The New Hockey Arena? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

The New Hockey Arena?

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
 
Dooley said:
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.
Expand ...

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.
 
Guapo said:
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.
Expand ...

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.
 
Dooley said:
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.
Expand ...

Yeah I get it.

It’ll also be interesting to see what happens if the XL Center shutsdown or, y’know, collapses or something.
 
Guapo said:
Yeah I get it.

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

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.
 
.-.
UCFBfan said:
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
Expand ...
I like going to Storrs but it is tougher especially during the week. Stating the obvious but If they win they will come.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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)
 
Waquoit said:
They're not getting 4K to Storrs for hockey.
Expand ...
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.
 
.-.
brasssbonanzaa said:
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?
Expand ...

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.
 
RSTuthill said:
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.
Expand ...
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.
 
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. :eek:
 
People keep saying money, but we aren't talking more than a couple ten thousand dollars to go to 3500 or so even. The footprint of the building doesn't even change. It is ridiculous, with an emphasis on the "ridicul" part.
 
brasssbonanzaa said:
To a few points raised here:

- "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.
Expand ...


Revenue =/= Profit.

I would highly doubt that UConn makes anything on $3.4 million revenue. That said, if you break even in college sports, that's a huge win.
 
brasssbonanzaa said:
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?
Expand ...
Because you can fill the XL for those games. 8,000 > 2,500 and most of the 8,000 will pay a lot more than students.
 
.-.
Waquoit said:
They're not getting 4K to Storrs for hockey.
Expand ...

It is shortsighted by the administration and should be at least 4000 seats as the XL center may not be there forever.
 
CL82 said:
So to recap:

1) If we build an 2500 seat arena for hockey, it is Suzielax's fault, of course...

2) If we don't build hockey arena, it is Suzielax's fault. Of course we'd have more money if were in the P5 and...

3) We didn't in the ACC when BC, VT and Miami left, which was Suzielax's fault even though she wasn't President yet; but then again...

4) We didn't get in when Cuse left, which was Suzielax's fault even though she still wasn't President yet; but ...

5) She was President when FSU wanted a football power to join the ACC so that's surely Suzielax's fault; even though the delay in join Div 1A took place long before she President; but what about...

6) The Big 12 not taking us that was on her watch, of course once BYU decided to to double on stupidity and homophobia that expansion was dead in the water, but Susielax didn't prevent it, so surely that must be her fault...

Did I miss anything?

For the record, a 2500 seat arena is shortsighted and stupid, but unless you your plan to bet the over on UConn football pays off enough for you to fund the difference the money isn't there.
Expand ...

It’s possible, I missing something because I just go to an occasional hockey game. If we are averaging 4,500 @ XL, why built an arena in Storrs that has 45% less seats? if you don’t have the money to do it right, don’t do it at all? Again, I may be missing something since MBB and football are enough on Chief’s plate. Admittedly, just a casual hockey fan but the XL games are fun.
 
The difference Chief00, is that in hockey there is hitting, but if someone lays out a real hit they are called for roughing. In MBB there is no hitting, but it happens all the time and is rarely called. Just thought you would like to know. ;)
 
Chief00 said:
It’s possible, I missing something because I just go to an occasional hockey game. If we are averaging 4,500 @ XL, why built an arena in Storrs that has 45% less seats? if you don’t have the money to do it right, don’t do it at all? Again, I may be missing something since MBB and football are enough on Chief’s plate. Admittedly, just a casual hockey fan but the XL games are fun.
Expand ...

Because Hockey East requires an on campus rink.

Still 2,500? Why build the smallest rink in the conference? The only way this makes any sense to me is if this is a de facto stage 1. Maybe the rink will be expanded or money will be "found" down the road. Perhaps once the design is put together everyone will be "surprised" to see how cost effective it is to add another 1000 seats and 500 standing room. I don't know but as we've all said, the current capacity is dumb on its face.

You may know from my prior posts that I'm a big advocate for games on campus. But I will say the UConn hockey in the XL is a really fun. The energy in the run last year reminded of Calhoun's early days. Everyone should get to a game and see for themselves.
 
.-.
From the UConn Hockey Forum:
huskymedic said:
UConn Hockey Media Day

@Daniel Connolly @DanielVConnolly 6 minutes ago
Cavanaugh said the new hockey arena will have the ability to expand to 4,000.

@Daniel Connolly @DanielVConnolly 5 minutes ago
Cavanaugh isn’t concerned about the size of the new hockey arena. Said he expects it to built to the same standard as Shenkman, Werth.
Expand ...

 
They have been pretty clear on the plan for hockey. XL will be the primary home ice. The new Whaler-Chief arena will be the practice facility and will host a few games a year. Most likely non-conference and less attractive league games. I’ve heard 6-8 games a year. My guess is that there is a deal afoot that makes XL UConns official home for basketball too which allows them to revitalize it as a “college” venue rather than pro. Fewer bells and whistles required.
 
freescooter said:
They have been pretty clear on the plan for hockey. XL will be the primary home ice. The new Whaler-Chief arena will be the practice facility and will host a few games a year. Most likely non-conference and less attractive league games. I’ve heard 6-8 games a year. My guess is that there is a deal afoot that makes XL UConns official home for basketball too which allows them to revitalize it as a “college” venue rather than pro. Fewer bells and whistles required.
Expand ...

No. Not even this school can be stupid enough to do this. This would be a tragedy.
 
They would probably sell out 5 k for BC, BU, PC but Merrimack Sacred Heart, AIC which are the games they will mostly play at the new campus place, 2500 is good because it will seem crowded.
 
freescooter said:
They would probably sell out 5 k for BC, BU, PC but Merrimack Sacred Heart, AIC which are the games they will mostly play at the new campus place, 2500 is good because it will seem crowded.
Expand ...

(This is an honest question, no ill will) do you follow the hockey team?

Anyway, there’s no “probably” about it, they would easily sell 5k for those games and Merrimack could probably get a solid 3-5k too
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,158
Messages
4,555,332
Members
10,440
Latest member
Regan23


Top Bottom