aspirations where a significant part of the fan base considers traffic to be a deal-breaker for their support.

You would think that ten years after being left behind in realignment in part due to ‘game day atmosphere’ these folks would have realized that their desire to avoid a few extra exits on 84 and the state’s desire for the school to prop up a dead city has been ruinous.

But go on, tell me about your commute.

Errrr what?

What part of said “atmosphere” was lacking at the time of the BE divorce?
Answer: none

Any further realignment items, while we were tethered to the SS AAC, absolutely caused a drop in “atmosphere “

Trying to blame any of this on Hartford vs Storrs is insane.

 

[Kolumbo]

The state sends UCONN and UCONN heath over 700 million per year.

And? That's great, UCONN is a state school and the state is moving money around. You can simply say "It makes no sense for UCONN to pay Hartford" and call it a day.

 

[August_West]

That article is a year old.

Spoilers….the “major break“ did not happen.

groundhog day'd

 

[CL82]

The state doesn't cut a check for the deficit?

Not as far as I am aware. The state pays a significant portion of the universities budget, though it certainly doesn’t pay for all of it. There is no separate check for the athletic departments deficit.

To me, it makes far more sense not to charge the University to play at the XL center. Then the state is actually incentivizing the University to play in Hartford. At the end of the day does it really matter if the CDRA deficit is 3.8 million rather than just 2 million if the state is footing the bill regardless? Fairfield County fans get to leave home 30 minutes later, Hartford bar owners get a few more nights a year to break even in the athletic department’s physical health is an artificially depressed by supporting Hartford. Everybody wins.

 

[August_West]

What part of said “atmosphere” was lacking at the time of the BE divorce?

The Rent and our Football support. It was on the list of reasons why they took Louisville over us.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

You XL center fans - How does it feel to make UConn students subsidize your favorite watering hole because you're too effen lazy to drive 20 minutes out of the city?

You disgust me.

Lighten up Francis...

Bolton should really do something about that permanently iced-up portion of 44, I agree.

LMAO

This you? Lol.

And it's sure easy to lecture people about traffic when you're not the ones going to the games. I've definitely bumped heads with @Waquoit a few times on the boards (not that he may even remember) but if you're not a season ticket holder (like him or others with concerns) just stfu about lecturing those that do go about traffic.

 

[superjohn]

Errrr what?

What part of said “atmosphere” was lacking at the time of the BE divorce?
Answer: none

Any further realignment items, while we were tethered to the SS AAC, absolutely caused a drop in “atmosphere “

Trying to blame any of this on Hartford vs Storrs is insane.

He's talking about UConn getting a seat at the table with the other major state Universities UConn aspires to be like.

Those schools play their football and basketball games on campus. They've created atmospheres where students, alumni, and people all over the state want to be a part of. People flock from all over to go to restaurants, bars, tailgates etc. They don't whine about long drives and traffic like our fans do and they often have much longer drives than people in Connecticut have.

UConn and the state talk about wanting a seat at the table but continue to have a small time mentality when it comes to actually being like those schools and states.

 

[metsfan2323]

He's talking about UConn getting a seat at the table with the other major state Universities UConn aspires to be like.

Those schools play their football and basketball games on campus. They've created atmospheres where students, alumni, and people all over the state want to be a part of. People flock from all over to go to restaurants, bars, tailgates etc. They don't whine about long drives and traffic like our fans do and they often have much longer drives than people in Connecticut have.

UConn and the state talk about wanting a seat at the table but continue to have a small time mentality when it comes to actually being like those schools and states.

nah, small time is complaining about playing in front of 15,000 people in the state's capital city.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Not as far as I am aware. The state pays a significant portion of the universities budget, though it certainly doesn’t pay for all of it. There is no separate check for the athletic departments deficit.

