NCAA just killed the AAC

[Drame]

Good idea. I was on the fence before today but now I'm convinced that it would be better to be in a power conference.

The AAC didn't screw us this year. We screwed ourselves. We were horrible this year. If we were in the ACC our record would have been no better 18-16 (8-10) and we would have lost in the quarterfinals. At least in the American we had a chance to make it still. We had a horrible year epitomized by 3 last second fouls by our best player that ruined any shot of win yesterday. We should top of the conference every year. KO just needs to lock down those recruits!

 

[ilikebattlins]

Sorry if our plan B is whichever school you root for's Plan A.

Plan A has worked out so well, you don't need a Plan B!

 

[MattMang23]

Plan A has worked out so well, you don't need a Plan B!

I'd say so.

http://themississippilink.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/39f24f77d1d6080f.jpg

 

[TheDoggPound]

Ugh are they really just going to go the renovation route? Cheap..

It's practically the same thing. Differences being: 1-2k more seats, $10M NHL upgrade already built in and a larger staging area for events in the $500M plan. I don't think that warrants an additional $250M investment and I doubt the political exists to secure upwards of $500M.

 

[TheDoggPound]

No. Want into a P5? Build what the new XL Center would be on the campus in Storrs. Look at the on campus arenas in the B1G and then get back to me.

Non-starter.

 

[FartMan69]

It's practically the same thing. Differences being: 1-2k more seats, $10M NHL upgrade already built in and a larger staging area for events in the $500M plan. I don't think that warrants an additional $250M investment and I doubt the political exists to secure upwards of $500M.

A renovated XL wont raise the NHL's eyebrows. Poorly designed building after the roof collapse and will only get worse trying to cram more seats into the worst seating bowl I've ever sat in. Do you really think they can turn that building into a modern marvel over 3 summers? I want the NHL back too but it looks like the state is using that dream well aware it wont happen without a new arena.

 

[TheDoggPound]

A renovated XL wont raise the NHL's eyebrows. Poorly designed building after the roof collapse and will only get worse trying to cram more seats into the worst seating bowl I've ever sat in. Do you really think they can turn that building into a modern marvel over 3 summers? I want the NHL back too but it looks like the state is using that dream well aware it wont happen without a new arena.

I don't know if you've read the report SCI put out there or not but by acquiring the atrium from Northland, the XLC would be one of the LARGEST buildings in the entire NHL sq ft wise. Bigger than the TD Garden, Rogers Arena in Vancouver, the ACC in Toronto and Madison Square Garden. NHL has said we need a facility and this retrofitted XL Center is for all intents and purposes completely transformed, the main question of the league's is can the building generate enough revenue to reach a certain threshold of there's and the answer is yes, in fact it will have the ability to out perform a lot of current NHL buildings. Look at the MTS Centre nothing special at all, 15,000 seats and not nearly as much corporate seating as preferred yet the NHL approved that, the XL Center after this will be much nicer and have a higher threshold for generating revenue.

Take a look at pages 16 (A12) & 17 (A13) of the report: http://www.courant.com/real-estate/hc-pdf-hartford-stadium-study-20150219-htmlstory.html

 

[FartMan69]

I don't know if you've read the report SCI put out there or not but by acquiring the atrium from Northland, the XLC would be one of the LARGEST buildings in the entire NHL sq ft wise. Bigger than the TD Garden, Rogers Arena in Vancouver, the ACC in Toronto and Madison Square Garden. NHL has said we need a facility and this retrofitted XL Center is for all intents and purposes completely transformed, the main question of the league's is can the building generate enough revenue to reach a certain threshold of there's and the answer is yes, in fact it will have the ability to out perform a lot of current NHL buildings. Look at the MTS Centre nothing special at all, 15,000 seats and not nearly as much corporate seating as preferred yet the NHL approved that, the XL Center after this will be much nicer and have a higher threshold for generating revenue.

Take a look at pages 16 (A12) & 17 (A13) of the report: http://www.courant.com/real-estate/hc-pdf-hartford-stadium-study-20150219-htmlstory.html

I've read that before and it's laughable. First off a real report would have renderings and facts about a new arena rather than showing complete bias towards one option. Also a new arena wouldn't cost 500 or whatever million dollars. KFC Yum was built for 230 and Quebec for 400. From the renderings in this report they aren't even touching the seating bowl which is a travesty seeing how steep it is right now. Look this report was exactly what the state wanted (and paid for) a cheaper alternative to a long term problem. Renovate the arena and we're having this same convo in 20 years. They're using the NHL hope to try and get approval but to think the NHL is drooling over a 40 year old building with a facelift when other cities are building state of the art juggernauts is funny. CT is showing how serious they are about attracting an NHL team.

 

[TheDoggPound]

It definitely would cost upwards of $500M with higher costs being associated with construction in this state and the rise of bond interest rates by the time construction would be set to begin. Just to reiterate what I said the MTS Centre is certainly no "juggernaut" and the new XLC will be a much better and newer arena across the board yet Winnipeg secured a team.

Also if you look closer they do in fact address the upper bowl's steepness. Compare the sections of seating in the report to the existing seating chart of the arena. They're condensing the seating in the upper bowl into less sections spreading it out horizontally as opposed to how it is now which is vertically and that will in turn make it closer to the ice.

In the end like I said if you're the league or an ownership group the main issue is can your building generate the necessary revenue to sustain a team? This building will check that box off and the only thing 40 yrs old would be it's steel super structure. The investment of $250M (+$15M NHL upgrade & $35M renovation) is comparable to almost every other market out there, the circumstances are just different because the XLC needs to stay open to accommodate UConn Hockey because if it were to be demolished they'd have to find a new home for the 2017-18 & 2018-19 seasons and the only option is BPort which was a miserable arrangement.