We’ve spent a lot of time at the CCC. Both as a customer back in the Canton Invaders days (great times, won a lot of titles) and recently covering medical there, watched lots of Canton Charge games (several are on the Cavs now). Arena football. Harlem Globetrotters. Concerts. High school games. Then you look around and see Erie, Youngstown, Wheeling, Toledo, Ft. Wayne, even Huntington, Steubenville, Wooster, and Marion having arenas, it doesn’t make sense. Is Akron the largest city/market without one?
Where can you see a concert in Akron? I guess you can count Blossom if you want. It’s kind of a “tweener” between Summit, Cuyahoga, and Medina counties, and isn’t convenient for anyone.
Now if the University builds an arena, look at what they could use it for, between games. Look at the Wolstein Center. They of course have the Vikings basketball, even though they curtain off most of it because they can’t draw flies. CSU hosted the Crunch indoor soccer team and broke league attendance records and won championships. They now have the Cavs minor league team. It’s revenue for the university.
Heck if Wooster can have a hockey team for 16 years and counting, Akron can support an arena.