Louisville Expanding Stadium

[Dooley]

This article should explain it:
http://m.hartfordbusiness.com/artic...xl-center-wrangle-over-short-term-lease-talks
Here is the deal with on-campus facility:
But XL may not have as big a piece of UConn hockey for long. Under its membership agreement with Hockey East, UConn is required to put a shovel in the ground for a new on-campus arena in the 2016-2017 academic year, Enright said. Early estimates peg the size at 185,000 square feet, with a minimum cost of $20 million.

Thanks FDNY. For the record, I wasn't trying to call BS on you or anything. I just couldn't find it in the bylaws, that's all. I happen to agree with the sentiment that we need to build a state-of-an-art facility on-campus for our hockey program.

 

[FDNY99]

Thanks FDNY. For the record, I wasn't trying to call BS on you or anything. I just couldn't find it in the bylaws, that's all. I happen to agree with the sentiment that we need to build a state-of-an-art facility on-campus for our hockey program.

oh I know...I just keep that article handy for when the "there will be no new hockey facility on campus" crowd pipes up. I posted it on the hockey board a few times.

 

[Doggie Style]

oh I know...I just keep that article handy for when the "there will be no new hockey facility on campus" crowd pipes up. I posted it on the hockey board a few times.

Stop stirrin up!!!

 

[ct06111]

oh I know...I just keep that article handy for when the "there will be no new hockey facility on campus" crowd pipes up. I posted it on the hockey board a few times.

disclaimer: I'm not anti storrs or anti on -campus facilities, but we have to look at the cost of this proposed facility. I don't mind an on-campus arena,but an additional 20-25 million of CT taxpayer $ whether be through student fees, donors, or ct tax payer $ ???. Why are we paying 10 million to fix a leak on the roof of gampel? Use the 10mil to upgrade gampel to a 12/6k bball/hockey arena and upgrade freitas as a better practice facility. No need for 20-25 million. If so, tear down gampel and make a wicked sweet hockey/basketball arena. Not hockey only. Cause then, gampel will have to be replaced in 1-2 decades. Do both, not 2 separate arenas. Unless you like wasting $.
Oh wait....

No where in those standards does it say it "has to be on-campus"
Before UCONN got accepted , HE and UCONN accepted and agreed to those standards. The XLC met those standards. Freitas did not.
I don't think CT, UCONN, or HE expected the success UCONN showed in attendance prior to the 1st game. We're talking #1 in HE and top 10 in attendance in all of D1. That's pretty dang good for an inaugural season with not the best product on ice. 1st BC game @ XL Seriously HE was thinking, screw the standards, this success needs to be sustained and continue to grow. We wouldn't be called out on NESN for our attendance success if it was in storrs. UCONN hockey made $$$$$$ in Hartford. Why would they want to stop that? It gives more exposure to the program when in Hartford. It gives recruits: "you 'll be playing in front of thousands and where the whalers used to play. History, exposure, city lights, real AHL/NHL like environment. Drunk screaming fans.

***You can't forget about the beer here. No Booze on on-campus facilities.***

To outdraw and embarrass the AHL wolfpack in attendance shows the state (especially the northern 3 counties in CT really wants a hockey team to call their own. A real CT team. Not baby rangers, isles, bruins , blue jackets/yotes. A real CT hockey team. That's #1 reason I bought ST. I never went to UCONN and don't have the love /affinity/don't mess with storrs attitude.
But , I LOVE CONNECTICUT and especially CT hockey!

Lots of people in those stands last year felt the same. Probably never set foot in the XLC since the whalers left and probably never set foot on the storrs campus.

I don't mind an on-campus arena, but not at 20-25 million especially when us working CT residents have to pay. Make it dual use. Use newly 250
Mil renovated XLC for national exposure for bball and hockey programs and it's tournaments to get p5 invite. Use p5 $ for all the on-campus upgrades. Then, XLC and storrs will both have nice shiny new buildings.

Why is Uconn holding out on a long term deal with XLC? They are paying $ for game to game currently. It must mean:
1 ) waiting for funding for XLC renovations to sign long term lease
2 ) waiting for B1G invite before signing long term lease

 

[RustyHusky]

So Louisville expands their stadium when they're bad, expanding it again now that they're good, and took our spot in the ACC...and we're on the message board arguing where our hockey team is going to play and wondering why we're left out. Makes sense.

