UCONN Home Game Atmosphere

[Deepster]

Personally, I love when the student section drapes the “Basketball Capital of the World” flag over itself. That’s got to grind every opposing fan that sees it. Such a brag.

 

[huskyjawz]

Kansas hoops seems like the GB Packers in the sense that they are THE main event in town and EVERYONE gets on board. We don’t have that in CT. We have a large fan base, yes, but not everyone reaches lunatic status like some of us. Our buildings get loud, but not like that place. Last year the best ones were PC, X, Creighton and Nova. Gampel usually gets louder because it’s less cavernous, but if Kansas were to come to XL the place would get wild.

Well you can't compare Hartford to Green Bay because it's not the Hartford Huskies. And you can't compare Hartford to Lawrence b/c UConn is 30 miles away. If Kansas played at Gampel, then the game would be the THE main event in Storrs/Mansfield like it is in Lawrence or Green Bay.

 

[husky429]

Well you can't compare Hartford to Green Bay because it's not the Hartford Huskies. And you can't compare Hartford to Lawrence b/c UConn is 30 miles away. If Kansas played at Gampel, then the game would be the THE main event in Storrs/Mansfield like it is in Lawrence or Green Bay.

The population of Mansfield is 80k less than Lawrence. It doesn't really make sense to compare the way you are.

 

[CL82]

The RAC is like this.

The RAC has a roof that basically parallel to the angle of the stands. it reflects back an amazing amount of noise. Pretty sure it's entirely coincidental. I'm not sure if AFH is like that or if it is just 15,000 motivated people pretty close to the court.

 

[CL82]

The population of Mansfield is 80k less than Lawrence. It doesn't really make sense to compare the way you are.

On the other hand population density in Connecticut is significantly higher than population density in Kansas. Fun fact within 125 miles of Storrs there are over 26 million people.

The same can't be said about Lawrence Kansas

Which is no way a knock against KU. In fact it makes their turn out all the more impressive.

But when people talk about stores being out in the boonies or in the middle of nowhere, they're right as far as that goes but if you were looking at a potential audience for game attendance, or ratings, UConn is very well situated.

 

[FearThePups]

For those of you who went to the Kansas game or have been their for a game, what is the experience like? How great is the atmosphere?

What needs to be done for UCONN to have that type of atmosphere and home court advantage?

For me, there was change the university made was removing the creativity and fun from the students and the student section maybe around 2010?. They also essentially got rid of the XL Center student section.

UCONN also needs to ditch the XL Center and upgrade Gampel.

100% agree. There is absolutely no value in playing in Hartford. Doesn’t have a college atmosphere, students don’t want to go there. We all saw what the Phog was like, we know what Cameron is. We need to expand Gamble to 18,000 and the university needs to promote and provide more activities for the student population leading up to games and then during them n

 

[XLCenterFan]

Well you can't compare Hartford to Green Bay because it's not the Hartford Huskies. And you can't compare Hartford to Lawrence b/c UConn is 30 miles away. If Kansas played at Gampel, then the game would be the THE main event in Storrs/Mansfield like it is in Lawrence or Green Bay.

I’m not trying to compare Hartford to GB. I was comparing Lawrence to GB. If Kansas played at Gampel, Storrs would not shut down. It would be the main event to us, but the fervor that the Packers bring to GB and that KU hoops brings to Lawrence is nowhere near the same for UConn in Mansfield. Stop.

 

[FearThePups]

It doesn’t really compare. I could have told you that before this game. AFH is loud. Really loud. The fans are, as Hurley said, organized. There is no external organization, it’s just tradition and history. The town, the whole town of almost 80k will be in Jayhawk attire on game day. Every restaurant, bar, shop etc,

UConn has a good atmosphere but you’re comparing it to the best there is.

Our students, fans and players deserve as much

 

[CTBasketball]

A sold out XL is essentially a wash economically with a sold out Gampel. Using the XL for big games and when students are on break makes sense. Our cost to use it needs to be fixed, though. The CRDA charges us above market rates to subsidize the rest of their failed operation.

Not denying any of that, I agree there. But between the venues themselves, XL holds a sold out crowd a lot better than Gampel does.

XL is just built for more people and it shows.

 

[CL82]

I’m not trying to compare Hartford to GB. I was comparing Lawrence to GB. If Kansas played at Gampel, Storrs would not shut down. It would be the main event to us, but the fervor that the Packers bring to GB and that KU hoops brings to Lawrence is nowhere near the same for UConn in Mansfield. Stop.

No doubt, but UConn doesn't draw its fans just from Mansfield.

 

[CL82]

Not denying any of that, I agree there. But between the venues themselves, XL holds a sold out crowd a lot better than Gampel does.

XL is just built for more people and it shows.

I don't disagree. I wish the university had the resources to build the exterior concourse to Gampel. Traffic flow in the arena would improve, there would be more and better food options and more and better designed restrooms. Plus we'd probably gain another, 1000?, 1500? seats in the existing interior concourse.