To me, it makes far more sense not to charge the University to play at the XL center. Then the state is actually incentivizing the University to play in Hartford. At the end of the day does it really matter if the CDRA deficit is 3.8 million rather than just 2 million if the state is footing the bill regardless? Fairfield County fans get to leave home 30 minutes later, Hartford bar owners get a few more nights a year to break even in the athletic department’s physical health is an artificially depressed by supporting Hartford. Everybody wins.

Except the students. They lose. They get that nice little surcharge on their fee bill ya know. How many other schools do that?

 

[Fishy]

LOL... bad sources. Teach me. Thought it was deja vu all over again.

The biggest issue with private investment is going to be their terms which will essentially be “give this thing to us and we will spend money on it.” And then they will want some sort of guarantee where UConn even plays football games inside of XL.

Oak View is a serious outfit - what they would want is something like a 30-year lease and management agreement where they would pay for the renovations and reap the rewards. It seems to be going well in Baltimore where the Baltimore Arena is getting ready to reopen after their renovation.

They already manage XL after buying Spectre and what they would want is extended operational control. However, the CRDA is going to want to justify its own existence by remaining a ’partner’ in the deal….as they say, they want to partner to “share in the upside and minimize their downside.” (Translation: we live on that sweet, sweet parking revenue.)

That’s not workable. XL lost $3.295M in its last budget here. That was “within budget” so almost viewed as a win by those folks. They need to 1) get out of the way or 2) let the building crumble and also 3) whatever deal happens, let UConn cut their own deal without having to bow to whoever.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

This you? Lol.

And it's sure easy to lecture people about traffic when you're not the ones going to the games. I've definitely bumped heads with @Waquoit a few times on the boards (not that he may even remember) but if you're not a season ticket holder (like him or others with concerns) just stfu about lecturing those that do go about traffic.

I'm no true Scotsman I guess.

 

[superjohn]

nah, small time is complaining about playing in front of 15,000 people in the state's capital city.

Name the other major state Universities in major conferences who are playing in 50 year old dumps in their capital cities instead of on campus.

 

[metsfan2323]

Name the other major state Universities in major conferences who are playing in 50 year old dumps in their capital cities instead of on campus.

The 102 year old Rose bowl is 27 miles away from UCLA, so there you go. LA traffic is the worst.

Does St Johns complain about playing in MSG? and does St Johns pay to play there? (I honestly don't know the answer but it's an interesting question)

 

[superjohn]

The 102 year old Rose bowl is 27 miles away from UCLA, so there you go. LA traffic is the worst.

The most historic stadium in the country. Connecticut built a small piece of aluminum in East Hartford.

 

[metsfan2323]

The most historic stadium in the country. Connecticut built a small piece of aluminum in East Hartford.

it in a terrible off campus location and it's the Yale bowl with lipstick on it. You said I couldn't name one and it was quite easy.

Miami Hurricanes, Joe Robby is 20 miles from campus and apparently it takes 40 minutes to get there with no traffic.

 

[UConntLose]

The state sends UCONN and UCONN heath over 700 million every two years. So close to 400 million per year.

and UCONN is complaining about spending 400k to play at XL? WTF.

I don't know enough - rather anything - about the relationships between state governments and their public state universities, but I would imagine it would be something similar to UConn and Connecticut in which a state subsidizes some of said university's budget. Do you think any of those states require the university to pay to play at an arena in the "center" of the state? It's so annoying that people moan and groan over an extra 25 minutes in the third-smallest state by land area in the country.

UConn is a brand in which folks shouldn't be complaining over an extra few minutes to travel to see. Show some appreciation that a school that has no business being good at anything has built one of the most flagship brand in all of sports. That in-and-of itself should be worthy of 25 extra minutes - and the fact that you don't have to travel more than 2 hours no matter where in the state you live to see championship level basketball.

 

[metsfan2323]

It's so annoying that people moan and groan over an extra 25 minutes in the third-smallest state by land area in the country.

more like 40 minutes time 2, so close to two hours.