It's big weekend for sports in Hartford coming up, and there is a call out for people who live in Hartford to get engaged. UConn and the city are now offering free tickets for UConn’s upcoming football game and an upcoming Hartford Athletic game.
Those giving the tickets away want Hartford residents to experience what their local community has to offer.
"Grab your friends, grab your family and come out to one of the games,” said Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. “We have free tickets for Hartford residents for both the Hartford Athletic and UConn football.”
The breakdown is 1,000 free tickets to UConn’s upcoming football game against the Temple Owls. One hundred tickets are also available to the coming Hartford Athletic game. They are being distributed by community partners like the Boys and Girls Club, Early Learning Centers, and the public schools.
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In schools, the tickets will be distributed based on an attendance system, incentivizing kids to be in the classroom.
“What a great opportunity to share this with our students and our families,” said Hartford school superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez.
While families get to enjoy the games, the return for the two programs could be more than just a filled seat.
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“If you offer the game, the game is the carrot for something else that will get them more committed,” said Donald McAulay, an assistant professor of Sport and Entertainment Management at Quinnipiac University.
He said events or giveaways like this that involve the means to attend a game, gets feet through the doors, but once that step is complete, it’s about getting people to stick around, and come back as full-time fans.
“Not just winning, actually bring something else that people want to be a part of that has to be distinctly different than the entertainment and closely connected to their sensibilities and emotions,” said McAulay.
He added that can mean in-game entertainment like on field games and prizes, or fan/player interaction pre and post-game. For budding programs like the Athletic, or a re-invigorated UConn Football team that’s off to their best start since 2012, now is the time to invest in not just the programs, but the future fans.
“There are memories that are created with that ticket and the ticket is kind of that, what you call my totem for the particular event,” said McAulay.
