Rhodes Arena

[BostonZip]

From today's ABJ: ''I am not satisfied with where we are. I am a competitive guy,'' Dambrot said. ''If we can pour some money into the program and work on the facilities, I think we can become like them [Gonzaga].''So, are there any near-term plans for upgrading Rhodes Arena? This has been mentioned from time to time on the football stadium threads.

[Blue & Gold]

Boston Zip, I'm glad you started this thread. I was going to start an arena thread but wanted to wait till the season was over. I don't have deep pockets, so I can't put a whole lot of money where my mouth is, but personally, I'm really hoping we DO NOT simply renovate the JAR. Both the university and city need a first-class basketball arena. The city has the perfect spot for a new arena directly across Main Street from Canal Park.Go Zips mentioned a couple weeks ago that he had actually seen two models of possible new arenas. One model was of a multi-purpose NBA-style arena (basketball & ice arena) and the other was a basketball-specific arena (though we could also, of course, hold concerts in the facility, just not ice shows.)IMHO we should aim for a top-notch basketball-specific arena, ala Pitt's Peterson Events Center, USC's Galen Center, Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena or Miami Fla's BankUnited Center. The sight-lines for basketball are MUCH better in these arenas than in the more generic NBA-style arenas.Go Zips, are you still out there? Where did you see these models? Give us some info on the subject! Thanks in advance!

[zipsbandman]

I'm not either. I want to win some games in the dance now that I've had a chance to see us in it, but getting in is a good start obviously.

[g-mann17]

I also like the idea of a downtown arena. Some don't, but they also don't realize that Main and Exchange is inside the campus footprint.The issues are funding (who pays), control issues (who decides what events happen), and the big one, public buy in. As much as Summit County has been supporting the team the last week (and yeah just one week) the majority of them see any campus or downtown improvement as "unnecessary". With the current recession how do you justify what will at minimal be a 50 million dollar investment.Now with the negative out of the way, I fully believe the area needs and can support a 9-12 thousand seat multi-purpose venue. There will be nay sayers that say Cleveland has two and Youngstown has one, why do we need one. Well to this I say, Dayton (a town half our size) has two arenas Is only 50 miles from Columbus that has two arenas and is a short distance from Cinci that has an arena. Why does Dayton need two? Because Dayton, like Akron, is it's own independent city. People with vision know a downtown arena will work. They also know the potential for recognition to the city through events like the NCAA tournaments.

[mivid12]

Boston Zip, I'm glad you started this thread. I was going to start an arena thread but wanted to wait till the season was over. I don't have deep pockets, so I can't put a whole lot of money where my mouth is, but personally, I'm really hoping we DO NOT simply renovate the JAR. Both the university and city need a first-class basketball arena. The city has the perfect spot for a new arena directly across Main Street from Canal Park.Go Zips mentioned a couple weeks ago that he had actually seen two models of possible new arenas. One model was of a multi-purpose NBA-style arena (basketball & ice arena) and the other was a basketball-specific arena (though we could also, of course, hold concerts in the facility, just not ice shows.)IMHO we should aim for a top-notch basketball-specific arena, ala Pitt's Peterson Events Center, USC's Galen Center, Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena or Miami Fla's BankUnited Center. The sight-lines for basketball are MUCH better in these arenas than in the more generic NBA-style arenas.Go Zips, are you still out there? Where did you see these models? Give us some info on the subject! Thanks in advance!

i never understood why in the planning and development of INFO, they didn't draw up plans for perhaps an adjacent arena

[zipsbandman]

i never understood why in the planning and development of INFO, they didn't draw up plans for perhaps an adjacent arena

Probably because the University wants to get in with the city in order to make this possible. I don't see us being able to afford an arena on our own. Where does this money come from? The city wants it downtown so that's where it probably will be, and I think it would go great in downtown being by canal park and all the bars over there.

[zipseuph]

a new arena is needed but I think it would be in the best of interests to wait on this football stadium to be totaly up and running (dorms and all) before we start taking on a task like this (especially with an AD who wants out)

[Quickzips]

I hate to be Debbie downer on this one, but we need to fill the JAR more consistently before we get serious about expanding. I also don't buy that we need to build a huge arena. Gonzaga (remember, the program we want to model ourselves after) just built a new arena a few years ago. It seats about 6,000. If we are going to build a new arena at some point it needs to be as much or moreso about quality than it is about quantity. I would rather see us build a 6,000-8,000 seat arena with all the fixings than a 10,000-12,000 seat bare bones cavern.

