Student Section

[nashusky109]

I posted about this earlier in the season in one of the LIU threads but for those of you that have gone to games; how’s the student section? I get that Providence kinda knocked some of the momentum out of the arena but didn’t get the feeling that the student section brought it. For any newer fans/students do you guys know the chants? do you know any of the UConn student traditions? Are the band and the cheer team leading any chants? Unfortunately I haven’t gone to a home game since 2013 but and maybe it’s not translating well on to tv but seems as though they aren’t much of a difference maker. They’ve showed out which is great and it’s not really a knock on the student section just more of a why isn’t it happening sort of thing.

I don’t personally know these Twitter users and don’t want to single anyone out. Once again not taking shots at anyone it’s mainly just wondering if it’s the case and what can be done about it by the school to have the student section be imposing again.

 

[WrenchFan69]

They don't even know the chants anymore

 

[gampelcrazies]

The student section has been awful for awhile.

It’s a mix of bad play over the years and the students not being the students of 20 years ago (or even 10). They don’t value going to games like they use to.

 

[kemba]

Yea they were bad. Several times people sitting near the student section ran over and yelled at them to step it up lol.

My first time sitting near the student section in years so I don't know if this was typical for a big game or not. The Florida and Houston Gample games at least 2 years ago crowds were great and students were a huge part of that.

Edit: I'll add though while Providence is a good team, they weren't ranked, and they probably aren't nearly as big of an opponent to students as they are are to an older crowd. And typically the XL student section has always been pretty weak for all but the biggest opponents.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

The student section has been awful for awhile.

It’s a mix of bad play over the years and the students not being the students of 20 years ago (or even 10). They don’t value going to games like they use to.

You cant really blame them. These kids have zero clue what it was like to have a successful basketball team with fans in the stands.

It will come back. Give them time.

 

[OUTATIME]

The student section has never really been great in Hartford.

 

[Storrs South]

Pretty reactionary stuff after 1 game in Hartford. The student section was great for the opener against CCSU this year. The student turnout was fantastic for First Night. The student section was great for the game v. Florida, Memphis, and Cincinnati back in the 19-20 season. If the game sucks, there isn't much for fans to go crazy about, students or not.

Sure the students are missing some of the traditions of the student section that have been around for awhile, that will come back in time, but the play on the court very much dictates what you can expect from the student section.

 

[navery12]

The XL Center student section is always significantly worse than Gampel. TV isn't always a great judge but they've seemed great at some games this season so I don't read too much into them not being lively while watching an awful performance

 

[bolt34]

Never have I seen such an obsession with chants than by some of our fans, and I’m a soccer fan. It really means nada. It’s about energy, and that energy is always lacking at XL for a variety of reasons.

1. The actual student section seating sucks, you can’t see the game at all and I’m reasonably tall.

2. Hartford.

Students at Gampel are amazing and the ONLY reason their record is so good there. I’ve seen so many white knights for the XL Center on this board, yet I wonder why our record/performances recently are considerably worse there?

 

[bolt34]

The issue is that most fans are not as immersed in the program as fans were back in the glory days. That’s the University’s and the teams fault, not the students. Just because I watched everytime USF or Tulsa came into Gampel or XLdoesn’t mean my fellow students did, or should have for that matter. With winning and restoration to the norm the fandom will come back. But I don’t like the vitriol towards a generation of students by some people (not OP), that aren’t as obsessed with a program they saw playing in the basement of the AAC to a generation that saw it win multiple national championships.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Need a new Dale to lead them. Probably a mixture of down years and covid and not the same student population.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Never have I seen such an obsession with chants than by some of our fans, and I’m a soccer fan. It really means nada. It’s about energy, and that energy is always lacking at XL for a variety of reasons.

1. The actual student section seating sucks, you can’t see the game at all and I’m reasonably tall.

2. Hartford.

Students at Gampel are amazing and the ONLY reason their record is so good there. I’ve seen so many white knights for the XL Center on this board, yet I wonder why our record/performances recently are considerably worse there?

The records at XL and Gampel are very similar. I looked into it once about 5/6 years ago and they were basically the same. I was looking for a gambling advantage - it was not there.

 

[husky429]

Students at Gampel are amazing and the ONLY reason their record is so good there.

The only reason, you say? I hope you were at least drinking when you typed that. You might need a helmet otherwise

 

[XLCenterFan]

I remember one year the student section called out the Hartford crowd for not being as good as possible. This was about 10-12 years ago. They would chant "stand up Hartford," and they even distributed flyers in all of the bathrooms basically saying that the Hartford crowd wasn't bringing it like they used to and needed to be more vocal.

 

[huskiemaniac]

I was at the Notre Dame womens game and they were silent and sitting down much of the game. They used to be up cheering the whole game…now, a big dud.

 

[wheelerdog]

Man what a spoiled fan base....

