UConn Games List - Gampel (Storrs) or XL (Hartford)...

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Re: UConn Games List - Gampel (Storrs) or XL (Hartford)...

Postby marquette » Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:03 pm

LMS wrote:For the unfamiliar, why does UConn play games at two different arenas in two different cities? Do fans buy season tickets separately or how does that work?


Just some additional info on top of BillyJack's, UConn does offer split season ticket packages for Gampel and XL. I'm not super familiar with every school's area but the distance between the arenas is a little less than the Fiserv Forum to Racine (30-40 minutes). If google is accurate, then it's a pretty similar drive length from Finnerman Pavilion to Wells Fargo. If the team is good, no one complains about the drive (maybe the opponents/packages/date/time, but not the drive).

There are also a ton of alumni in the Hartford area (metro population is 1.2 million) and the football stadium is in the suburbs there so there's some incentive to give those people easily accessible games. To a certain extent the state and city also rely on the UConn men's/women's basketball teams and hockey team anchoring several dates there each year to keep the XL facility viable. Ever since the Whalers left the facility has struggled a bit, so there's some political pressure involved as well.
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Re: UConn Games List - Gampel (Storrs) or XL (Hartford)...

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Re: UConn Games List - Gampel (Storrs) or XL (Hartford)...

Postby Husky_U » Thu Mar 26, 2020 5:23 pm

Most simple explanation:

Gampel caters to a much younger, Eastern CT fanbase. XL caters to an older, state-wide fanbase. UCONN plays at both venues in order to accommodate the diverse fanbase.

Also, the XL (formerly Civic Center) needs tenants since they lost the Whalers. Yes, it's a dump that needs serious work, but it's also much more convenient for fans in the Central/Western parts of the state (ie the more populated areas) who wanna make it to a game.

And I personally prefer the XL because they sell booze unlike Gampel.
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Re: UConn Games List - Gampel (Storrs) or XL (Hartford)...

Postby MUPanther » Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:26 pm

I'm guessing you will see XL for weekend games?
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