UConn basketball’s annual First Night showcase will stay on ice this fall, with the program canceling the event for the second straight year because of the ongoing renovations at Gampel Pavilion, a school spokesperson told CT Insider on Wednesday.
The decision leaves the future of the event up in the air. An athletic department spokesperson said that First Night remains undecided going forward.
For years, First Night has served as the unofficial curtain-raiser for the Huskies’ men’s and women’s teams, giving fans an early look at both squads with relaxed scrimmages and other competitions on a Friday night in October. But the event has now been knocked out in back-to-back years, after UConn also scrapped it last year for the same reason.
This isn’t the first time Gampel work has forced the program to make that call. A previous renovation led to the cancellation of First Night ahead of the 2017-18 season as well.
The current project at Gampel is a major one. Phase 1 got underway earlier this year and includes a roof replacement, with completion expected in November, according to UConn.
Phase 2 is scheduled to begin in March 2027. The renovation is being funded by $99.4 million in non-tax revenue and is set to add a state-of-the-art recruiting lounge along with upgraded locker rooms.
Even with First Night on hold, the event’s history still carries a few memorable snapshots for UConn fans. In 2024, Azzi Fudd and Alex Karaban - two of the school’s best shooters - teamed up to win the 3-point contest.
Samson Johnson delivered another highlight in 2022 when he threw down a dunk over the UConn mascot. Over the years, men’s and women’s players have also shared the floor on Team Geno.
The cancellation also lands at a time when the preseason setup around college basketball is shifting. In January 2025, the NCAA opened the door for Division I men’s teams to play public preseason exhibition games against other four-year schools. The women’s game followed with similar approval in April 2025.
That new landscape was on display this week in the Hall of Fame Series Exhibition at Mohegan Sun Arena, where UConn’s women faced Syracuse on Monday and Dan Hurley’s team met Syracuse on Tuesday.
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UConn Fans Will Feel Gampel's Absence When The Season Opens
UConns basketball calendar will look a little different this fall, with the mens and womens programs set to move through preseason without their annual First Night celebration. Gampel Pavilion is in the middle of a major renovation project, and the usual campus showcase will be on hold while the building work continues around the arena that has long served as the backdrop for the programs biggest October traditions.
The first phase of the project is expected to wrap in November, with a second phase not scheduled to begin until March 2027, so the pause goes beyond one lost event. For now, the Huskies are working around the construction timeline and have exhibition games lined up in October, giving fans at least one early chance to see both teams before the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]