CT Hoops Havens: Quinnipiac's M&T Arena A Gem On The Hill

Editor's Note: Patch Field Editor Michael Lemanski, a 1992 University of Connecticut graduate, and his daughter Samantha Lemanski, 14, are both major UConn men's and women's basketball fans. But Connecticut's college hoops scene is more than just the Huskies, who are a state and national powerhouse. There are five other Division I programs in Connecticut: Central Connecticut State University; Quinnipiac University; Fairfield University; Sacred Heart University; and Yale University. This winter, the duo has set out to try and visit as many Connecticut Division I basketball facilities as possible to see what they have to offer. This is the second of an occasional series.

Sunday, Jan. 21: Quinnipiac University

HAMDEN, CT — The second leg of Michael and Samantha's epic Connecticut college basketball adventure took us to Quinnipiac University in Hamden on a frosty, Sunday afternoon.

It was an afternoon to remember.

Simply put, M&T Bank Arena, home to QU's hockey and basketball programs, just might be the state's best on-campus college athletics complex — including that small, mid-major college in Storrs.

For starters, the Jan. 21 game pitting the Quinnipiac Bobcats against the Iona Gaels (out of the suburban New York City area) was scintillating, featuring a miraculous come-from-behind Quinnipiac victory over the team formerly coached by coaching legend Rick Pitino a year ago and ousted by the University of Connecticut in the NCAA tourney last March.

The 91-87 victory happened after a furious, 19-3 run in the game's last five minutes, resulting in a raucous atmosphere and, nearly, a college application from my 14-year-old daughter who was hooting and hollering as the game wound down.

The pace was furious, with the up-and-down affair utilizing a shot clock, but not necessarily needing one.

Still, had the game been a 50-45, brick-laying foulfest, the trip to M&T would have been well worth it regardless. This place is gorgeous.

Located off Sherman Avenue in Hamden, the arena is high up on a hill and is the first building you see when you enter campus, which is an easy Interstate 91/Route 40 jaunt away.

When approaching the building, which opened in 2007, one might mistake the rustic exterior for being a luxury hotel or a new, upscale department store.

But with a giant Bobcat statue welcoming visitors inside the arena, one is surprised to notice that M&T is, really, not one arena, but two.

To the left of the main lobby is the basketball facility, which seats 3,570, and to the right is the hockey arena, which seats 3,386.

Straight in front of you are large, picture windows showcasing a breathtaking view of the New Haven skyline and, on a clear day, Long Island Sound — a perfect place to chill out before or after a game.

Of course, when one thinks of Quinnipiac sports, it is ice hockey, not hoops, that dominates. That happens when you win a national, Division I championship in 2023 after going to a few Frozen Fours.

And, while the school boasts the best college hockey program in the state (and, maybe, country), Quinnipiac's hoops program is still a work in progress, though the women have had some success, even reaching the NCAA's Sweet 16 in 2017.

Should Quinnipiac reach on-court prominence playing out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, it easily has the facility to back it up.

Brightly colored in Quinnipiac's signature yellow and blue, the basketball arena's bridge-like yellow roof supports provide a prominent architectural feature in a facility full of modern comfort.

For starters, all the seats were wide chairbacks with cupholders and they were the same everywhere, with a courtside seat on the front row just as comfortable as the last row in a corner.

There isn't a bad seat and, in an era where some programs like to create a fan-chaste system of chairbacks vs. benches, it was refreshing to see purely equitable seating for all.

Even better was the value.

For $18 each, my daughter and I sat courtside at mid-court, an affordable experience that cannot be replicated at bigger schools, where similar seats go by the "if you have to ask how much they cost, you can't afford them" mantra. Parking? It was free.

On this day, the attendance was 1,631, a bit less than half full, but it felt larger as the game's excitement surged.

Tickets were easy to get online and walk-up sales were not a problem.

What was a problem, however, was the concession situation and a lack of visible merchandise availability.

The offerings were fantastic, with the usual array of drinks, snacks, and hot food like chicken tenders, hot dogs, fries, nachos, etc.

But "The Den," as it is called, didn't feature many registers being open and the long lines made it difficult to, say, run out and get a drink during a break in the game.

Perhaps this could be solved by having smaller, snack/drink concessions on the main concourse of the arena instead of forcing folks to exit the arena into the lobby to grab something.

Also missing was any means to purchase QU basketball merchandise, which is available online through various sources, but not at the arena.

With a cute mascot (who also was missing this day) and eye-catching colors, Quinnipiac merch could easily sell well. It just wasn't there on this day.

While it's not known if those two issues are normal for the program, they were noticeable on our visit Sunday afternoon.

What is also noticeable, however, is that Quinnipiac has a special place for its basketball/hockey programs and, as a result, the local community has a special place to enjoy.

Local sports fans looking for an affordable evening or afternoon out should think about the Hamden campus for future family or group outings.

And maybe, just maybe, tickets in the future won't be so easy to get, at least as far as basketball is concerned.

To purchase Quinnipiac University basketball and/or hockey tickets, click on this link.

From Feb. 29: 'CT Hoops Havens: State College Basketball More Than Just UConn'

From Feb. 26: 'CT Hoops Havens: Best Yet To Come At Sacred Heart's Gym'

From Feb. 5: 'CT Hoops Havens: Yale's Gym A Hallowed Hall Of Basketball History'

From Feb. 6: 'CT Hoops Havens: Fairfield's New Arena Offers Fan-Friendly Perfection'

From Jan. 17: 'CT Hoops Havens: CCSU Is Definitely Worth A Visit'