{"id":128515,"date":"2021-05-28T09:10:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T14:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwproxy.uscho.com\/?p=128515"},"modified":"2021-05-28T09:10:11","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T14:10:11","slug":"uconns-new-crown-jewel-of-an-arena-set-to-prove-that-bigger-isnt-always-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwproxy.uscho.com\/2021\/05\/28\/uconns-new-crown-jewel-of-an-arena-set-to-prove-that-bigger-isnt-always-better\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn’s new crown jewel of an arena set to prove that bigger isn\u2019t always better"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
An artist’s rendering of how the new rink in Storrs, Conn., will look upon completion in 2022 (photo: UConn Athletics).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When one thinks of big-time college hockey, 1998 was the Year of the Arena.<\/p>\n

Four different schools opened new, highly-touted buildings, all significantly increasing their capacity. Two were monstrosities \u2013 Wisconsin opened the Kohl Center seating 15,237 for hockey and Ohio State christened the Shottenstein Center, even larger with as many as 18,809 seats available.<\/p>\n

Both were and continue to be multi-sport arenas, hosting both hockey and basketball, and both were significant upgrades to the predecessors \u2013 Wisconsin moving from the 8,600-seat Dane County Coliseum and Ohio State making a massive upgrade from a 1,400-seat OSU Ice Rink.<\/p>\n

In Colorado Springs, Colorado College was settling into the new Broadmoor World Arena, an 8,100-seat facility upgrade from its predecessor, which sat about 3,000. And UMass Lowell, which for years played at the Tully Forum about eight miles off campus, more than doubled its capacity when it moved to the Tsongas Center, which currently seats a little more than 6,000.<\/p>\n

Those who love big arenas were in their heyday. Even those venues were topped when North Dakota opened what many considered a palace, Ralph Engelstad Arena, three years later. The 11,640-seat venue has been at, near (and sometimes probably above) capacity nearly every North Dakota men\u2019s hockey game since.<\/p>\n

Sadly, though, \u201cthe Ralph,\u201d as it is affectionately known, is pretty much the only one of this group of large arenas that in recent years has posted anywhere near capacity. Add to that lists buildings like 3M Arena at Mariucci, home of Minnesota; Agganis Arena at Boston University; and the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.<\/p>\n

Sure, there are nights when these buildings approach or reach capacity. But on the average night, even reaching two-thirds of capacity can be a struggle.<\/p>\n

Thus, we\u2019re seeing a new building trend, one that was on display last Saturday morning when Connecticut broke ground on its first high-end on-campus arena, the final building block in an impressive athletics campus that athletic director David Benedict refers to as UConn\u2019s \u201cOlympic Village.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar to the buildings of the late ’90s, UConn\u2019s facility will come with a high price tag, reportedly $70 million if things stay on budget.<\/p>\n

But unlike its 20th century counterparts, UConn won\u2019t sport a massive capacity.<\/p>\n

Instead, this arena will feature a little more than 2,600 seats with a standing-room capacity that will push 3,000. That doesn\u2019t mean that this won\u2019t be an attractive venue for future Huskies.<\/p>\n

A focus on amenities<\/h4>\n

Like a fine resort, UConn isn\u2019t focused on volume as much as it is the experience. Despite a smaller capacity than the average arena in Hockey East, no coach would be ashamed to show this building to recruits. Locker rooms will feature high-end elements with sport-specific training facilities just yards away from the locker rooms, a training room with hot and cold tubs and an area specifically dedicated to players working on shooting.<\/p>\n

Fans will also be treated to the best, including a club area that men\u2019s hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh thought was important after seeing Notre Dame\u2019s Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was important \u2013 and I saw this at Notre Dame \u2013 they have a super club room and I wanted to make sure we have one of those,\u201d Cavanugh said. \u201cWe were able to put one of those in and it will double as a place for a pregame meal and any type of banquet [space] we might [need].\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitting in by being different<\/h4>\n

In June 2012, the UConn men\u2019s team announced that it would transition its membership into Hockey East beginning in 2014. The university\u2019s women\u2019s team was already a Hockey East member.<\/p>\n

At the time, there was a commitment by the school to build an on-campus facility while beginning play at the XL Center, the former home of the NHL\u2019s Hartford Whalers. Needless to say, things didn\u2019t exactly move swiftly. Despite promises of state funding, final commitment didn\u2019t come until just months ago, though administrators last Saturday often referred to the multitudes of meetings and planning that has occurred during that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe league and member schools showed a lot of patience,\u201d said Benedict. \u201cSomething things take longer than you expect, but I assure you the wait will be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When UConn entered the league, the commitment was for a 4,000-seat facility. When it was announced the final count would be closer to 2,600, criticism across the board was swift, though when one sees the final plans, that\u2019s likely unjustified.<\/p>\n

