Turnout In Buffalo

[upstater]

Well we're not those guys quite yet. Maybe if Cole comes back...

It’s what the fan base was used to.

I mean sure some of these canvases don’t get many Sweet 16 opportunities or Final 8s so the first weekend is a good trip. Now try traveling twice in 2 weeks especially on a Thursday night.

 

[upstater]

Colleges

 

[August_West]

Honestly a lot of fans went to the BET and couldn't swing two trips in 1 week.

Providence had same issue but made it.

 

[Husky25]

This needs to be said. As a young(ish) fan, (started with 2004 title run, I was 6 then). Outside the last 2 KO years, last thursday was the most embarrassed I have felt to be a husky fan. I'm not sure who was there but my alma mater (UVM) showed out better than the huskies did. Hell, Arkansas did too, and let's not forget providence too who showed up well. Hammer the thumbs downs but there literally wasnt a section full of husky fans first night. We were easily the program with the highest pedigree out of any schools there by kind of a long shot and we were also the closest geographically. Not AT ALL Surprised that tickets didn't sell out, went with old fraternity friends who were arkansas fans and they noticed too. Really felt like a fool in my 1959 husky tshirt there. What happens (if) we make the tourney and have to travel to the west coast first round when fans can't make it to buffalo, I get thursday isnt the best day work wise but remote work is so prevalent!!!! Was beyond embarrassed having to explain to a syracuse fan why UConn fans didn't show up.

You're only 24. Pretty soon you'll stop living your life by the triumphs and failures of your favorite sports teams...unless you are a Yankees fan.

 

[UConnJim]

Providence had same issue but made it.

This was Providence's "Dream Season".

 

[August_West]

This was Providence's "Dream Season".

Certainly.

But that’s not an excuse for us either. It just is what it is.

 

[Ts5034]

This is probably it. It's also hard to plan a trip when you only have 3 days notice of where you actually need to travel to. Add in that Buffalo is not really desirable nor all that accessible...

I was at the Garden for the BET. Turnout is not an issue I'm worried about. I dropped about $1k just by myself for hotel, flights, food, and tickets. Having to do that again 1 week later in Buffalo would be tough lol

True. Im not making any excuses, but Buffalo is not anywhere close to Connecticut. From the New Haven area, where I am from, It’s less of a drive down to D.C than It is to Buffalo. I know they ran a bus trip, but the quick turnaround from the Big East Tournament with the short notice of having only a few days to plan a trip probably had a lot to do with it like you said. We don’t know the exact numbers, but to be honest, I was not expecting there to be 5,000+ UConn fans in the arena.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Must have been so many more UVM fans because they didn’t need to split the fanbase at Hockey East playoffs

 

[Tex-Lager93]

There's no question it was embarrassing - it felt like our fans are a bit spoiled, which is amazing considering the last 8 years. Providence showed out - section full floor to the rafters. Richmond also filled out an entire section in red. The UVM folks were all over the entire venue - mostly an over 60+ crowd (which was actually pretty fun to see - their 'professional' team). Iowa, NM State and Arkansas, meh - understandable. Buffalo sucks, the prices suck, the travel sucks, I get it...but walking out with an L after there was zero passion in the building really sucked.

 

[UConnJim]

A little bit off topic, but the distance to Buffalo for the entire field was not ideal given none of the schools had direct flights to Buffalo. I don't think the NCAA did Buffalo any favors. Compare this year's field to the 2017 and 2014 fields.

2022: UConn, New Mexico St., Arkansas, Vermont, Iowa, Richmond, Providence, South Dakota St.

2017: Notre Dame, Princeton, West Virginia, Bucknell, Villanova, Mt. St. Mary's. Wisconsin, Virginia Tech

2014: Ohio St., Dayton, Syracuse, Western Michigan, UConn, St. Joseph's, Villanova, Milwaukee

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

A little bit off topic, but the distance to Buffalo for the entire field was not ideal given none of the schools had direct flights to Buffalo. I don't think the NCAA did Buffalo any favors. Compare this year's field to the 2017 and 2014 fields.

2022: UConn, New Mexico St., Arkansas, Vermont, Iowa, Richmond, Providence, South Dakota St.

2017: Notre Dame, Princeton, West Virginia, Bucknell, Villanova, Mt. St. Mary's. Wisconsin, Virginia Tech

2014: Ohio St., Dayton, Syracuse, Western Michigan, UConn, St. Joseph's, Villanova, Milwaukee

People have no clue how far is Buffalo is. It’s a Midwest city.

 

[upstater]

True. Im not making any excuses, but Buffalo is not anywhere close to Connecticut. From the New Haven area, where I am from, It’s less of a drive down to D.C than It is to Buffalo. I know they ran a bus trip, but the quick turnaround from the Big East Tournament with the short notice of having only a few days to plan a trip probably had a lot to do with it like you said. We don’t know the exact numbers, but to be honest, I was not expecting there to be 5,000+ UConn fans in the arena.

And from Buffalo, I can get to Virginia quicker than I can get to New Haven.

 

[upstater]

A little bit off topic, but the distance to Buffalo for the entire field was not ideal given none of the schools had direct flights to Buffalo. I don't think the NCAA did Buffalo any favors. Compare this year's field to the 2017 and 2014 fields.

2022: UConn, New Mexico St., Arkansas, Vermont, Iowa, Richmond, Providence, South Dakota St.

