Looks like Mohegan Sun for AAC WBB Tournament

[Waquoit]

free parking is what draws you in, please!.

I know! I remember back when the Whale was in town a Boston paper wondered how Hartford could consider themselves a major league city when you can park next to the arena for $10.00.

Having said that, I think the Sun is a worthwhile experiment.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Downtown Hartford was better... more attractions.

free parking is what draws you in, please!

interesting to see the price of the rooms...

DC - Room rates vary widely at the casino hotel. Weekends are pricey, big name concert weekends even more so. A $170 midweek room goes for $550 on the weekend. Those are rack rates, and I'm sure they can be beat. I don't think we have paid more than $250 a night for a view room. The brand new Mohegan Sun Hyatt nearby has rooms for under $120.

I agree that free parking isn't much of a selling point, but zero traffic, 4 lane all the way to the parking garage should be a plus. I think the casino and restaurants will draw fans that would otherwise stay away. I suspect that many of the local Sun fans will also attend the games.

 

[Wbbfan1]

IMHO the ticket packages wouldn't have to cost $99.00 if the tournament was held in Louisville. The rent for the XL Center is one reason why Ticket Packages are expensive in Hartford. IMHO Louisville in coordination with KFC and other business' have great marketing tools/strategies for their Women's team. There's no reason they wouldn't have the same for the Women's tournament and ticket prices would be lower.

The notion that Louisville will support a league tournament keeps coming up when there is no evidence, seriously it doesn't exist, that Louisville could actually support such a tournament. The lifeblood of the women's tournament has always been people being willing to pay $99 for the tournament package. Louisville practically gives away tickets to women's games. Why would fans pay $99 all of a sudden for a tournament where the only good game is likely to be Uconn-Louisville?

 

[willingtonfan]

Hard to get to if you're car free - and whatever you do, do NOT stay at the casino -- so that means non-CT travelers need a car.

Also means that 9000ish is the top attendance.

Will the gentlemen still play at MSG?

Actually you can get there without a car. SEAT, the Southeast Region Area Transit District, operates a bus (Route 1, if you're interested) from the New London Amtrak station. It leaves the New London Amtrak station every hour on the hour from 6 am to 6 pm. Return service leaves Mohegan Sun on alternate hours at 20 and 40 after (6:20, 7:40, 8:20, etc.) arriving at the Amtrak station at the top of the next hour.

Just thought I'd offer that for people who wondered about it. Also, I'd be willing to bet a dollar that, if the AAC tournament does go to the Mohegan Sun Arena, either the casino or the conference will contract with Dattco or someone for shuttle service to the train station. A small-scale version of what the NCAA always does at the final four -- I recall in 2010 in San Antonio being able to take a shuttle sponsored by the Womens' Basketball Coaches Association from my hotel to the arena with other stops downtown.

 

[DaddyChoc]

its just me... living 5 minutes away from the XL Center, driving home between sessions to eat and finding parking on the side streets really spoiled me.

2-5 nights at the casino hotel, eating and other forms of entertainment... I cant see it for me.

back and forth on Route 2 every night isnt an option

guess I'll be watching on my 60" HDTV

 

[Wally East]

Will the gentlemen still play at MSG?

I'm pretty sure I read MSG will continue to host the Big East Tournament.

 

[bruinbball]

The notion that Louisville will support a league tournament keeps coming up when there is no evidence, seriously it doesn't exist, that Louisville could actually support such a tournament. The lifeblood of the women's tournament has always been people being willing to pay $99 for the tournament package. Louisville practically gives away tickets to women's games. Why would fans pay $99 all of a sudden for a tournament where the only good game is likely to be Uconn-Louisville?

It's a 3 hour trip for me....I would

 

[UcMiami]

guess I'll be watching on my 60" HDTV

Life is soooo tough!

