Karaban not happy with the fan attendance

[UConNation]

It's going to be even worse in XL next year when many season ticket holders like me realize that Hurley wants to just schedule the competitive games on campus.

Couldn't agree with this more. Season ticket holders already have to repick their seats during the next offseason, likely including price hikes, but after having NONE of the high profile games at XL this season (closest one is Xavier) I think there's going to be a large subsection of fans that opt out.

 

[navery12]

Maybe it's just me, but I like the way our scheduling has worked out the last 2 years

 

[Hi-Low]

Maybe it's just me, but I like the way our scheduling has worked out the last 2 years

It's worked out very well but Lemoyne? on Wed night at XL might sell out on a $1 beer night, otherwise not happening

 

[alphasigko]

Probably 80-85% filled. I can see Alex’s frustration but at the same time you have to schedule real teams…

Or not schedule a patsy in the middle of the week. IMO they should be scheduling ALL games at Gampel.

 

[HooperScooper]

Just so there's no confusion, this should not be interpreted as a criticism of UConn-Le Moyne specifically. I used UConn-Le Moyne only because it was the Wednesday night game with the biggest spread. But, to be clear, this is a college basketball problem, not a UConn problem, and it's a problem that should have some season-ticket holders questioning why they're paying full price for a package of games when at least 20% of them are total mismatches on paper.

College basketball rankings: No. 5 UConn vs. Le Moyne points to a mismatch problem in the sport

The unbalanced scheduling in college basketball is an issue that needs to be addressed

www.cbssports.com

 

[BigEastCT]

I wish when we played the so called cupcake games we would play only the CT D1 teams.

It was nice to see Sacred Heart and Antony at the XL

I would assume CCSU, Fairfield, Yale and QU fans would fill in the XL center much better than Le Moyne

 

[HuskyFich]

I mean, LeMoyne? I've never even heard of LeMoyne. I'm ok with the rotating local schools like Sacred Heart, Fairfield, URI, UNH, Maine but why not add Vermont if they'd play us? Tough game, sure, but would also sell out. Even the Ivies would be a bigger draw. We need to schedule better.

The Le Moyne Dolphins, located in DeWitt New York.....


I'm 100% behind Alex, but this was not the game to put the message out lol.

 

[Gburyhusky]

Crowd was acceptable last night for a mid week against a nothing opponent (no offense intended to Le Moyne). We sure have come a long way from just a few years back when the arenas were half full.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I was offered a pair of free tix, excluding parking of course, for yesterday's game. I deemed it not worth my effort on a weekday to go into Hartford to watch them club LeMoyne like a baby seal. I had to Google to see where they were located. Friday or Saturday I go, but weekday against someone I've never heard of just wasn't happening.

 

[TonyClifton]

So the yearly cost total?

approximately $1900 plus fees and taxes....for 1 seat....8 games at each venue

 

[gampelcrazies]

Last nights attendance was actually pretty good. The energy and types of fans that went last night were not so good. Probably one of the worst crowds in the Hurley era

 

[BlueMAB]

1) attendance was fine for that game on a Wednesday. Selling out doesn’t mean 100% attendance.

2) upper levels on the sides were full. What was largely empty is the student section behind the basket on the band side. Alex should take his issues up with his fellow students, or with UConn who stopped selling those seats as part of season tickets.

3) people leave early during blowouts, especially on weeknights, and particularly those with kids. It’s better to bring a young kid to multiple games and leave early if you have to than to not bring kids at all. Those kids are potentially future fans, students, season ticket holders.

4) opening night in Gampel wasn’t full either. There were empty seats. In fact, an 80% full XL center is still a few more thousand fans in seats than a sellout at Gampel.

 

[BlueMAB]

The energy and types of fans that went last night were not so good. Probably one of the worst crowds in the Hurley era

Utter nonsense. No UConn crowd is ever going to be hyped up for LeMoyne.

The crowd was waiting to explode.

But we missed 9/10 threes to start the game and until a late run in the first half, we shot horribly.

We’re supposed to cheer for missed shots now?

Fans bring their own energy to big games, not cupcakes. We were waiting to be entertained and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not excited about a school I need to google to learn more about.

 

[August_West]

Probably 80-85% filled. I can see Alex’s frustration but at the same time you have to schedule real teams…

That scheduling take doesnt hold water with Alex, or Hurley, or me for that matter. They expect a full turnout for EVERY game as recognition for achievements schools can only dream of and happen every 30 years or so. They also feel that there are places in the country with teams who dont come close to those achievements do in fact sell out their games against cupcakes. They have every right to expect it, and every right to call for this. If we cant fill the house EVERY game en route to a three peat, it is real pathetic and sad.

