The New Hockey Arena?

[huskymedic]

Medic you are pretty good a ferreting stuff out. Is there a plan of what this thing will look like. Still hanging on the to dream that it will be built for easy expansion, like Gampel (8,500 to 10k) and the Rent.

I’ve seen nothing yet

@UCONNJACK ?

 

[UConnNick]

UConn will be tied with Merrimack's Lawler Center (universally considered the worst rink in HE) for smallest rink in the league. Holy Cross is on the list with just 1,600 seats but they are a women's member only.

Yes and no. We will have the smallest on campus arena and the largest off campus arena.

 

[XStorrsion]

Sounds like the "knock one wall down" plan from the 2017 feasibility study

 

[HuskyBandDad]

On campus??

No. All home games are at XL

 

[Storrs South]

Medic you are pretty good a ferreting stuff out. Is there a plan of what this thing will look like. Still hanging on the to dream that it will be built for easy expansion, like Gampel (8,500 to 10k) and the Rent.

The original proposal from nearly a year ago can be found here: On Campus Arena Plans

UConn has posted on its website a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the development of a 3,500+ seat arena.

Here's the article on the arena last year which includes some quotes from AD David Benedict: Jeff Jacobs: XL Center Questions Dog Huskies, State

There will be a two-phase approach.

The same architect used to design the new soccer, baseball and softball facilities has been engaged to design additional Freitas Ice Forum space. When that is done, Benedict said, money would be raised for construction.

UConn has locker rooms, weight rooms, meeting rooms that Benedict recognizes are not comparable to other Hockey East schools. Players stretching in the Freitas lobby does not whisper big time. It screams midget hockey.

"Those things are critical to day to day operations and recruiting," Benedict said. "You don't play or work out every day at XL. We want to demonstrate our commitment to a great program."

The second phase, a much larger undertaking, would be a new arena that meets Hockey East requirements, even if it was home to a small number of men's games.

"It would make the most sense to build it next to and connect it with these additional facilities we're talking about building," Benedict said. "There will need to be a thorough examination to make sure soil conditions aren't in such bad shape it would cost exponentially more build to there.

 

[UCFBfan]

No. All home games are at XL

Thanks. My question was pointed towards wondering how many people would actually go to Storrs for a game. I know they draw well at the XL but Hartford is centrally located, not so much for Storrs

 

[Waquoit]

They're not getting 4K to Storrs for hockey.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Thanks. My question was pointed towards wondering how many people would actually go to Storrs for a game. I know they draw well at the XL but Hartford is centrally located, not so much for Storrs

While UConn hockey draws decent attendance numbers at the XL in Hartford today, the concern is over the long-term. What if the team has a few bad years and people stop comming and/or nothing is done to upgrade the XL and it falls apart? I beleive right now, UConn is the only D1 College hockey team not to use an on-campus arena as its primary venue.

On a side note, Michigan State is looking to spend $14 to $16 Million to update Munn arena, which seats just under 6,500, while Colorado College is partnering with the city of Colorado Springs to build a new 3,000 seat area for $39 million that will be built across the street from campus

 

[Guapo]

They're not getting 4K to Storrs for hockey.

For BC or BU? Yes they would, easily.

 

[Dooley]

Problem is, they're not playing BC or BU on campus. Ever. Those games have drawn 6K or more at the XL every year since joining Hockey East. Always follow the money. And not for nothing, but the atmosphere at those games are always excellent.

 

[methodology]

This is an embarrassment. They are the flagship school and want to be big time but then decide on an ice rink that holds 2500 while playing in the best hockey conference.

Ingalls rink (yale) holds 3500 and Quinnipiac's holds 3300.

There is no excuse for not building an ice rink that holds 4k

 

[Guapo]

Problem is, they're not playing BC or BU on campus. Ever. Those games have drawn 6K or more at the XL every year since joining Hockey East. Always follow the money. And not for nothing, but the atmosphere at those games are always excellent.

We are present at the creation of another Storrs vs Hartford debate. I understand the experiment in Hartford has gone well. However, college sports should be played on campus. To me, it is amoral to make kids travel to see their team play “home games.” Especially when these students are subsidizing the AD to the extent that they are. I know this was never going to happen and I knew it would never play out as it would play out at almost every other college in the US, but that is where I’m coming from.

 

[Dooley]

We are present at the creation of another Storrs vs Hartford debate. I understand the experiment in Hartford has gone well. However, college sports should be played on campus. To me, it is amoral to make kids travel to see their team play “home games.” Especially when these students are subsidizing the AD to the extent that they are. I know this was never going to happen and I knew it would never play out as it would play out at almost every other college in the US, but that is where I’m coming from.

Agree with what you said. Just stating some Cap'n Obvious stuff is all. For whatever reason, our AD believes in splitting the schedule. Probably from state political pressure to not take UConn sports out of Hartford. Not for nothing, but the state has approved billions of dollars in funding to UConn in the past decade for multiple projects. The give and take of CT politics. But I'll be interested to see how accommodating UConn will be years from now when the funding cuts (if still cut) start to be really felt.