The 4,000-seat capacity number was established in years past when the league was looking for new membership. The reality, though, is even that number might not be an overreach.<\/p>\n

Taking the attendance from the 2019-20 season in Hockey East, the average attendance at all games in Hockey East buildings was 3,650. Now if you\u2019re not familiar with college athletics and reporting of attendance, particularly at the more popular sports, schools typically inflate attendance numbers, sometimes heavily.<\/p>\n

At an average of 3,650, that\u2019s still an average of just 66.45% of total capacity.<\/p>\n

And one thing that was left out was postseason attendances as, you may recall, the 2020 postseason was canceled due to COVID.<\/p>\n

One thing some don\u2019t know about the postseason is that schools are incredibly honest in reporting attendance for postseason home games. The reason? Well, the league is given the ticket sales proceeds in the postseason, thus every person you report in the building translates to a dollar figure you must pay the league.<\/p>\n

(For a matter of comparison, the 2018-19 season that included on-campus playoffs in the quarterfinal round had a season-long average attendance of 3,326).<\/p>\n

So, for the sake of argument, let\u2019s say that on average a school may mark up attendance by 20%. If your league average is 3,650, mark that down to 3,041 to account for that attendance \u201cfluff.\u201d<\/p>\n

That 4,000-seat minimum doesn\u2019t necessarily make sense.<\/p>\n

UConn still will have the option to play games in downtown Hartford at its current home, the XL Center, but according to the UConn AD, that\u2019s not necessary in many cases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat number that was a requirement is no longer a requirement,\u201d said Benedict. \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to play here whenever we want to play here.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked to a lot of our peers in Hockey East and in this region. The people that I spoke with, the athletic directors at all these programs, I think we\u2019ve picked a size arena that is going to be appropriate for our area and our program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to allow us to sell it out whenever we play in it. I\u2019d rather play in an arena that is sold out every game than play in a facility that is half empty all the time. It\u2019s going to be a loud facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

A benefit to the women\u2019s side<\/h4>\n

UConn women\u2019s coach Chris Mackenzie, whose team lost to national runner-up Northeastern in the most recent Hockey East title game, joins those excited by the UConn arena.<\/p>\n

Prior to the 2020-21 season, when COVID forced both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams in Freitas Ice Forum, the current on-campus facility that resembles more of a high-end youth hockey arena rather than a proper Division I building, Mackenzie\u2019s women\u2019s team was the only team skating on campus.<\/p>\n

He has no problem sharing the new space when the arena opens, particularly given the size, something he sees fitting of most any women\u2019s program in the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at attendance, historically we\u2019re going to have a smaller crowd than the men\u2019s [team],\u201d said Mackenzie. \u201cThis arena is an ideal size for any women\u2019s team. We\u2019re really happy with that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can get our regular crowd of 300 to 500, it\u2019s going to feel like there are people in the building. It\u2019s going to be a great venue for a student-athlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting, or maybe following, a trend<\/h4>\n

When you look at the most recent arenas that have been opened across college hockey, smaller seems like the future.<\/p>\n

The largest of the recent arenas are Notre Dame\u2019s Compton Family Ice Arena and Penn State\u2019s Pegula Ice Arena. Sure, each has a capacity north of 5,000 with Pegula able to seat a little more than 6,000, but in comparison to the rest of the Big Ten \u2013 particularly Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State – these buildings are smaller.<\/p>\n

But in other leagues you have Quinnipiac, which plays at the People\u2019s United Center, a 3,386-seat building known for generating one of the better atmospheres in college hockey.<\/p>\n

Colgate recently opened the Class of 1965 Arena, capacity 2,222. Bentley Arena at Bentley University boasts a capacity around 2,000.<\/p>\n

And then we can circle back to one of the schools that called home of the great 1998 arenas: Colorado College.<\/p>\n

While the 8,000-plus-seat facility has been a great home, the school decided almost two years ago to build a smaller on-campus facility, Robson Arena, which will seat just 3,407. The odds of that facility being near or at capacity in the future is much better than at the Broadmoor World Arena.<\/p>\n

But in a day and age where competing for every entertainment dollar is becoming increasingly more difficult, it\u2019s likely when it comes to arenas that smaller may be better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When one thinks of big-time college hockey, 1998 was the Year of the Arena. Four different schools opened new, highly-touted buildings, all significantly increasing their capacity. Two were monstrosities \u2013 Wisconsin opened the Kohl Center seating 15,237 for hockey and Ohio State christened the Shottenstein Center, even larger with as many as 18,809 seats available. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":128516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[812],"coauthors":[800],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUConn's new crown jewel of an arena set to prove that bigger isn\u2019t always better - College Hockey | USCHO.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When one thinks of big-time college hockey, 1998 was the Year of the Arena. 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