Harry A. Gampel Pavilion
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| Gampel Pavillion | |
|---|---|
| Location | 2095 Hillside Road Storrs, Connecticut 06269 |
| Broke ground | Summer, 1987 |
| Opened | January 21, 1990 |
| Owner | State of Connecticut |
| Operator | State of Connecticut |
| Tenants | UConn Huskies 1990-Present |
| Capacity | 2002-Present: 10,167 1996-2002: 10,027 1990-1996: 8,241 |
Gampel Pavilion is a 10,167-seat multi-purpose arena in Storrs, Connecticut. The arena opened on January 21, 1990, and is the largest on campus arena in New England. It was named after Harry A. Gampel, a philanthropist who donated one million dollars for the construction of the arena. It is about 216,000 sq. ft. Gampel Pavilion is the primary home to the University of Connecticut's men's and women's basketball program. The home away from home is the XL Center. This is home to the University of Connecticut Huskies men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams. It replaced the Hugh S. Greer Field House, which only held 4,604 people and still stands to the northwest of the pavilion. The facility has undergone multiple seating expansions, most recently before the 2002-2003 season. Also, the banners for the Men's and Women's basketball teams have been taken down and in their place are now large boards on the walls listing the years the teams have made the NIT, NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16, and Elite 8, along with their Big East Regular Season and Tournament Championships. The National Championship Banners and NIT Championship Banners have been replaced with newer versions, along with banners commemorating Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma's Hall of Fame inductions.
Gampel Pavilion was the site of Jim Calhoun's 700th win. The student section is situated behind the baseline between the North and East entrances of the court. Recently, many students and fans have been complaining about the location of the student's section. Many prefer it to be between the baselines like many other schools where the view is better and it looks better on TV. Fans and students also complain that the student's section is too small, and that they should give less seats to alumni who donate a lot of money, and more to the students.
In 2000, following the women's big east championship, students were rumored to have stolen the "championship seats" from the home teams' bench. Such seats have been seen on eBay and fetch in excess of $100 USD.
| Preceded by Hugh S. Greer Field House |
Home of the Connecticut Huskies 1990 – present |
Succeeded by current |
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