Alright, let me walk you through my recent trip to the UConn basketball arena, Gampel Pavilion specifically. Been meaning to go back for ages, finally decided to take my nephew for his first real big-time college game experience. Thought it would be straightforward, you know? Grab tickets, drive up, enjoy the game. Simple.
First off, getting there. We left super early, thinking we’d beat the rush. Ha! Route 195 near Storrs turned into a parking lot way sooner than I expected. Just crawling along. Felt like half the state decided to show up at the exact same minute. Added a good chunk of time to the drive, nephew started getting restless in the back seat asking “are we there yet?” every five minutes. Classic.
Then came parking. Oh boy, parking. I swear, it felt like the wild west. Cars everywhere, people trying to squeeze into spots that weren’t really spots. We ended up parking miles away, it felt like, over near some dorms I didn’t even recognize. Had to walk quite a bit, uphill mostly. Not fun, especially with the wind whipping around. By the time we got near Gampel, I was already feeling a bit worn out.
Getting Inside Was Another Adventure
We had digital tickets on my phone. Figured that was the easy way now, right? Well, the line to get in was massive, barely moving. When we finally got to the scanner, my phone screen decided it was the perfect time to be finicky. Wouldn’t scan. Tried brightening the screen, zooming in, nothing. The person at the gate looked as frustrated as I felt. Took maybe five tries before it finally beeped. Heart was pounding a bit, not gonna lie. Thought we wouldn’t get in for a second there.
Inside, though? The place was buzzing. You gotta give it to UConn fans, they bring the noise. The energy was incredible, especially when the team came out. My nephew’s eyes were wide open, just soaking it all in. That part was definitely cool.
- The sound system was loud, really loud. You could feel the bass.
- Seeing the championship banners hanging up there gives you chills.
- The student section was absolutely nuts, jumping and chanting the whole time.
But man, those concourses get tight. Trying to grab a pretzel and a drink at halftime felt like navigating a mosh pit. And the seats? Let’s just say they pack you in pretty close. Cozy, I guess you could call it. We were shoulder-to-shoulder with the folks next to us.
The game itself was great, a close one. Lots of action, crowd going wild. Seeing my nephew jump up and cheer during a big play made all the earlier hassle start to fade away. That’s what it’s really about, right? Making those memories.
Leaving was pretty much the reverse of getting there – slow shuffle out of the arena, long walk back to the car in the dark, and then sitting in traffic again trying to get away from campus. Exhausting stuff.
So yeah, that was my experience. Gampel’s got an amazing atmosphere, no doubt. Electric inside during a game. But getting in and out, the parking, the crowds… it’s a whole operation you gotta mentally prepare for. It wasn’t exactly smooth, but seeing the game and my nephew’s reaction? Yeah, I’d probably do it again. Maybe just pack some extra patience next time.
