XL Center renovation

[Waquoit]

Tear this place down !

Then what, Slick?

 

[XLCenterFan]

For all of the banter and keyboard slapping going on in here, I hope everyone also filled out the darn survey. Sounds like we have a bunch of urban planners in here!

I'll tell you what...I don't know what is going to become of the XL, but I will surely miss it if it leaves us. I do actually like the fact that we have 2 home courts, but I especially love that I live in Wethersfield and can take Maple/Wethersfield/Franklin Ave right to the game. I just always loved that I didn't even have to get on a highway to go experience big time college hoops - it's right in my backyard. Unlike many suburbanites, I am also a huge proponent of the city of Hartford, so that may play into my affinity for the arena. I was born there, married there, went to college there, eat and drink there, go to shows, concerts, games, and museums there, play golf there, fish there, work there, and have even lived there. NYC and Boston are cool, but I can choose to live anywhere, and I'll take Hartford.

Games on campus are very fun as well, but there is NOTHING like a big time showdown in Hartford. You simply cannot compare a buzzed capacity crowd in Hartford to a sober full house in Storrs. I have been attending games at both venues for 32 years and I would attest to that fact. Anyone who says games are better on campus has not been around long enough.

 

[Ha Who]

The Downtown Highway That Could Drive Hartford’s Comeback

The Connecticut capital has been using zoning and transit reforms to stage a downtown recovery. But there’s one big thing in the way: an aging interstate.

www.citylab.com

 

[kemba]

Games on campus are very fun as well, but there is NOTHING like a big time showdown in Hartford. You simply cannot compare a buzzed capacity crowd in Hartford to a sober full house in Storrs. I have been attending games at both venues for 32 years and I would attest to that fact. Anyone who says games are better on campus has not been around long enough.

Can't speak to games in the early 90s that frequently get mentioned as some of our best crowds ever. Maybe they were. But its not really relevant at this point. Speaking on the last 20 years, a big game in both places is obviously a lot of fun. But Gampel at its best, XL just doesn't get like that

 

[willie99]

I filled in the survey. I want bigger seats, more luxury, nicer bar which everybody has access to, better concessions, better restrooms, better entry, improved concourse.................

I said I'd pay more for stuff, but not some of the craziest numbers they threw around

Make it a 12,000 seat arena if they have to.

I also pointed out that the current facility is the worst facility I've ever seen. When we were perennially a top program in the country, I didn't mind the short comings because it was all about great basketball.

But being older now, I want a better entertainment value.

 

[raf46]

View attachment 49205

Just payed premium for my FOREVER SEATS. Don't mess with my seats.

 

[husky429]

I don't give a crap what the arena is like. if we win 25 games a year, fans will come.

 

[zls44]

I'll tell you what...I don't know what is going to become of the XL, but I will surely miss it if it leaves us. I do actually like the fact that we have 2 home courts, but I especially love that I live in Wethersfield and can take Maple/Wethersfield/Franklin Ave right to the game.

I also live in Wethersfield.
I also can, literally, turn right and not turn the wheel again until I park to get to games at the XL Center.
I also want Hartford to have a more modern arena.

But I want them to make my own personal commute worse because I don't think my commute matters. What matters is the home court advantage. Hartford doesn't hold a candle to Storrs. Not in a thousand years. Never has, never will. The future of the fan base for a college team is its students. Every game played off campus is a hit to the future ticket base.

You literally haven't ever attended a big game on campus if you don't think its better at the XL Center. For every time someone mentions the Georgetown game in 1990 on here- which I won't dispute- there are a half-dozen Gampel games that are the rest of the list of the best atmospheres UConn's ever had for a home game. Texas in 2010 and Florida 2014 are above every XL game I've ever attended, and I've been to basically all of them the last 20 years.

College team.
Play at the college.
Period.

Almost. Everyone. Else. Does. This.

Just.
Be.
Normal.

 

[Deepster]

Listen. In the Gampel heyday, there was a tent city out front with the players and coaches delivering pizzas to the students. ESPN Big Mondays, Vitale getting the crowd pumped, the student section packed and raucous an hour before tip off. The roof shook at a time out.

There have been big loud games at the Civic Center/XL. No doubt. But in the heyday there was no comparison between the two.

That begs the question to be asked. Where can we go from here? Can we get back to the tent city days? Or is it better to be downtown and have more fannies in the seats? I think we're at a crossroads.

