Mike DiMauro: Can we start worrying about the really XL problem in Hartford?

[pap49cba]

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.

LINK

 

[chrissaran]

Mike DiMauro has it right. UConn deserves a new arena. There's no question how much money the Huskies bring to Connecticut. The state should ante up qand build a brand new arena. Forget a total makeover; start over from the beginning.

 

[alexrgct]

I think we're missing a key point here in this article.

The XL Center exists not because it's a glorious building, but because it's in Hartford. The Hartford MSA has nearly 1.2 million people. If you get as far east as the town I live in (Ellington) it's a roughly equivalent drive between Gampel and XL, but if you're any further west, Hartford is much more convenient to reach. This is also true from the New Haven area (a straight shot up I-91) and all of Fairfield County. In short, the vast majority of the population of CT has an easier trek to Hartford. And if you look at attendance, even against mediocre opponents, the XL Center tends to do better than Gampel.

 

[phil sampieri]

I think we're missing a key point here in this article.

The XL Center exists not because it's a glorious building, but because it's in Hartford. The Hartford MSA has nearly 1.2 million people. If you get as far east as the town I live in (Ellington) it's a roughly equivalent drive between Gampel and XL, but if you're any further west, Hartford is much more convenient to reach. This is also true from the New Haven area (a straight shot up I-91) and all of Fairfield County. In short, the vast majority of the population of CT has an easier trek to Hartford. And if you look at attendance, even against mediocre opponents, the XL Center tends to do better than Gampel.

I couldn't agree more. Many Fairfield County fans much prefer the XL Center for the easier commute. I also believe the attendance is higher at the XL.I wouldn't call it a dump either.

 

[machusky67]

I couldn't agree more. Many Fairfield County fans much prefer the XL Center for the easier commute. I also believe the attendance is higher at the XL.I wouldn't call it a dump either.

I would !!!!!

 

[msf22b]

Good enough for me.

Going to see a basketball game for goodness sake.

Waste of the State's money to put up a new stadium.
Even though I'm from NY, this mania for grand-luxe stadiums is over-the-top.

 

[phil sampieri]

well said

 

[jsloanjr]

They should have built a Re-Tracable roof all purpose facility where the Rent was built for all sports...Year round.......NCAA hoops, Football Championships...etc..........

 

[jsloanjr]

They should have built a Re-Tracable roof all purpose facility where the Rent was built for all sports...Year round.......NCAA hoops, Football Championships...etc..........

 

[HoopsFan21]

They should have built a Re-Tracable roof all purpose facility where the Rent was built for all sports...Year round..NCAA hoops, Football Championships...etc.....

Good idea, but that would be hugely expensive, and an even bigger problem is expansion which is a big deal in CFB. Pretty much every stadium where a big time CFB program plays expands at some point, sometimes as frequently as every 10-15 years, and that would be tough to do in a retractable dome design.

 

[Kevin G]

I agree with the posts that Hartford is a more convenient location than Storrs, CT. I, for one, cannot stand the bleachers in Gampel (side note). I live in West Haven along the shore. I'd rather go to a 7pm game in Hartford than in Storrs, especially during the weekday when I have to get up at 5am for work. As a UCONN alum and avid Uconn women's basketball fan, I would love to support this team anyway I can but that drive to Storrs is absolutely brutal.