[g-mann17]

I hate to be Debbie downer on this one, but we need to fill the JAR more consistently before we get serious about expanding. I also don't buy that we need to build a huge arena. Gonzaga (remember, the program we want to model ourselves after) just built a new arena a few years ago. It seats about 6,000. If we are going to build a new arena at some point it needs to be as much or moreso about quality than it is about quantity. I would rather see us build a 6,000-8,000 seat arena with all the fixings than a 10,000-12,000 seat bare bones cavern.

The JAR doesn't fill consistently because... a.) we don't get major media coverage consistently and let's face it, northeast ohio and Akron, are the biggest bunch of front-runners in the nation. If the team doesn't win they don't care and if the media isn't talking about it, they don't care. b.) It is not fan friendly. There is nothing for the average fan to do around the JAR. Gonzaga built a 6000 seat arena because their student body totals less than 5000. Duke (another arena suggestion) has a 9,000 seat arena and only 12,000 students. We have 25,000 students. For the city to have buy in, it is going to have to be useful for something other than college basketball and volleyball. Otherwise why even build an arena, we already have a 5,000 seat arena.

[skip-zip]

Quickzips pretty much has my line of thinking here.What I Want:A 15,000 seat state-of-the-art arena. What's Realistic:An 8,000 seat arena.What I think the University will do over the next 5-10 years:The JAR is only 25 years old, and I honestly don't think it looks much different, or has deteriorated in any way, since the first time I walked into it in the early 80s. I don't see a MAC school replacing such a facility unless it can't hold the demand for fans. We got nowhere close to a sellout this year, even against Can't. A lot more needs to happen before a new facility becomes a "need" to the University.

[BostonZip]

I hate to be Debbie downer on this one, but we need to fill the JAR more consistently before we get serious about expanding. I also don't buy that we need to build a huge arena. Gonzaga (remember, the program we want to model ourselves after) just built a new arena a few years ago. It seats about 6,000. If we are going to build a new arena at some point it needs to be as much or moreso about quality than it is about quantity. I would rather see us build a 6,000-8,000 seat arena with all the fixings than a 10,000-12,000 seat bare bones cavern.

I see your point, but if we'd follow that logic, we'd not be getting InfoCision Stadium, because we hadn't been filling the Rubber Bowl to capacity.I like the Main Street location -- hey, UA already has crept into downtown with the Polsky Building, the former Quaker hotel and the new housing at Main and Exchange -- and offer Boston University's Agganis Arena (7,200 seats for basketball, 6,300 for hockey) as a perfect model:Agganis Arena basketball seat views

[g-mann17]

...I don't see a MAC school replacing such a facility...

As has been said by coaches and administration alike..."We have to think bigger than the MAC."

[zip37]

I mentioned before [and donated $ for] rennovation of lockerrooms. Now's the time to put up of shut up!

[Quickzips]

It's tough to compare the Rubber Bowl/Infocision with the JAR/Potential new Arena. The Rubber Bowl was old and falling apart, was too far off campus and was pretty much a joke. Our hand was forced by either having to build a new expensive stadium or make equally expensive renovations to a stadium that has long since past it's prime. The JAR on the other hand, though nowhere near ideal is at least in good physical shape, is not that old and is on campus. I don't think attendance numbers had as much to do with the building of Infocision as sheer physical necessity did. That physical necessity doesn't exist to such a degree with the JAR and I think at this point we should probably wait until attendance dictates a change of venue.

[uafan]

Why would anyone want a new arena off campus? Wasn't that one of the big complaints against the RB? And if the administration were to do anything, now is the time to start with the MAC championship fresh in everyones' minds. But there has to be an energy built up about the program, and it isn't there yet. Again, look at Dayton. They took their NCAA run in the mid 60's to get the new arena started, and have commited to keeping it a first class venue. They have moved into second place for most NCAA tournament games hosted. Even with down years, they still get close to 12-13,000 per game. A UD basketball game is a big social event.

[zen]

I don't like the idea of building down town. I understand the fact you don't make as much off of student attendance, and I understand that in order to attract a more mature audience someplace like the JAR is not optimal, but I just don't see the huge investment of building an arena downtown paying off.The only way to make it work (not even counting the fact that you will need to continue and increase our success on the court) is if you create a premium experience. This means, better access, better convenience, and better amenities. In other words, it would be a huge mistake to invest all those millions of dollars on an arena when parking is limited, and invariably the project will end up taking economic liberties with comfort. The bean counters will just want to know how many seats there are... not what it feels like to sit in one. And just because you can get a Joey to maybe take interest because there is a wings-N-Beer joint next door doesn't mean you're going to fill the place.

[g-mann17]

Why would anyone want a new arena off campus? Wasn't that one of the big complaints against the RB?

The difference is that Main and Exchange is less than a mile away (.7 to be exact). And is in the footprint of campus. The Polsky building and deck both belong to the U. CBA is on Broadway. The Rubber bowl was almost as far away from campus as Can't St is. (6 miles vs 11.5 miles). You can see the difference a 10 minute walk vs a 20 minute drive (assuming decent traffic).