 

[jdb50]

Gampel = bleachers. XL at least everyone has a chairback. At XL the pregame choices are abundant. You can get a beer during the game. Unfortunately there is no plan or money to build a new venue downtown. The bleachers behind the team benches upper level at Gampel are an insult to the fan. If you have knee osteoarthritis take 2 Aleve before the game. That place has also been built in an assbackwards way. The midlevel walkways remove great seating areas from the arena. I have seen big games in both places. The 2014 win over Cinci was one. There is a different sound to the crowd when they are behind a good team in Hartford. It is the difference you can hear when you compare an NFL home crowd to a college crowd. If Gampel is going to rise again the students have to fill the seats in the upper deck behind the basket on the UConn bench end of the court.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Gampel = bleachers. XL at least everyone has a chairback. At XL the pregame choices are abundant. You can get a beer during the game. Unfortunately there is no plan or money to build a new venue downtown. The bleachers behind the team benches upper level at Gampel are an insult to the fan. If you have knee osteoarthritis take 2 Aleve before the game. That place has also been built in an assbackwards way. The midlevel walkways remove great seating areas from the arena. I have seen big games in both places. The 2014 win over Cinci was one. There is a different sound to the crowd when they are behind a good team in Hartford. It is the difference you can hear when you compare an NFL home crowd to a college crowd. If Gampel is going to rise again the students have to fill the seats in the upper deck behind the basket on the UConn bench end of the court.

A big game at XL is as the kids say “a mood.” At this time, students are not the noise makers. 5000 more drunk 25-50 year olds who have an appreciation for when the program meant something are the noise makers. Hate to say it but I’d support shirking the student sections at both venues. Turn that other upper deck into “young alumni” like at the rent. Oh, and serve beer at gample

 

[Guapo]

I also live in Wethersfield.
I also can, literally, turn right and not turn the wheel again until I park to get to games at the XL Center.
I also want Hartford to have a more modern arena.

But I want them to make my own personal commute worse because I don't think my commute matters. What matters is the home court advantage. Hartford doesn't hold a candle to Storrs. Not in a thousand years. Never has, never will. The future of the fan base for a college team is its students. Every game played off campus is a hit to the future ticket base.

You literally haven't ever attended a big game on campus if you don't think its better at the XL Center. For every time someone mentions the Georgetown game in 1990 on here- which I won't dispute- there are a half-dozen Gampel games that are the rest of the list of the best atmospheres UConn's ever had for a home game. Texas in 2010 and Florida 2014 are above every XL game I've ever attended, and I've been to basically all of them the last 20 years.

College team.
Play at the college.
Period.

Almost. Everyone. Else. Does. This.

Just.
Be.
Normal.

Perfectly said.

 

[Guapo]

So many soft fans on this thread.

Play all games, except games during break, at Gampel.

Like nearly every other school.

 

[Waquoit]

Perfectly said.

Did he mention he doesn't go to Gampel games?

 

[Guapo]

Did he mention he doesn't go to Gampel games?

Doesn’t negate the point, friend

 

[Waquoit]

Doesn’t negate the point, friend

Which is "more people should go to Gampel but not me because I have to work". Which is my point.

 

[Guapo]

Which is "more people should go to Gampel but not me because I have to work". Which is my point.

How do so many Indiana fans make it to Bloomington?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Students don’t care about Wes Bialosuknia or Richard Hamilton or 4 titles or the Big East or Danny Hurley or Akok Akok. Playing games in Western Rhode Island for them is dumb.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

 

[Guapo]

Which is "more people should go to Gampel but not me because I have to work". Which is my point.

Students don’t care about Wes Bialosuknia or Richard Hamilton or 4 titles or the Big East or Danny Hurley or Akok Akok. Playing games in Western Rhode Island for them is dumb.

Students were much better at cheering for UConn than you at the Florida game

 

[Guapo]

View attachment 49429

You serious with this? Do you realize how many people live within a 90 minute drive of Storrs?

 

[Guapo]

Students don’t care about Wes Bialosuknia or Richard Hamilton or 4 titles or the Big East or Danny Hurley or Akok Akok. Playing games in Western Rhode Island for them is dumb.

Playing games for old people in Hartford is dumb

 

[Guapo]

This thing that is really disgusting is that this line of thinking is what doomed the football program from then start and is in the middle murdering hockey

 

[superjohn]

A big game at XL is as the kids say “a mood.” At this time, students are not the noise makers. 5000 more drunk 25-50 year olds who have an appreciation for when the program meant something are the noise makers. Hate to say it but I’d support shirking the student sections at both venues. Turn that other upper deck into “young alumni” like at the rent. Oh, and serve beer at gample

Yep. get rid of the students, that's a brilliant idea.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Yep. get rid of the students, that's a brilliant idea.

Not get rid of students. Get rid of their empty seats.