2017: Notre Dame, Princeton, West Virginia, Bucknell, Villanova, Mt. St. Mary's. Wisconsin, Virginia Tech

2014: Ohio St., Dayton, Syracuse, Western Michigan, UConn, St. Joseph's, Villanova, Milwaukee

And you'd be surprised as to who actually shows up. There were more Dayton fans in 2014 than Syracuse fans for the Cuse/Dayton game. I was shocked. Dayton filled up 3 entire sections.

I still say it has a lot to do with expectations. For Dayton, the first weekend is an event, which it isn't for Syracuse. Most Cuse fans were probably from the Buffalo area.

 

[storrsroars]

We hosted a pod in Pittsburgh and I learned this morning it was the highest ticket price of all pods except Greenville (K's retirement tour had something to do with that). Wasn't a sellout any day tbomk, but pretty full.

As expected OSU (3 hrs) was the biggest contingent, but a good showing by Nova (5 hrs) and Delaware (~6 hrs). Chicago (8 hrs) is just a little farther than Greenwich, but Champaign/Urbana is a half hour closer, yet Loyola probably outdrew Illinois. Chattnooga is almost 10 hours out and the Chattanooga/Illini game had the smallest attendance of the session, including Houston/UAB the two schools farthest away.

Anyway, we're hosting again in 2024. Hopefully I can get there next time. And hopefully UConn is in it (if not playing even closer to Storrs). I'd love to play host to any and all who visit, except those who think Pittsburgh is in the midwest. You can keep driving until you hit Ohio.

 

[gtcam]

We hosted a pod in Pittsburgh and I learned this morning it was the highest ticket price of all pods except Greenville (K's retirement tour had something to do with that). Wasn't a sellout any day tbomk, but pretty full.

As expected OSU (3 hrs) was the biggest contingent, but a good showing by Nova (5 hrs) and Delaware (~6 hrs). Chicago (8 hrs) is just a little farther than Greenwich, but Champaign/Urbana is a half hour closer, yet Loyola probably outdrew Illinois. Chattnooga is almost 10 hours out and the Chattanooga/Illini game had the smallest attendance of the session, including Houston/UAB the two schools farthest away.

Anyway, we're hosting again in 2024. Hopefully I can get there next time. And hopefully UConn is in it (if not playing even closer to Storrs). I'd love to play host to any and all who visit, except those who think Pittsburgh is in the midwest. You can keep driving until you hit Ohio.

Where is Pittsburgh?????

 

[storrsroars]

Where is Pittsburgh?????

Why would you care, you're not welcome here.

 

[BlueandOG]

Much ado about nothing. I went to the UCONN/Northeastern Hockey East semi-final on Friday. The official UCONN pregame bar had TwoCONN beer on tap, which I was excited to try. They bought 4 barrels for the men's basketball game and the hockey east game. The kegs were kicked after the UCONN hoops game!

Inside the hockey game, there were about the same number of Northeastern fans as UCONN fans, but we overwhelmed them. All you could hear was U!C!O!N!N! UCONN! UCONN! UCONN! After the game was over, a Northeastern fan told me that I was "rude" for yelling so much during the game.

 

[ct06111]

Much ado about nothing. I went to the UCONN/Northeastern Hockey East semi-final on Friday. The official UCONN pregame bar had TwoCONN beer on tap, which I was excited to try. They bought 4 barrels for the men's basketball game and the hockey east game. The kegs were kicked after the UCONN hoops game!

Inside the hockey game, there were about the same number of Northeastern fans as UCONN fans, but we overwhelmed them. All you could hear was U!C!O!N!N! UCONN! UCONN! UCONN! After the game was over, a Northeastern fan told me that I was "rude" for yelling so much during the game.

Yup, was there for both. Easily 5-6k UConn fans for each game. We were way louder and more showed for Friday vs sat.
Friday- 13,106
Sat - 12,049

I’m more of a hockey guy and it was my 1st BET tourney and my 1st HE tourney.

I Was surrounded by PC fans and nova did show. I’d same ratio as UMass

Friday in Boston was WAY more fun and had way more fans and yes we were loud. My voice was shot and you can tell SAT eventhough a bigger game, UMass was louder and had a 60/40 as previously stated.

Will be back for both, but it sucks HE Playoffs and BET tourney are gonna be same weekend every year

 

[LBird33]

Much ado about nothing. I went to the UCONN/Northeastern Hockey East semi-final on Friday. The official UCONN pregame bar had TwoCONN beer on tap, which I was excited to try. They bought 4 barrels for the men's basketball game and the hockey east game. The kegs were kicked after the UCONN hoops game!

Inside the hockey game, there were about the same number of Northeastern fans as UCONN fans, but we overwhelmed them. All you could hear was U!C!O!N!N! UCONN! UCONN! UCONN! After the game was over, a Northeastern fan told me that I was "rude" for yelling so much during the game.

You were to a Northeastern fan. LoL

 

[gampelcrazies]

Not shocking the turnout wasn't great. UConn fans for the most part haven't been traveling like they use to (even pre-covid). Even the Big East tournament didn't have as many UConn fans.

We are still a few good seasons away from the frenzy coming back.

 

[ct06111]

I don’t know about anyone else, but I got an email offer from the school to buy tickets and were offering $200 for both rounds in buffalo.

Thought about it, but I knew if I got an e-mail offer on the amount of UConn donor points I had, I knew we’d didn’t sell our allotment.

Plus I was planning Friday in Boston and didn’t want to drive to buffalo