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UConn looking to expand their brand across the state

UConn Logo

This graphic released by the University of Connecticut on Thursday, April 11, 2013, shows the school’s new mascot logo in combination with the new UConn word mark. The new logo comes out of a marketing partnership between the school’s athletic department and Nike, which helped design it at no cost to the school. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut)

AP

The most high-profile college basketball team in New England is looking to expand their brand and give fans across the state of Connecticut increased opportunities to see UConn basketball.

According to The Courant, the University of Connecticut is having conversations with Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville (30 miles south of the UConn Campus) and Harbor Yard Arena in Bridgeport (80 miles southeast) as hosts for men’s and women’s basketball games.

Aside from the XL Center in downtown Hartford, these two arenas are two of the state’s premier facilities to host sporting events, and both have hosted plenty college basketball games in the past. While Mohegan Sun is host to the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and the newer of the two arenas, this year the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament will take place here. Harbor Yard Arena has hosted several NCAA Division 1 women’s tournament games in the past, and is also the home for Fairfield University’s men’s basketball.

A primary reason that UConn is exploring home games at other venues across the state is because their contract with the XL Center expired last season. According to a source, going forward UConn will not sign a contract that mandates them to play a select number of home games at just one arena: “One way or another, UConn was not going to allow that [exclusivity] to happen in any new deal,” said one source.

Not to mention, rental fees at the XL Center are quite expensive.

For many of the marquee games against big-name opponents, UConn is still likely to play at Gampel Pavillion (the on-campus arena) or at the XL Center in the future: “The men are not moving games like Memphis [away from Hartford or Gampel],” said one source. “But I also think there is a very good chance that UConn is going to do some business with Bridgeport.”

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