Rhodes Arena

[WinZip]

proof that we need more class space...omg what am I saying

[g-mann17]

The University of Akron: Where we have 2 basketball arenas and classes in closets

One is soon to be torn down for more classroom space and more money has been spent on classroom space than athletics in the last 25 years.Goodyear Polymer BuildingPolymer Engineering Academic CenterAuburn Engineering expansionComplete Schrank remodelComplete Leigh Hall RemodelComplete Zook hall remodelComplete Kolbe Hall remodelPolsky building renovationGuzetta Hall expansionThe InfoIn comparison in the last 25 years the school has added the following athletic piecesPractice FacilityStiles Athletic complexImprovements to shooting rangeSoftball fieldThe Info

[WinZip]

No offense but I would hope more money is spent on classroom space. Remember why students come here?I was only making a joke..people would see Akron's goal as misguided to say the least. My point: I doubt we're getting a new basketball arena even though I would personally love it. Come on guys....

[GoZips]

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!

Hey, I never mentioned any model. I have seen well executed and detailed drawings of a proposed11,000 seat arena planned for across the street from Canal Park. As I previously reported; thesedrawings have grown in detail and color since the early ones. Where there is smoke a fire usuallysoon follows.

[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!

Hey, I never mentioned any model. I have seen well executed and detailed drawings of a proposed11,000 seat arena planned for across the street from Canal Park. As I previously reported; thesedrawings have grown in detail and color since the early ones. Where there is smoke a fire usuallysoon follows.

Sorry! I didn't intentionally misquote you. I thought I remembered you mentioning a model. But I also believe I remember you saying that there are two drawings, correct? One of a multi-purpose arena and one of a basketball-specific arena? Can you give us any more information on the drawings that you have seen and where did you see the drawings, if you don't mind me asking. Are the drawings available somewhere online for any old average Joe to see? Or did you get a peak of them in the basketball office, or something?

[Zip N' Dots]

No offense but I would hope more money is spent on classroom space. Remember why students come here?I was only making a joke..people would see Akron's goal as misguided to say the least. My point: I doubt we're getting a new basketball arena even though I would personally love it. Come on guys....

Remember why students come here? I don't think Akron is misguided by focusing on athletics facilities. It is great to think academics is the first reason why most students choose a school, but it's not, a strong athletics program is a huge factor. examples?http://media.www.gonzagabulletin.com/media...t-3303134.shtmlhttp://www.thesportjournal.org/article/imp...ncaa-division-iDo I think that is the way it should be? Not really, but as you can see it helps!

[Blue & Gold]

No offense but I would hope more money is spent on classroom space. Remember why students come here?I was only making a joke..people would see Akron's goal as misguided to say the least. My point: I doubt we're getting a new basketball arena even though I would personally love it. Come on guys....

Remember why students come here? I don't think Akron is misguided by focusing on athletics facilities. It is great to think academics is the first reason why most students choose a school, but it's not, a strong athletics program is a huge factor. examples?http://media.www.gonzagabulletin.com/media...t-3303134.shtmlhttp://www.thesportjournal.org/article/imp...ncaa-division-iDo I think that is the way it should be? Not really, but as you can see it helps!

Those are some very pertinent links. Thank you! Just goes to show that people naturally want to be associated with a winner. And in our current culture that largely means football and basketball. (Hopefully soccer will continue to gain popularity since we're well positioned for that potential wave!)

[WinZip]

I are agree!But seriously, yes I know there are many important aspects when it comes to bringing in new students. When it all boils down, however, we'd get a bad rep. if we had championship sports programs and pizza delivery as a major. It would be a bad PR move. But who says we can't have both top class academic and athletic programs?

[Zipsrifle]

if we had championship sports programs and pizza delivery as a major.

That would be Can't State in 2008....MAC BB Champs and about 50% of their degree programs.

[Zip N' Dots]

I are agree!But seriously, yes I know there are many important aspects when it comes to bringing in new students. When it all boils down, however, we'd get a bad rep. if we had championship sports programs and pizza delivery as a major. It would be a bad PR move. But who says we can't have both top class academic and athletic programs?