 

[FDNY99]

disclaimer: I'm not anti storrs or anti on -campus facilities, but we have to look at the cost of this proposed facility. I don't mind an on-campus arena,but an additional 20-25 million of CT taxpayer $ whether be through student fees, donors, or ct tax payer $ ???. Why are we paying 10 million to fix a leak on the roof of gampel? Use the 10mil to upgrade gampel to a 12/6k bball/hockey arena and upgrade freitas as a better practice facility. No need for 20-25 million. If so, tear down gampel and make a wicked sweet hockey/basketball arena. Not hockey only. Cause then, gampel will have to be replaced in 1-2 decades. Do both, not 2 separate arenas. Unless you like wasting $.
Oh wait....

No where in those standards does it say it "has to be on-campus"
Before UCONN got accepted , HE and UCONN accepted and agreed to those standards. The XLC met those standards. Freitas did not.
I don't think CT, UCONN, or HE expected the success UCONN showed in attendance prior to the 1st game. We're talking #1 in HE and top 10 in attendance in all of D1. That's pretty dang good for an inaugural season with not the best product on ice. 1st BC game @ XL Seriously HE was thinking, screw the standards, this success needs to be sustained and continue to grow. We wouldn't be called out on NESN for our attendance success if it was in storrs. UCONN hockey made $$$$$$ in Hartford. Why would they want to stop that? It gives more exposure to the program when in Hartford. It gives recruits: "you 'll be playing in front of thousands and where the whalers used to play. History, exposure, city lights, real AHL/NHL like environment. Drunk screaming fans.

***You can't forget about the beer here. No Booze on on-campus facilities.***

To outdraw and embarrass the AHL wolfpack in attendance shows the state (especially the northern 3 counties in CT really wants a hockey team to call their own. A real CT team. Not baby rangers, isles, bruins , blue jackets/yotes. A real CT hockey team. That's #1 reason I bought ST. I never went to UCONN and don't have the love /affinity/don't mess with storrs attitude.
But , I LOVE CONNECTICUT and especially CT hockey!

Lots of people in those stands last year felt the same. Probably never set foot in the XLC since the whalers left and probably never set foot on the storrs campus.

I don't mind an on-campus arena, but not at 20-25 million especially when us working CT residents have to pay. Make it dual use. Use newly 250
Mil renovated XLC for national exposure for bball and hockey programs and it's tournaments to get p5 invite. Use p5 $ for all the on-campus upgrades. Then, XLC and storrs will both have nice shiny new buildings.

Why is Uconn holding out on a long term deal with XLC? They are paying $ for game to game currently. It must mean:
1 ) waiting for funding for XLC renovations to sign long term lease
2 ) waiting for B1G invite before signing long term lease

Upgrading Gampel would be a GREAT idea! There is NO WAY hockey recruiting stays the course if something isn't done though whether it means a new stand alone facility, upgraded Gampel, or a Practice facility at Freitas and games at the XL Center. And as for your hockey attendance theory...I hope it doesn't die off the minute it isn't new anymore and Cav isn't winning on a consistent basis. Here are some Mike Cavanaugh comments on a on-campus facility here: (http://www.theuconnblog.com/2014/10/10/6956871/uconn-mens-hockey-interview-with-mike-cavanaugh)..
You touched on the buildings of the different Hockey East teams, you guys will be playing in the XL Center this season. People have been discussing the possibility of something being built on campus. Is that something that's important to you and people within the program?

I think it's a necessity and it was part of the agreement when we decided to upgrade to Hockey East that we would build and on-campus facility. I think it is essential for our players. Whether that be a top-notch training facility like the Men's and Women's Basketball team have and we all play out of a multi-sport facility that's one avenue we're looking at, another avenue is to build a standalone facility that's just hockey only. I know the school is having meetings on this and discussing it and is supposed to be presented this December, either way it is something that I believe is essential to our program.


I've been to a few Hockey East barns, one of the great things about college hockey is that you get that quaint, small atmosphere that holds in the noise, it'd be nice to replicate something like that at UConn wouldn't it?