I think the original plan for Gampel Arena was 12,500 seats I think that would be about right size for us. But the then Civic Center and the New Haven Coliseum lobby against it for fear that it would be used for concert venues.

 

[husky429]

I’m not trying to compare Hartford to GB. I was comparing Lawrence to GB. If Kansas played at Gampel, Storrs would not shut down. It would be the main event to us, but the fervor that the Packers bring to GB and that KU hoops brings to Lawrence is nowhere near the same for UConn in Mansfield. Stop.

Half the NIMBY's in Mansfield hate that the university even exists.

 

[WrenchFan69]

I have to think they're going to redo the Gampel concourse situation once the field house refurb is done. Get the remaining athletic department/compliance offices cleared out on the southeast side and the stuff in/around the natatorium on the northwest of Gampel and the bathroom and vendors situation could be vastly improved, though still far from perfect

 

[husky429]

Not denying any of that, I agree there. But between the venues themselves, XL holds a sold out crowd a lot better than Gampel does.

XL is just built for more people and it shows.

Imo... XL at its best > Gampel at its best.

But the average game at Gampel is better than the average game at XL.

 

[CTBasketball]

I don't disagree. I wish the university had the resources to build the exterior concourse to Gampel. Traffic flow in the arena would improve, there would be more and better food options and more and better designed restrooms. Plus we'd probably gain another, 1000?, 1500? seats in the existing interior concourse.

I think the original plan for Gampel Arena was 12,500 seats I think that would be about right size for us. But the then Civic Center and the New Haven Coliseum lobby against it for fear that it would be used for concert venues.

That arena needs a concourse so bad. Need the money to come in and shut people up.

 

[UConnSwag11]

They were doing that last year so unless they banned it this year it’s still a thing.

Starting in 2009 they banned that and all signs.

Some kid created a Thabeet Block-O-Meter for one of the games. Thing looked so dope. He took a lot of time making it and they made him leave it at the door. You should’ve seen all the spinners and signs at the door.

When we watch old games, pay attention to the student sections and the non-students. Completely different

 

[UConnSwag11]

Imo... XL at its best > Gampel at its best.

But the average game at Gampel is better than the average game at XL.

Which one do opponents perform the worst at?

 

[Marat]

The RAC has a roof that basically parallel to the angle of the stands. it reflects back an amazing amount of noise. Pretty sure it's entirely coincidental. I'm not sure if AFH is like that or if it is just 15,000 motivated people pretty close to the court.

The RAC is an interesting venue. I've been there around a handful of times. It doesn't seat as many people, but can get pretty loud due to its structure. If Rutgers ever got a top 5 team, then it's loudness would be obvious. The only thing I hate is the no back bench seats in the upper sections.

 

[kemba]

When we watch old games, pay attention to the student sections and the non-students. Completely different

Yea. Today the students show up to gampel and big games in Hartford and they are into it but other than standing all game and putting arms up on free throws the student section isn’t much different than the regular sections. Barely any of our traditional chants, no jumping up and down on defense except maybe the front row, no chants targeting specific opponent players.

It doesn’t bother me too much, under Hurley our atmospheres have mostly been electric when they should be, but it’s more like an nba playoff atmosphere than a college atmosphere

 

[HuskyHawk]

Half the NIMBY's in Mansfield hate that the university even exists.

And that’s completely the opposite in Lawrence. Everyone in town loves the Jayhawks. Young and old.

 

[Waquoit]

Which one do opponents perform the worst at?

I totalled it up once manually on a long plane ride. It was virtually the same in both places. Both Big East and overall. That was about 5 years ago.

 

[prankster]

For those of you who went to the Kansas game or have been their for a game, what is the experience like? How great is the atmosphere?

What needs to be done for UCONN to have that type of atmosphere and home court advantage?

For me, there was change the university made was removing the creativity and fun from the students and the student section maybe around 2010?. They also essentially got rid of the XL Center student section.

UCONN also needs to ditch the XL Center and upgrade Gampel.

Hire the refs that are totally in the bag for UConn.

That's how you duplicate the Kansas home court advantage.

 

[Tenspro2002]

On the other hand population density in Connecticut is significantly higher than population density in Kansas. Fun fact within 125 miles of Storrs there are over 26 million people.

View attachment 93655
The same can't be said about Lawrence Kansas
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Which is no way a knock against KU. In fact it makes their turn out all the more impressive.

But when people talk about stores being out in the boonies or in the middle of nowhere, they're right as far as that goes but if you were looking at a potential audience for game attendance, or ratings, UConn is very well situated.

The difference is that KU is the only game in town, basketball-wise, for that entire region. We have to compete with 3 NBA teams and like a dozen college teams.

 

[aburks41]

We need this bring this back. We also need better color coordination at home games. Everyone, especially all the students, should be wearing white. Blue just blends in way too much

 

[Himhalhoun]

I was there. Never heard an arena that loud before. It was insane how loud it was.