I'm enjoying our conversation WinZip so please don't think of me quoting you as attacking.Our academics at the university are nothing comparable to a pizza delivery major like they serve at Can'thttp://www.uakron.edu/colleges/cba/newsinf...n/princeton.phphttp://www.uakron.edu/colleges/cba/newsinf...stundergrad.phphttp://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/news_media/...e+co-op+programhttp://www.uakron.edu/about_ua/news_media/...novation+awardshttp://www.uakron.edu/colleges/educ/ --> Notice the logo that says accredited for 50 yearsNot that we need to stop paying attention to academics, but I think we are strong in academics and Dr. Proenza wants to be successful in every aspect of this university including athletics which is why we are seeing this focus of late. KD is getting the tools, JD is getting the tools, Proenza expects nothing less than success.

[Roo]

I always thought Akron made a huge mistake with the JAR. It is a very poor facility to begin with, but it is small and it doesn't offer dual use. A better location, someone mentioned near Canal Park, would still be close enough to get the students there and it would allow for Downtown Akron to look better as well as give them a venue to host events. Acts that dont require a large venue never goto Akron because there is no where for them to go. That can happen with a better facility. Plus the benefits to recruiting would be huge.

[WinZip]

Zip N' Dots, I have supported what you are saying on many occasions believe me. I would not be attending this University if I felt it lacked strong academic programs. We both know improvements are being made and the potential is great, but the view of many outsiders is much different. From a PR standpoint I feel an arena would raise more than a few eyebrows. Also, excess funding should not be entirely spent on athletics (aka my enjoyment). A more positive reaction would surely come from something like a medical school. I agree with your points, yet want to reinforce the fact that we need to continue our rapid improvements of all programs!PS. I would love a new arena...just don't see it happening for a few years. (See soccer)

[WinZip]

Now theres an idea that I feel could work out sooner rather than later: If the city would help fund a large scale multipurpose arena the possibility of minor league teams (hockey, indoor football), concerts, and of course Akron basketball could be quite the spark (there will always be bad PR). I was reminded of the arena in my hometown Erie PA, and realized that you're right Roo, there really isn't a venue to host events in Akron.

[akronad]

I always thought Akron made a huge mistake with the JAR. It is a very poor facility to begin with, but it is small and it doesn't offer dual use. A better location, someone mentioned near Canal Park, would still be close enough to get the students there and it would allow for Downtown Akron to look better as well as give them a venue to host events. Acts that dont require a large venue never goto Akron because there is no where for them to go. That can happen with a better facility. Plus the benefits to recruiting would be huge.

You're correct that the JAR was a mistake. When they were not awarded the convocation style arena (which went to CSU), they rushed head long into putting the JAR together. NOw, we are stuck with a white elephant, and can only hope for the City or some other benfactor to partner up with the U of A for an arena.

[tbozeglav]

Students wonder why Akron never gets any good concerts to come to campus... when you have the JAR and EJT as the only places you could even POSSIBLY hold one, it doesnt look appealing to the artists.Arena would help the City and the University in so many ways its unbelievable. The problem is in this economy, the opposition would be just too great to do something like that right now. Unless there would be a plan to make the facility a constant benefit to the ENTIRE community, it just wouldn't fly right now.

[GJGood]

...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."

I think the MAC just has to think bigger.

[Roo]

Students wonder why Akron never gets any good concerts to come to campus... when you have the JAR and EJT as the only places you could even POSSIBLY hold one, it doesnt look appealing to the artists.Arena would help the City and the University in so many ways its unbelievable. The problem is in this economy, the opposition would be just too great to do something like that right now. Unless there would be a plan to make the facility a constant benefit to the ENTIRE community, it just wouldn't fly right now.

Exactly my thoughts as well....we need a multipurpose arena. It doesn't have to be huge. A nice looking, good sized, nice location arena would help the city and the school.

