Marketing.
Marketing.
Marketing.
Product. Place. Price. Promotion.
The product is awesome. The team is terrific, and UConn plays in a tough league and has a tough OOC schedule. They could squeeze in a few more "name brand" teams, but a) the games won't be more compelling, and b) those teams will demand a return date.
The place, unfortunately, can't change, and the other delivery channels to provide the product are getting better and better since UConn's peak attendance days. If you can watch UConn in HD, why drive to Storrs, or even Hartford, unless it's for a huge game?
Promotion is something UConn has fallen flat on.
Pricing is a tricky one. Are casual fans going to spend $10 to go to a game instead of $25 if the opponent is totally overmatched? Especially when they have to pay for gas, concessions, and parking? The casual fan is more likely to decide to stay home and watch the first half on TV regardless of the ticket price.