[mivid12]

i never understood why in the planning and development of INFO, they didn't draw up plans for perhaps an adjacent arena

Probably because the University wants to get in with the city in order to make this possible. I don't see us being able to afford an arena on our own. Where does this money come from? The city wants it downtown so that's where it probably will be, and I think it would go great in downtown being by canal park and all the bars over there.

good point...get some tax funds to help offset the cost....in my mind i guess they should have tackled both at the same time cause the more you wait, typically the costs increase, materals, labor etc....

[g-mann17]

I don't like the idea of building down town. I understand the fact you don't make as much off of student attendance, and I understand that in order to attract a more mature audience someplace like the JAR is not optimal, but I just don't see the huge investment of building an arena downtown paying off.The only way to make it work (not even counting the fact that you will need to continue and increase our success on the court) is if you create a premium experience. This means, better access, better convenience, and better amenities. In other words, it would be a huge mistake to invest all those millions of dollars on an arena when parking is limited, and invariably the project will end up taking economic liberties with comfort. The bean counters will just want to know how many seats there are... not what it feels like to sit in one. And just because you can get a Joey to maybe take interest because there is a wings-N-Beer joint next door doesn't mean you're going to fill the place.

Just to prove a point. Memphis and Louisville both play downtown. Costs offset by the cities. If Akron and Summit County are willing to help pay for an arena. Then by god let them. Summa was ready to pay for a recreation center/rehabilitation clinic in 2000 before construction of the current rec center began. The student body voted this down. Forcing all of the students to foot the bill. The plans for the Summa Recreation Center would have dwarfed what we have now. Ocasek was to be replaced completely along with a new diving pavillion, plus state of the art rehabilitation equipment would have been readily available for the athletes. But instead every single student to this day is paying 300 dollars a semester to pay off the very nice rec center.

[BostonZip]

Why would anyone want a new arena off campus?

I would not consider two blocks away "off-campus". As stated earlier, the UA campus already has expanded downtown. Anyone remember the "Span the Tracks" initiative of a couple of decades ago? It's finally happening, to the betterment of downtown Akron, in my opinion.

[zen]

I concede I could easily be very wrong.I just hope that if they are going to make the investment, then they are sure to make it a place that makes the experience for the fan, including ample parking in the vicinity.

[akronad]

I definitely want a downtown arena. Anyone been to Lexington. Rupp Arena is the real deal. We don;t need anything quite that big, roughly an 8,000 seat arena would work. Parking would be no better or no worse downtown than on campus. Originally, the JAR was being designed along the lines of the Convocation Center at Notre Dame. However, politics and big money got in the way and Cleveland State got the big arena and we got the JAR.During the years hen Wyatt Webb was coach, Memorial Hall was filled beyond capacity for just about every game. In fact, there were many nights when there was a waiting line to get into the facility.Whatever happens, we all need to amke a concerted effort next year to bring one more person with us to the game.

[GoZips88]

Unlike Memorial Hall, that one more person I'm going to bring will most likely have to sit for two hours on a wood plank with limited walkway access to that wood plank. Until UA addresses the remaining bleacher seating in the JAR, I'm not sure how many of the newbies will continue to come to the games, especially those in their 30s or higher ('Ooh my aching back!').

[GoZags]

Why would anyone want a new arena off campus? Wasn't that one of the big complaints against the RB? And if the administration were to do anything, now is the time to start with the MAC championship fresh in everyones' minds. But there has to be an energy built up about the program, and it isn't there yet. Again, look at Dayton. They took their NCAA run in the mid 60's to get the new arena started, and have commited to keeping it a first class venue. They have moved into second place for most NCAA tournament games hosted. Even with down years, they still get close to 12-13,000 per game. A UD basketball game is a big social event.

On campus is key (my opinion).This short video clip clearly shows the difference between our new gym (5 years old) and the old Kennel. Based on what I observed yesterday in Portland -- it won't be long until Akron has some "Gus Johnson" March moments (the two segments in this short attachment are Gus Johnson calls -- and not the end of the UCLA game a few years ago).

Edited to add -- the gym with no seats behind the baskets (i.e. the one with Stockton and a few other Zags) is the old Kennel. It was listed at 4,000 seats, but the reality is there were 2,852 bench style "seats"

[ZippyRulz]

Try convincing KD we don't need a facility upgrade until the JAR is filled consistently. The arena is a recruiting tool, it's where the prospective recruit pictures himself playing before he decides. That's why KD is talking about it. Better facility-->better recruits-->more wins-->more fans in seats. We'll see it happen when Infocision opens.