 

[uconnric]

Unless it’s a Top 10 opponent or rival (whoever that is these days), XL is the worst home court advantage in college hoops. I obviously can’t stand Duke, but that place is always rocking no matter who they’re playing.

Sure, they have 9,300 seats at Cameron, most of them are on top of the court. The old Field House was rocking back in the day too.

 

[Storrs South]

I had been a season ticket holder from 1974 - 2008 and then moved to North Carolina. I can verify that throughout that time it was very difficult to find acquaintances who were interested in attending these preseason sacrifice games, and the games were not well attended. However, when GTown, Villanova and the like were playing I was highly sought after.

Now living in North Carolina and having friends with season tickets for Duke and UNC, I can absolutely confirm they experience the same. Watch a Duke game at Cameron against one of their cupcake opponents and you will notice that the student section (which is prominently shown on TV) is not shoulder to shoulder and a significant number of attendees are obviously not students. If the cameras panned the rest of Cameron a number of vacant sears would be evident.

Same is true at The Dean Dome.

To bring this point home, go look at UNC's home opener this year (yes two weeks ago!) v. Elon. Now sure UNC has not won back to back titles, but they are frickin UNC and it was their home opener and it was a ghost town. It is shocking how poorly attended that opener was for a program of that stature.

I do think there are some areas UConn could be doing better in this area, but it looked like a good showing last night at the XL and yea it was quiet for a large portion of the game but the team didn't give anymore much to cheer about until 2nd half so I dunno.

 

[John]

To bring this point home, go look at UNC's home opener this year (yes two weeks ago!) v. Elon. Now sure UNC has not won back to back titles, but they are frickin UNC and it was their home opener and it was a ghost town. It is shocking how poorly attended that opener was for a program of that stature.

I do think there are some areas UConn could be doing better in this area, but it looked like a good showing last night at the XL and yea it was quiet for a large portion of the game but the team didn't give anymore much to cheer about until 2nd half so I dunno.

Elon is also within an hours drive of Chapel Hill.

 

[husky8273]

I literally couldn't give away tickets in section 107 yesterday.

post them on Ticket Exchange

 

[Rocktheworld]

That scheduling take doesnt hold water with Alex, or Hurley, or me for that matter. They expect a full turnout for EVERY game as recognition for achievements schools can only dream of and happen every 30 years or so. They also feel that there are places in the country with teams who dont come close to those achievements do in fact sell out their games against cupcakes. They have every right to expect it, and every right to call for this. If we cant fill the house EVERY game en route to a three peat, it is real pathetic and sad.

How often do NFL teams sell out for preseason games?

 

[Gburyhusky]

Here's what some comparable buy games looked like in the recent past:

12/1/19 v Maine at XL - attendance 7,129
12/4/19 v Iona, Gampel - attendance 5,909
11/20/21 v Binghamton, XL, attendance 9.335
11/11/21. v Coppin State, XL, attendance 9.960
11/7/22 v Stonehill, XL, attendance 9116
11/15/22 v Buffalo, XL, attendance 10112

Good grief what are we complaining about.

 

[Get a Job]

post them on Ticket Exchange

I did! Too late, though, apparently.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

Nothing to see here people. The fanbase will show up for games not against cupcakes on a Wednesday night in mid-November. 15k attendees is solid.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Utter nonsense. No UConn crowd is ever going to be hyped up for LeMoyne.

The crowd was waiting to explode.

But we missed 9/10 threes to start the game and until a late run in the first half, we shot horribly.

We’re supposed to cheer for missed shots now?

Fans bring their own energy to big games, not cupcakes. We were waiting to be entertained and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not excited about a school I need to google to learn more about.

It was a horrible crowd. Cupcake crowds aren’t going to be great but I had a row of people behind me that had no idea college basketball was 2 halves. The row in front of me left with 12 min left. Donors/sths must of gave away tickets more so than usual.

 

[willie99]

Three chumps in a row, going to be four after Tuesday

The games are sold out, or nearly sold out save for a few of the chumps, but we want to see competitive games.

Geno had the same problem a decade+ or so ago. Fans get tired of blowouts

We'll all be there for the conference games and Baylor. We'll also be at MSG, and any other venue in the Northeast

Wednesday night vs Sisters of the Poor, we might only attend 2 out of 3 games

 

[UConn Dan]

Just spit balling but likely from an eyes of a UConn player, wherever we play our players see our opponents’ home court is bringing their A game -because we are UConn damn it - but they’re not seeing what it’s like when those teams play lesser non-conference opponents.

I get they want to feel the support no matter what though.