 

[Get a Job]

Need a new Dale to lead them. Probably a mixture of down years and covid and not the same student population.

I had the same thought. When I was at school, Dale (Blue and White Kid) and others led an organization called Husky Hardcores. They would do oppo research, create scouting reports for the students ("Player XYZ got dumped at prom in front of his whole high school," for example), and come up with hit-or-miss gimmicks (like shaking keys at football games. Major miss!). They could use something like that again.

On the other hand, the existence of such a body was probably more a product of an already-present enthusiasm, rather than a force for creating enthusiasm.

 

[uchuskies2009]

The records at XL and Gampel are very similar. I looked into it once about 5/6 years ago and they were basically the same. I was looking for a gambling advantage - it was not there.

Interesting. Did you factor in ranked/unranked opponents into that analysis? I'm genuinely curious because when I was a student there, it seemed like we played better quality opponents at Gampel each year (obviously both had cupcakes built in, but I would think if you are looking for a gambler's advantage you would want to remove those types of games from the comparison).

 

[Waquoit]

I remember one year the student section called out the Hartford crowd for not being as good as possible. This was about 10-12 years ago. They would chant "stand up Hartford," and they even distributed flyers in all of the bathrooms basically saying that the Hartford crowd wasn't bringing it like they used to and needed to be more vocal.

That was BS at the time and history has shown it so. In Hartford, the students follow the longtime fans.

 

[BlueMAB]

UConn basketball wouldn't be what it is today without Hartford.

 

[Waquoit]

Interesting. Did you factor in ranked/unranked opponents into that analysis? I'm genuinely curious because when I was a student there, it seemed like we played better quality opponents at Gampel each year (obviously both had cupcakes built in, but I would think if you are looking for a gambler's advantage you would want to remove those types of games from the comparison).

I did the same thing during a plane ride a few years ago. The win % was virtually identical. And no, the better games weren't played in Gampel. That was about the same as well, with the edge to Hartford if any.

 

[phillionaire]

kids these days with their forkknife and their tik tacs and their snap books!

 

[outlaw]

there were providence kids in the student section.... think that says it all.

 

[Storrs South]

there were providence kids in the student section.... think that says it all.

And there was a Syracuse fan in the student section 10 years ago. It says nothing at all.

 

[outlaw]

And there was a Syracuse fan in the student section 10 years ago. It says nothing at all.

was a student 10 years ago - don't recall that - and you certainly don't see any opposing kids in the gampel student sections.

 

[John]

I had the same thought. When I was at school, Dale (Blue and White Kid) and others led an organization called Husky Hardcores. They would do oppo research, create scouting reports for the students ("Player XYZ got dumped at prom in front of his whole high school," for example), and come up with hit-or-miss gimmicks (like shaking keys at football games. Major miss!). They could use something like that again.

On the other hand, the existence of such a body was probably more a product of an already-present enthusiasm, rather than a force for creating enthusiasm.

Dale should be on the Husky of Honor wall.

 

[Storrs South]

was a student 10 years ago - don't recall that - and you certainly don't see any opposing kids in the gampel student sections.

I believe it was the 2012 game, it was 100% at Gampel. I was a student as well. But it is certainly easier for anyone to get into the student section at XL.

 

[gampelcrazies]

was a student 10 years ago - don't recall that - and you certainly don't see any opposing kids in the gampel student sections.

You would see it all the time in the Big East. Games at Syracuse would have UConn fans in the student section.

 

[UChusky916]

Yea they were bad. Several times people sitting near the student section ran over and yelled at them to step it up lol.

I was one of the folks that went down to talk to students... at halftime I gave an earful to the first 3 rows and asked them to step up the cheers/chants.

I asked them why I could hear Providence fans chants from the upper deck over our students during a home game.

I basically got laughed at... they thought I was nuts or drunk. (Maybe a bit of the latter)

One student took me serious and said he knows the chants and would try to lead them, but said "If we do it every possession it gets old".
SERIOUSLY?!

I want to try to give the students the benefit of the doubt since PC game was right after finals and some of the more diehard student fans may have already gone home for Winter break.

However, is disparaging that the band ended up leading half of the chants, and by the time the chant could be heard by others, it was already over.

I'm sure this will come off as an 'old-man-yells-at-clouds' attitude, but when I was a student just over a decade ago, we cheered in big games non-stop. I typically had no voice by the end of the game.
I had to arrive at games 2+ hrs early to get in line in freezing temps for lower bowl seats.
I paid 3x market value of student season tickets because I got screwed by the dumb lottery system.

Is there no current version of the husky hardcores anymore?

Hopefully there's some current students here on this forum that could help start a grassroots effort to galvanize the student fanbase. Because the current state is a really sad showing.

 

[August_West]

I thought the student section was really strong at the Gampel games I was at this year, except for the “let’s go Brandon” chant they broke into at one of them That was just dumb.