The University of Connecticut has officially cancelled their annual First Night event due to Gampel Pavillion renovations, University Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said to Fox61 on Friday, Sept. 12.
First Night has been an event held yearly for several decades, with only one other cancellation, which was due to COVID-19.
The event is a way for the “Basketball Capital of the World” to welcome their men’s and women’s basketball teams for the upcoming collegiate season.
The event includes player and coach introductions paired with crowd engagement, performances from the UConn Marching Band and fun games for the players to play, including an easy-going scrimmage and a three-point competition.
“I’m a freshman and was looking forward to this [First Night],” business major Zach Anderson said. “I was pretty bummed out to hear that it wasn’t going to happen but will be looking forward to it next year.”
UConn took to social media to announce that the event would not be held this year.
“I became aware of the cancellation when they [UConn] posted it on their Instagram,” first-year nursing major Alicia Harrington said. “I’m very excited for the basketball season and will be attending First Night next year.”
Despite first-year students only being on the UConn Storrs campus for about a month or now, some first-year students have more of the scoop around campus than some upper-class students.
“I was not aware of the Gampel renovations or the cancellation,” senior accounting major Ryan Wicker said. “I went in 2023 after they [UConn men’s team] won their first national championship [since he had attended UConn], which was pretty cool because they honored the team.”
“If they had held it this year, I’m not sure if I would have gone since I’ve already experienced it,” Wicker said.
With First Night being a highly anticipated event, UConn departments and clubs also send students to cover the event for their respective organizations.
“I covered First Night for my internship last year,” UConn Athletics Department Marketing Intern Lauren Breyan said. “It was a lot of fun; it was really cool to see all of the new players. My favorite moment was the player introductions.”
“I probably would go to an event like this, whether it was to cover it or be in the crowd,” UConn Athletics Department Marketing Intern Carson Wiese said. “I think I was covering a different event last year, but it looks fun from what I’ve seen on social media about it.”
Even with there being different opinions on the First Night cancellation, the common consensus amongst UConn students was one thing: eagerness for the return of UConn basketball.