Oh it'd be fantastic. I mean, Gampel Pavilion is a 10,000 seat arena which is probably small for a Division 1 basketball program and that place is electric on game night. Our soccer team averages 5,000 fans per game, so this is a rabid, rabid fan-base here in the State of Connecticut and we certainly are looking to tap into that and have them support us as well.

The thing that's tough to swallow is how Pedro Segarra keeps putting his hand out to the CRDA and the state to "bail" out Hartford. At some point the city of Hartford needs to make themselves marketable. If I had the kind of money Terry Pegula has....I wold buy the Coyotes and look at building my own arena in East Hartford between Silver Lane and I-84 where the old shopping plaza and Cinema is. The area is already set up for traffic for 40,000 people so 18,000-20,000 is no problem...and you are free and clear of the handouts you have to fork over to Mayor Segarra and his cronies.

He's out the door if they bail on this project and leave him with Freitas as is...and it will be to somewhere else other than BC. Then UCONN hockey is in trouble and will fulfill the predictions of the UNH fans on the USCHO forum..the 2nd coming of UMass-Amherst.

 

[CL82]

A couple of quick points. IIRC the 10 million was not only roof repairs. It also included the creation of a concourse as well as some other items. I believe the master plan has a the demo of the field house and a new orientation/entrance to Gampel that would be oriented facing toward the existing field house toward a new plaza.

Hockey doesn't need a 12,000 person arena. I cannot see men's and women's BB wanting to play over ice with the condensation issues and need to schedule among more users. If we were a smaller program just looking to build a facility, it might make sense. It doesn't for where we are now.

 

[buddy]

For once we agree. I don't have time to go into detail right now. Pissing people off and acting arrogant will not help. BC and Notre Dame are two current members of HE currently in P5 conferences. As fans, we might hate them, but in the political world of power and influence, we need them.

For once? I'm not that bad.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

A couple of quick points. IIRC the 10 million was not only roof repairs. It also included the creation of a concourse as well as some other items. I believe the master plan has a the demo of the field house and a new orientation/entrance to Gampel that would be oriented facing toward the existing field house toward a new plaza.

Hockey doesn't need a 12,000 person arena. I cannot see men's and women's BB wanting to play over ice with the condensation issues and need to schedule among more users. If we were a smaller program just looking to build a facility, it might make sense. It doesn't for where we are now.

If UConn went the Basketball/hockey combo route, I don't think Gampel would work. There is classroom and offices under the court where the ice equipment would need to go and I believe the footprint would need to be expanded, which, considering how Gampel is built - a circle of cement with a dome roof above, would be an engineering challenge and thus cost a lot of money. Thus, if that route was selected, Gampel would need to be torn down and everyone would be at XL for 2 years while a new facility is build where Gampel is today or the new facility could go into Storrs Center to create true entertainment district, which I think would be awesome. Scheduling should be OK as the basketball has its separate practice facility and Feitas can be used for hockey practice. I am not sure if the floor 'quality' for basketball with ice under it would be an issues as it does not seem to be an issue at the XL today. While this may cost more money up front; it maybe cheaper in the long run that building a separate 4K/5K hockey arena and the eventual renovation and expansion of Gampel. Plus, it would be a clear signal to the folks in Hartford that it is time to fix their own problems.

PS - I am actually waiting for Hartford pols to demand that UConn move entire academic programs (business school?) to the new Hartford campus and build/buy dorms downtown. I am also worried that UConn baseball may get pushed to the new Yard Goat stadium thus ending hope that JO Christian will be upgraded.

 

[FDNY99]

If UConn went the Basketball/hockey combo route, I don't think Gampel would work. There is classroom and offices under the court where the ice equipment would need to go and I believe the footprint would need to be expanded, which, considering how Gampel is built - a circle of cement with a dome roof above, would be an engineering challenge and thus cost a lot of money. Thus, if that route was selected, Gampel would need to be torn down and everyone would be at XL for 2 years while a new facility is build where Gampel is today or the new facility could go into Storrs Center to create true entertainment district, which I think would be awesome. Scheduling should be OK as the basketball has its separate practice facility and Feitas can be used for hockey practice. I am not sure if the floor 'quality' for basketball with ice under it would be an issues as it does not seem to be an issue at the XL today. While this may cost more money up front; it maybe cheaper in the long run that building a separate 4K/5K hockey arena and the eventual renovation and expansion of Gampel. Plus, it would be a clear signal to the folks in Hartford that it is time to fix their own problems.

