The XL Center looks awful on TV

[whaler11]

Civic Center is 15 years past it's useful life and I've said since the beginning putting lipstick on that pig was beyond dumb but what's the solution now? Knock it down and build a smaller state of the art building in it's place?

i dont think there is one we arent disagreeing about that.

its annoying to live in the only city in the country that doesnt get to have a real arena.

 

[Waquoit]

i dont think there is one we arent disagreeing about that.

its annoying to live in the only city in the country that doesnt get to have a real arena.

The XL is better than the arena in Albany.

 

[whaler11]

The XL is better than the arena in Albany.

suck it @Fishy

 

[Fishy]

suck it @Fishy

I don’t live anywhere near Hartford or Albany, so leave me out of your crumbling facility battle.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

And, no beer (apparently no longer applies) yet not everyone drinks at all or at games at any arena. So, the same questions regarding projected total net profit remain outstanding: XL vs Mohegan Sun arena.

yeah i guess i'm just talking from a pure enjoyability standpoint. Although for traveling fans, Mohegan is a pain in the ass to get to unless you fly into Providence and drive an hour or whatever there.

 

[TyroneShoo]

I'm sure this is blasphemy but- isn't gample big enough to,handle the demand for 99% of women's basketball games. In recent years, Tickets to women's games in Hartford can't be given away. You can schedule every top 10 team in the country to try to create a demand that isn't really there all ya want....but too few people care enough. Seems Ya rent an arena ya don't need. Ya own one that is more than big enough.

 

[CL82]

I'm sure this is blasphemy but- isn't gample big enough to,handle the demand for 99% of women's basketball games. In recent years, Tickets to women's games in Hartford can't be given away. You can schedule every top 10 team in the country to try to create a demand that isn't really there all ya want....but too few people care enough. Seems Ya rent an arena ya don't need. Ya own one that is more than big enough.

Not so much actually. They are consistently one of the biggest draws in women's college basketball.

2017-2018 NCAA Single game attendance:

 

[TJT]

Was just thinking about this - is there another college in America that plays less of its high profile sports games on campus than UConn? Think about it - all football games are played off campus at the Rent in East Hartford. All men's hockey games are played off campus at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. Half of all the men's and women's basketball games are also played at the XL Center. Furthermore, it is not as if the Rent and XL Center are in the same city/town close by (such as Pitt with football at Heinz). Both venues are some 25 miles from the Storrs campus. Does anyone else find it a bit ironic that so many of UConn's college athletic events are actually not played at the college? Does this contribute to less less student support for athletic teams creating a disconnect between the two? Should UConn rethink things?

 

[Waquoit]

Rethink things? Four titles playing in Hartford isn't enough?

 

[zls44]

Was just thinking about this - is there another college in America that plays less of its high profile sports games on campus than UConn? Think about it - all football games are played off campus at the Rent in East Hartford. All men's hockey games are played off campus at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. Half of all the men's and women's basketball games are also played at the XL Center. Furthermore, it is not as if the Rent and XL Center are in the same city/town close by (such as Pitt with football at Heinz). Both venues are some 25 miles from the Storrs campus.

Nope.

Does anyone else find it a bit ironic that so many of UConn's college athletic events are actually not played at the college? Does this contribute to less less student support for athletic teams creating a disconnect between the two?

Yes.

Should UConn rethink things?

Only if they want to have any donors at all in the next 20 years.

 

[uconnell]

Duke plays in Cameron,( I think) which is considered an historic arena and a bit of a dump but do you hear Duke fans complaining about it. I don’t know how many fans it seats but it couldn’t be that many.
Connecticut the land of steady habits of bitching about most anything.

 

[Ts5034]

Duke plays in Cameron,( I think) which is considered an historic arena and a bit of a dump but do you hear Duke fans complaining about it. I don’t know how many fans it seats but it couldn’t be that many.
Connecticut the land of steady habits of bitching about most anything.

Bottom line is, theres no charm to the XL Center. Since Cameron is so old, im sure it has its faults, but its a great place to watch a basketball game from what I see and hear. The XL Center isnt really a good place to watch a basketball game for the various reasons already pointed out in this thread. Gampel on the other hand is a good place to watch a basketball game even though its been starting to show its age. The school has dumped a lot of money into the place over the past few years or so with replacing the tiles and lighting.

 

[whaler11]

The problem isn’t playing in Hartford.

