UConn administrators are requesting more than $1 million in additional funding to study further upgrades to Gampel Pavilion, home of the national championship women’s and men’s basketball teams.
UConn officials have submitted a request to the Board of Trustees ahead of a Wednesday meeting to approve a revised planning budget of $1.6 million – an increase of $1.125 million over the previously approved budget.
The funding will support planning for a major Gampel Pavilion renovation, “with the goal of modernizing the facility and creating more revenue-generating” opportunities within the arena, which opened in 1990 and has 171,000 square feet of space, according to the university.
The planning will include a market survey of the demand for premium stadium seating in both the Storrs/Mansfield and Greater Hartford areas, according to UConn.
University officials said luxury boxes or other enhanced seating are options for the renovation.
Another major area of focus for the study will be concessions, which are largely original to the facility save for some small upgrades over the years.
The Huskies play basketball games at both Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus and the larger XL Center in Hartford, with eight games planned at each arena for the 2024-25 season, according to the school.
The XL Center is also slated to undergo a major $145 million renovation.
In April 2024, the Board of Trustees approved $10 million in state bonds for Gampel upgrades, including the replacement of the original lower-bowl retractable seating system; replacement of the video board system that was originally installed in 2009; and upgrades to the show lighting system.
So far, new scoreboards, video boards and lighting have been completed for this season from the $10 million allocation. The remainder will fund new lower-bowl seating, work that will likely start just after the 2025 graduation and be ready for the 2025-26 basketball season, university officials said.
Other recent improvements to the facility include a new wood court installation, upgrades to the locker rooms and office spaces, a new sound system and upgraded Wi-Fi, increased seating and a new roof and interior dome panel replacements.