 

[Guapo]

Agree with what you said. Just stating some Cap'n Obvious stuff is all. For whatever reason, our AD believes in splitting the schedule. Probably from state political pressure to not take UConn sports out of Hartford. Not for nothing, but the state has approved billions of dollars in funding to UConn in the past decade for multiple projects. The give and take of CT politics. But I'll be interested to see how accommodating UConn will be years from now when the funding cuts (if still cut) start to be really felt.

Yeah I get it.

It’ll also be interesting to see what happens if the XL Center shutsdown or, y’know, collapses or something.

 

[huskymedic]

There is no excuse for not building an ice rink that holds 4k

Well, no excuse other than a lack of an available $20m (give or take a few million) sitting around.

 

[Dooley]

Yeah I get it.

It’ll also be interesting to see what happens if the XL Center shutsdown or, y’know, collapses or something.

XL is a dump. Been a dump for decades. Will be a dump decades from now. UConn shooting their athletic programs in the foot by agreeing to play there is incredibly counterproductive. Would be great if the state could make the long overdue and necessary modern upgrades to that building but I'm sure we'll need to conduct a 25-year feasibility study first before deciding to do nothing at all.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Thanks. My question was pointed towards wondering how many people would actually go to Storrs for a game. I know they draw well at the XL but Hartford is centrally located, not so much for Storrs

I like going to Storrs but it is tougher especially during the week. Stating the obvious but If they win they will come.

 

[RedSoloCup]

I hate trying to get in and get out of campus. Nimby politics have crushed any decent traffic flow options.

For football I would head out in the horrible traffic because I will spend the day tailgating and checking out the campus. Hockey and Basketball are not all day events so you get caught in the crush entering and leaving.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

To a few points raised here:

- 4K seating requirement from HE is for a new facility. Existing facilities under that mark were grandfathered in.

- "Don't invest money in a non-revenue sport." UConn hockey is a revenue sport.
Shows UConn hockey's revenue in 2016 was ~$3.4 million. They may not profit much from it, but it means they have $3.4 million to spend, also was the 10th highest revenue in the country. The number can be skewed a bit by donations and other factors, but is generally a very good sign.

- "UConn wouldn't get 4K on campus for hockey" Considering the increase in numbers of students who would attend games, they'd have NO problem drawing 4K+ for big home games against BC, BU, and PC. Attending a home hockey game against a big opponent on a Friday night (timed perfectly as a pre-night out activity) in a packed arena is an infectious experience.

A 2,500-seat arena to host games against the basement of the league, bad OOC games, and exhibitions, is so absurdly dumb, it's incomprehensible. Why spend the $ to build a brand new facility and play your best games 30 miles away?

 

[Fishy]

UConn was never, ever going to be permitted to build an on-campus facility that threatens Hartford in any way.

Are you people new around here?

 

[CL82]

FYI -
Here are HE teams/home rink capacities (from HE Website):
BC/Conte Forum: 7884
BU/Agganis: 6150
Maine/Alfond: 5124
UMass/Mullins Center: 8373
UMass Lowell/Tsongas Center: 6003
Merrimack/Lawler: 3000
UNH/Whittemore Center: 6501
Northeastern/Matthews: 4666
PC/Schneider: 3030
UVM/Gutterson FH: 4007

(I took this from an old @FDNY99 post)

 

[RSTuthill]

They're not getting 4K to Storrs for hockey.

That has been my point all along. A lot of hockey support comes from outer ring suburbs west of the river. Think Whalers fans and their cohort who suddenly see UConn hockey as exciting as the Whalers were. A Storrs location is gonna impact that bigtime.

 

[RSTuthill]

To a few points raised here:

- 4K seating requirement from HE is for a new facility. Existing facilities under that mark were grandfathered in.

- "Don't invest money in a non-revenue sport." UConn hockey is a revenue sport.
Shows UConn hockey's revenue in 2016 was ~$3.4 million. They may not profit much from it, but it means they have $3.4 million to spend, also was the 10th highest revenue in the country. The number can be skewed a bit by donations and other factors, but is generally a very good sign.

- "UConn wouldn't get 4K on campus for hockey" Considering the increase in numbers of students who would attend games, they'd have NO problem drawing 4K+ for big home games against BC, BU, and PC. Attending a home hockey game against a big opponent on a Friday night (timed perfectly as a pre-night out activity) in a packed arena is an infectious experience.

A 2,500-seat arena to host games against the basement of the league, bad OOC games, and exhibitions, is so absurdly dumb, it's incomprehensible. Why spend the $ to build a brand new facility and play your best games 30 miles away?

All good points. But students are a drag on revenue, not a generator. The generators live in the outer ring suburbs west of the river.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

All good points. But students are a drag on revenue, not a generator. The generators live in the outer ring suburbs west of the river.

Those "generators" in the outer ring suburbs west of the river largely were once......students. If you don't build a pipeline of supporters that begin when they're students, you don't get their support when they graduate. There's a reason virtually no rural school moves their home games 25+ miles from campus.

 

[jdb50]

Not building this with a seating capacity as large as Vermont's is foolish and humiliating. When this is built in 4 years the XL center may not exist. At least we are bringing back some on campus history with the design which looks like a mini Memorial stadium.