Very interesting thread read so far.
Last night was my first Gampel experience since the Tristen Newton breakout game against Creighton in January, 2024.
My first initial thoughts from the back rows of Section 10 was
wow, Gampel is dead tonight. It was weird going to a game with my wife and feel like we were the loudest people in our section.
But I get the factors I've seen on here already: it's more expensive than ever (my row V section 10 seats were $98), so the diehards are priced out and watching at home, it's hard to get amped when playing a close game against Georgetown when nearly all of our momentum got killed with clutch moments by the Hoyas, Valentine's Day on a Saturday is a weird combo...
Let me get this off my chest: the overflow student section was pathetic. Felt like a few hundred kids treating their bleachers as couches while they thumbed through their phones and saved their attention for an opportunity to catch a free pair of socks or take photos of a freakin' Aquaphor mascot. Ban all of those students for life.
It was not the case while I was a student 20 years ago, but as
@CTBasketball said, Hartford is a superior home court experience than Gampel. It's louder (I swear the new ceiling of Gampel is sound canceling), fits 5k more people and it's more real deal -- when you go to a game at Hartford, you are there for that sole reason. As an alum, going to Gampel brings a sense of nostalgia, and I got the feeling that is the choice venue for familes with an alum parent to bring their kid
this place was rockin' when I was a student and you go walk around a little bit before the game, take in the scene. On the flipside, Hartford is what it is: it's a giant mall that has a large space to watch basketball, it's more of a basketball lovers gym. More chaotic, and honestly, if you're a student making it out to a Hartford game, you're probably more of a die-hard. If you're driving or taking a shuttle from the comforts of your dorm to catch a game at Hartford, that shows commitment.
I get a similar feeling at MSG, the venue which I've seen UConn the most across the last five seasons. Whether it was to see Illinois, St. John's or Indiana, I got the sense that UConn fans there felt like
man, I've made it, the mecca of basketball, ! There's a ravenousness of showing up as a fan and lifting up the team.
At Gampel, I guess I'd expect the students to take that charge, but that's not the case anymore. But it's not just a UConn problem. I cover a ton of mid-major games locally and whether it's CCSU, Fairfield, Sacred Heart, Yale, Iona...none of those gyms' energies are fueled by the students. Iona has a die-hard fanbase, so does CCSU, there's a hunger in those gyms of those who attend those games, it's not a source of entertainment.
In summary, Gampel has become more of an entertainment venue while PBA is more of a cut-and-dry basketball venue, so I guess in short, if I had to pick another UConn game to attend this year, I'd easily pick Hartford.