Part of the reason UConn had the following and support it did was because of Hartford.

The problem has become the state of the XL, cost of playing in Hartford and the inability to generate incremental revenue because of the deal and the schedule.

The school has changed - playing in Hartford was why so many in state kids wanted to go to UConn 20-30 years ago. The kinda kids that pick a college based on being a fan of the sports team don’t get in as often anymore.

Certainly until now you can’t paint playing in Hartford in a negative light - its not like it got in the way of 4 titles.

That being said it’s a dangerous time to retrench. The crowds might not be huge but there are still fans that only go there (me included) and that’s not going to change if they move everything on campus - many of us will just become full time tv fans.

 

[uconnell]

Bottom line is, theres no charm to the XL Center. Since Cameron is so old, im sure it has its faults, but its a great place to watch a basketball game from what I see and hear. The XL Center isnt really a good place to watch a basketball game for the various reasons already pointed out in this thread. Gampel on the other hand is a good place to watch a basketball game even though its been starting to show its age. The school has dumped a lot of money into the place over the past few years or so with replacing the tiles and lighting.

I disagree The XL center is a great place to watch a game. We don’t go to Gampel because of the beach seating.
Vancat if you can get $38.00 lower level seatbacks buy 2 and I will buy them from you. I have checked multiple sites and there are no tickets at that price.

 

[uconnell]

Bottom line is, theres no charm to the XL Center. Since Cameron is so old, im sure it has its faults, but its a great place to watch a basketball game from what I see and hear. The XL Center isnt really a good place to watch a basketball game for the various reasons already pointed out in this thread. Gampel on the other hand is a good place to watch a basketball game even though its been starting to show its age. The school has dumped a lot of money into the place over the past few years or so with replacing the tiles and lighting.

Are you going to watch a basketball game or check out the charm.

 

[Ts5034]

Are you going to watch a basketball game or check out the charm.

Ive been to the XL Center 100 times, Id rather watch a basketball game at Gampel.

 

[Waquoit]

If all the folks badmouthing the XL games actually bought tickets to Gampel games and attended I would be fine with it all. But they don't, they just bitch.

 

[zls44]

If all the folks badmouthing the XL games actually bought tickets to Gampel games and attended I would be fine with it all. But they don't, they just bitch.

Because all the XL-only folks will be dead eventually and there will be no enthusiastic younger alumni to replace them because they have no emotional attachment to going to games because every sport plays off campus.

 

[Waquoit]

Because all the XL-only folks will be dead eventually and there will be no enthusiastic younger alumni to replace them because they have no emotional attachment to going to games because every sport plays off campus.

What’s changed? Any alum in their 50’s now graduated UConn in the 80’s. When every Big East and decent OOC game was played in Hartford. Only the cupcake games were on campus. Those fans have such an emotional attachment they buy tickets and go to games now. But because not every single game is on campus these days today’s students aren’t tomorrow’s fans? Sounds lame to me.

 

[zls44]

But because not every single game is on campus these days today’s students aren’t tomorrow’s fans? Sounds lame to me.

Have you noticed, by chance, what the attendance is at events nationwide now vs 10 years ago? A *lot* fewer of those folks who went to UConn in the 80s are buying tickets than folks who went to UConn in the 70s etc.

You can call it lame or you can acknowledge its reality and try to mitigate it.

 

[the Q]

I have no issue playing at XL over the school breaks.

Those are the times to play in Hartford.

Frankly playing a game at Webster arena wouldn’t be a terrible idea either.

 

[Waquoit]

I’m convinced if you moved all the games on campus they would lose much more than would be gained. You and your peers would just find another reason not to buy tickets.

 

[zls44]

I have no issue playing at XL over the school breaks.

Those are the times to play in Hartford.

I can agree with this. That doesn't mean the XL is not a dump.

I’m convinced if you moved all the games on campus they would lose much more than would be gained. You and your peers would just find another reason not to buy tickets.

Imagine looking at, like, 98.5% of programs and thinking they're wrong and you're right.

 

[Waquoit]

Imagine looking at, like, 98.5% of programs and thinking they're wrong and you're right.

Well, only 0.57% of programs have won more titles than UConn since they started playing in Hartford.

 

[zls44]

Well, only 0.57% of programs have won more titles than UConn since they started playing in Hartford.

The 1999 team would've gone 34-2 playing home games in Hartford, Gampel, at the bottom of a well, in South Dakota or on Mars.