As for other options - there are a ton of them within the 10 to 20 minute range of the venue, from small town NE to cities like New London and tourist meccas like Mystic and Old Lyme.​

​

A special recommendation for those who like impressionist art - visit the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme - the home of an extraordinary collection of American Impressionist paintings many of which never travel because they were painted on the wood panels of the doors and walls of what was operated as a guest house for the impoverished artists who sometime paid with the paintings rather than money.h​

 

[Phil]

I'm pretty sure I read MSG will continue to host the Big East Tournament.

I assumed she was asking about the AAC Tourney, not the BE.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Interesting, and I think great. But I hope it is not too long a deal. While I love having the conference championship in CT, I think it would be better to create a rotating home between two to four venues. Geographically Ct is now truly at the NE edge of the AAC and it would be wise to spread the wealth.

Wealth must be created before it can be spread.

 

[CL82]

back and forth on Route 2 every night isnt an option

Seriously? It can't be more than 30 minutes door to door right?

 

[Wally East]

I assumed she was asking about the AAC Tourney, not the BE.

Sure but the venue is busy with the Big East Tournament.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Seriously? It can't be more than 30 minutes door to door right?

from Hartford to Uncasville? 60 minutes... by car, driving at the normal speed limit

 

[UcMiami]

from Hartford to Uncasville? 60 minutes... by car, driving at the normal speed limit

Ah that explains the disconnect!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

DC - Room rates vary widely at the casino hotel. Weekends are pricey, big name concert weekends even more so. A $170 midweek room goes for $550 on the weekend. Those are rack rates, and I'm sure they can be beat. I don't think we have paid more than $250 a night for a view room. The brand new Mohegan Sun Hyatt nearby has rooms for under $120.

Those are not "cheap" room rates, of course I don't know if folks could do or did better in Hartford (the years we went, we paid with reward points). The times when I paid over $250 per night (or close to it) were special. Celebrations, resorts in Hawai'i, etc. For routine travel, we look for rates around $100.00, especially for a mulitiple night event. I would think that most would find the Sun pricy.

FWIW, we did stay there years ago ( the WBB team that played there before the Sun, small league) and thought the hotel and casino (we don't gamble) quite nice, the food at the time was good, but it was many, many years ago.

 

[Icebear]

from Hartford to Uncasville? 60 minutes... by car, driving at the normal speed limit

I didn't realize that anyone in CT drove a normal speed limit. Seems to me it is more like the Einstinean speed limit of the speed of light squared.

 

[vtcwbuff]

from Hartford to Uncasville? 60 minutes... by car, driving at the normal speed limit

DaddyC - Mapquest drive time from the XL center to Mohegan Sun is 49 minutes. If traffic is light you can do it in less, but beware of speed traps.

 

[alexrgct]

I would have guessed 40 minutes from Hartford to Mohegan, but I drive like a bat out of hell.

 

[mr006]

This should be fun. I bet Hartford is really bummed. I"ve never been to Mohegan Sun. will be fun for me next march... Would UCONN fans be supportive of holding it in Bridgeport? It seems like most were happy with the 2nd round of the NCAA's, except maybe for the parking...?

I wouldnt mind it being in BPT for a few years, though there goes your free parking

 

[Huskyhoops]

I personally am opposed to amateur sports tournaments being held at a gambling casino, so I sadly will not be attending. But I am happy for those of you pleased with it. To each his own I guess.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I personally am opposed to amateur sports tournaments being held at a gambling casino, so I sadly will not be attending. But I am happy for those of you pleased with it. To each his own I guess.

Care to explain why?

 

[Vowelguy]

Care to explain why?

Some people think that mixing college athletes and gambling is not a good idea.

 

[DaddyChoc]

where is the mix... arena has nothing to do with the slots?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Mixing college athletics and gambling on athletics is a bad idea.

I don't see the connection otherwise - my wife and I don't gamble but as noted above attended a game there years ago. So there are slot machines and card games, etc. somewhere else in the building - doesn't affect the game or participants.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I just dont think there's enough to do at the Casino Resort to be there for a 3-5 night stay.

and I dont mind pulling on the one-arm bandit (its been over 5yrs, or longer since I have) and I know if I go to watch a game Im dropping a nickel in something.

the XL Center and downtown Hartford was perfect