OT: 22,419 1-10-15 | The Boneyard
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OT: 22,419 1-10-15

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It will be interesting to see what happens with hockey in the future.

I'm sure it's better to play the games on campus for a lot of reasons, but they really could draw huge crowds in Hartford.

The basketball attendance in Hartford this year has been suprisingly strong. Feels like it's better now than off the 2011 run.
 
It is interesting that it's taken off. Not totally unexpected but the possible reasons are intriguing.

- CT really misses the Whalers and is a true hockey market
- It's the new thing, doesn't it continue if the team's success follows that of the FB program
- The level of competition playing in one of the best leagues (Hi B1G)
- They are exceeding expectations playing and competing hard every game.

While it is a cool thing on it's own, it's needs to apply to the entire AD. My fear is that UConn has four different fanbases, one for each sport with not enough crossover support. That's how you become a basketball school or a hockey school. Being a FB school however is enough on its own. It all comes back to FB.
 
I think the word is out among Connecticut residents that they need to support UConn if they want a B1G or ACC invite. This is do or die time. Full arenas and winning teams are critical.

Hopefully, the football team can provide a decent enough product next season that the seats fill up. This year the loyalist of fans just couldn't take it anymore. A reasonable improvement will really help.
 
whaler11 said:
It will be interesting to see what happens with hockey in the future.

I'm sure it's better to play the games on campus for a lot of reasons, but they really could draw huge crowds in Hartford.

The basketball attendance in Hartford this year has been suprisingly strong. Feels like it's better now than off the 2011 run.
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Thought about the hockey arena question myself.

I'm sure UConn being new to Hockey East has a lot to do with the attendance, but at the same time, people are seemingly starved for top level hockey (aka not the wolfpack) and with the UConn brand, HE and regional rivals people care about seeing, I could really see this sticking.

If they move permanently to Storrs, they'll end up sacrificing a lot of attendance.

People always make the argument that sports need to be on campus and everyone else does it, why can't UConn? People need to realize it's just different in CT. To bring everything to Storrs alienates a lot of potential customers.

It doesn't make it "right" and we're certainly unique in that regard, but if you ignore this, you ignore reality.
 
I went to UCONN basketball, hockey and today to WolfPack. Wolf lost in OT, but honestly I could not have asked for a better sports weekend. And Arsenal wins. I realized I really don't care about the NFL that much.

This is a really good hockey market. Soccer too. There was a reason that the WC rating were great for the Hartford market.
 
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The hard thing for me on hockey is no games on TV. I've been to a few but really have no handle on things because they aren't televised.
 
whaler11 said:
The hard thing for me on hockey is no games on TV. I've been to a few but really have no handle on things because they aren't televised.
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You get your first chance then on Friday night vs. Gold Domers. Nationally televised on NBCSN @ 1935.
 
huskymedic said:
You get your first chance then on Friday night vs. Gold Domers. Nationally televised on NBCSN @ 1935.
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Yeah and there is one other HE broadcast on NESN I think.
 
Went to my first UConn hockey game on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Can't believe how they are already competing against and beating top teams nationally.

Going up to BC for the game on the 24th. That will be A LOT of fun.
 
Hoophound said:
I think the word is out among Connecticut residents that they need to support UConn if they want a B1G or ACC invite. This is do or die time. Full arenas and winning teams are critical. Hopefully, the football team can provide a decent enough product next season that the seats fill up. This year the loyalist of fans just couldn't take it anymore. A reasonable improvement will really help.
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Nobody outside of the Boneyard thinks this way.
 
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I'm wondering that if hockey attendance continues to soar in Hartford, UConn can get Hockey East to "relax" its rule for all conference games being played on campus. Once Coach Cavanaugh gets this program to a higher level, there could be demand for tickets such that the curtains are removed & all of the seats at the XL are available for sale. "Hockey Night in Hartford" could again reach event status. If a game in Hartford against the B.U. Terriers can sell 14,000 tickets, why should UConn be forced to sacrifice 10,000 in ticket sales. I'm not saying to play all H.E. games at XL, just some of the bigger draws on a rotating basis. You won't get big crowds or high season ticket sales for MAAC or lesser league teams, but a combination of select Hockey East, along with Yale, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Army, Union, & a smattering of "lesser" teams would be attractive.
 
I have no idea what revenue sharing is set up to be in Hockey East. It always comes down to money. Hockey night in Hartford is a long time established thing that's been dormant since about 1998. UCONN is a sports 'franchise' that I certainly believe can revive it. Hopefully whatever rules exist in the conference around revenue sharing, minimum seating requirements, etc. can be re-visited and edited, especially if UCONN in Hartford can generate upwards of 10,000+ attendance regularly. SO far, we're in the 6-7k range right now, with no TV exposure and minimal press. Hopefully the television contract can be revisited too. It will be interesting to see what the attendance for UCONN v. Notre Dame will be Friday in Bridgeport. That arena is nice, but small.

The only obstacle I could foresee, would be small minded, fearful, and arrogant priests at BC. The new management at Boston College is hopefully better than the old at the AD level though. DeFillippo destroyed college football rivalry at division 1 in New England with Father Leahy's blessing, but perhaps the new AD won't do the same with division 1 hockey in southern new England by keeping it hidden in Providence and Boston.
 
coachcap said:
I'm wondering that if hockey attendance continues to soar in Hartford, UConn can get Hockey East to "relax" its rule for all conference games being played on campus.
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Coach - I'm not sure that "all conference games being played on campus" is a HE rule? (?maybe not in by-laws?)

http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/pdf/M & W BY-LAWS/Revised Men's By-Laws September 19.pdf

I think the agreement was a commitment for an on campus arena that met the minimum seating requirements of 4k and that conference games could be played in Hartford and non-conference games on campus.
 
I hope that UCONN has some good, smart representation in Hockey East with regards to Article 5 in those bylaws - specifically Article 5, sections 4 and 6.
 
ConnHuskBask said:
Thought about the hockey arena question myself.

If they move permanently to Storrs, they'll end up sacrificing a lot of attendance.

People always make the argument that sports need to be on campus and everyone else does it, why can't UConn? People need to realize it's just different in CT. To bring everything to Storrs alienates a lot of potential customers.
Expand ...

We aren't really alone in this regard though. Villanova & St. John's play bigger games off campus... and Louisville, Seton Hall, & NC State basically play all of their home games "off campus" I mean they're closer than the XL but it's still not exactly an easy walk. This was just off the top of my head I'm sure their are others. This works really well especially for basketball... and probably for hockey since it's a very similar sport in terms of arena/frequency of games, etc. Football is an entirely different animal... it might have worked on campus.. but the costs would have been twice that of building the Rent... and it might still be held up in court if UConn had tried. heh.
 
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whaler11 said:
It will be interesting to see what happens with hockey in the future.

I'm sure it's better to play the games on campus for a lot of reasons, but they really could draw huge crowds in Hartford.

The basketball attendance in Hartford this year has been suprisingly strong. Feels like it's better now than off the 2011 run.
Expand ...

im sure it helps that the knicks, celtics, and nets are terrible this year. i would rather go to a UCONN basketball game than traveling to see any of those 3 NBA teams.
 
My friend and I were talking about the new Hartford minor league stadium and the possibility of UConn baseball playing a few games there. I know they play a few games a year at Dodd in Norwich. I'm probably more likely to go for UConn than the Rock Cats/whomever. That'd be an interesting development. I know college traditionally play day baseball likely because there are no lights at JO Christian...at least I don't think so. Someone correct me if I'm wrong
 
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