PS - I am actually waiting for Hartford pols to demand that UConn move entire academic programs (business school?) to the new Hartford campus and build/buy dorms downtown. I am also worried that UConn baseball may get pushed to the new Yard Goat stadium thus ending hope that JO Christian will be upgraded.

I think the shot Malloy fired at Segarra in the Courant the other day was a warning shot...http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-malloy-hartford-aid-0829-20150828-story.html......but IMHO Segarra's too stupid to realize that.

 

[uconnbill]

I think the shot Malloy fired at Segarra in the Courant the other day was a warning shot...http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-malloy-hartford-aid-0829-20150828-story.html.but IMHO Segarra's too stupid to realize that.

Malloy is behind Segarra opponent and is hoping Segarra goes the way of the Tasmania wolf

 

[FDNY99]

Malloy is behind Segarra opponent and is hoping Segarra goes the way of the Tasmania wolf

Following that election in the paper is like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion

 

[The Viking]

People here say Louisville is academically challenged, but they were smarter than UConn in getting into a P5 when it was necessary. They knew what was needed and made sure it got done. I don't understand why people here can't see that in regards to Louisville. It doesn't matter that they hired a football coach that some think is questionable, it doesn't matter that their academics may be weak. They knew the score and how to play the game, and their AD is a masterful leader. They are way ahead of UConn at this point, I am sorry to say.

Louisville knew they had to work their ass off to get into what many believed was a conference that had academic integrity.
We figured we were in because hit was hysterical to think a school as disregarded academically as Louisville would have a realistic shot. Hell, an ACC president just days before the vote said that academics in the end was going to matter.
GUESS NOT.

 

[RustyHusky]

Maybe Louisville gave them a plan on improving their academics, and beat us athletically where it counted at the time? I'm sorry, but people act like Louisville is a bunch of dummies but they got in and we did not. While they have the Yum! Center and are expanding their football stadium, we're talking about where our hockey team is going to play and how great our women's basketball is. Unfortunately, I'm not sure those two things are all that important to a P5 conference. Why aren't WE expanding in football?

 

[CallMeBruce]

Maybe Louisville gave them a plan on improving their academics, and beat us athletically where it counted at the time? I'm sorry, but people act like Louisville is a bunch of dummies but they got in and we did not. While they have the Yum! Center and are expanding their football stadium, we're talking about where our hockey team is going to play and how great our women's basketball is. Unfortunately, I'm not sure those two things are all that important to a P5 conference. Why aren't WE expanding in football?

Why do you think they just added so much new parking at Rentschler?

 

[Dooley]

Why do you think they just added so much new parking at Rentschler?

Very interesting and overlooked little nugget from the stadium renaming. I don't know about you guys, but seeing all of those Pratt employees at the opening night was awesome. Hopefully this is a start of a ticketing partnership between UConn and UTC (and other large CT businesses). Having UTC firmly in support of UConn can't be anything but good for the university moving forward.

 

[RustyHusky]

I hope you guys are right, but I'm not feeling very confident.

 

[jostar1]

Very interesting and overlooked little nugget from the stadium renaming. I don't know about you guys, but seeing all of those Pratt employees at the opening night was awesome. Hopefully this is a start of a ticketing partnership between UConn and UTC (and other large CT businesses). Having UTC firmly in support of UConn can't be anything but good for the university moving forward.

UTC people were at the groundbreaking for the engineering and science building:

Leaders from three of Connecticut’s largest employers–General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and United Technologies–were among the crowd at the groundbreaking.

All three of those leaders are UConn grads themselves: Frank Preli, the chief engineer of the Materials and Processes Engineering Department for Pratt & Whitney, Michael McQuade, the senior vice president for Science and Technology at UTC, and Paul Singer, Chief Technology Officer, Industrial Solutions.

“We invest in the partnership with UConn because we understand that at its core education is the catalyst for education,” said McQuade.

http://foxct.com/2015/09/09/uconn-breaks-ground-on-new-building-for-engineering-school/