[Zip N' Dots]

Zip N' Dots, I have supported what you are saying on many occasions believe me. I would not be attending this University if I felt it lacked strong academic programs. We both know improvements are being made and the potential is great, but the view of many outsiders is much different. From a PR standpoint I feel an arena would raise more than a few eyebrows. Also, excess funding should not be entirely spent on athletics (aka my enjoyment). A more positive reaction would surely come from something like a medical school. I agree with your points, yet want to reinforce the fact that we need to continue our rapid improvements of all programs!PS. I would love a new arena...just don't see it happening for a few years. (See soccer)

I highly agree from a PR standpoint it is going to raise eyebrows and that we need to continue our improvements of all programs. Any arena and or soccer stadium will need to be funded privately by alumni and donors to avoid the Peoples Eyebrow (Unless the city can get some of that earmarked money from O'Bama, for new construction projects.....)

[Blue & Gold]

Students wonder why Akron never gets any good concerts to come to campus... when you have the JAR and EJT as the only places you could even POSSIBLY hold one, it doesnt look appealing to the artists.Arena would help the City and the University in so many ways its unbelievable. The problem is in this economy, the opposition would be just too great to do something like that right now. Unless there would be a plan to make the facility a constant benefit to the ENTIRE community, it just wouldn't fly right now.

Exactly my thoughts as well....we need a multipurpose arena. It doesn't have to be huge. A nice looking, good sized, nice location arena would help the city and the school.

If we'd have a nice, medium-sized (10,000 - 12,000) seat multi-purpose arena then we could bring in concerts that never come to our city. We must be the largest city in the nation that doesn't have a real concert venue (excluding summertime @ Blossom). Then the Enjoy section of the ABJ could actually report on the Akron scene instead of always pimping the Cleveland scene. That gets so tiresome.

[vmd9]

Now theres an idea that I feel could work out sooner rather than later: If the city would help fund a large scale multipurpose arena the possibility of minor league teams (hockey, indoor football), concerts, and of course Akron basketball could be quite the spark (there will always be bad PR). I was reminded of the arena in my hometown Erie PA, and realized that you're right Roo, there really isn't a venue to host events in Akron.

haha the Tullio Arena home of the Otters, Bayhawks, and Riverrats!!!! Not the nicest arena but it will be renovated in a few years, something just like that would be fine, maybe with a little more seats.

[Dave in Green]

A multi-purpose arena makes the most sense for getting broad-based community support. The main concern would be that the compromises of having many different types of events there might keep it from being optimum for basketball viewing.It would also be interesting to see what's possible for improving the JAR without breaking the bank.

[tbozeglav]

A multi-purpose arena makes the most sense for getting broad-based community support. The main concern would be that the compromises of having many different types of events there might keep it from being optimum for basketball viewing.It would also be interesting to see what's possible for improving the JAR without breaking the bank.

Let's put this into perspective a little. Take the Q for example. That arena has been able to host basketball, arena football, hockey, monster truck rallies, concerts... the list goes on. In my experience seeing a lot of basketball games there, never once did I ever feel there was a really "bad" seat. Hell, even when the alumni dept sponsored a bus trip to cleveland for the home opener for the Cavs last year, we all had seats in about the highest up part of the arena and even then I didn't feel THAT far away from the action. There really aren't any major compromises to be made with a multi-purpose arena.

[xu9697]

If you've been to CSU's arena in the last couple years, they drop a curtain to make the venue smaller (like 13,600 to 9,000 or so). Now, this wasn't originally planned, but it works OK. They also do it for smaller concerts and it really works well for those.Now if you DESIGN the facility with the thought process of using it in its largest form and a smaller form, you could really make a facility that is intimate for basketball while still allowing the possibility of nice sized concerts, indoor soccer, hockey (possibly), etc. I think there are MANY ways to make this work. And, much like the talk of a football stadium a few years ago seemed a long shot, I totally see this venue being built in the next 5 years. The old, as someone else mentioned in this topic, "where there is smoke there is fire" applies here.

[Roo]

A multi-purpose arena makes the most sense for getting broad-based community support. The main concern would be that the compromises of having many different types of events there might keep it from being optimum for basketball viewing.It would also be interesting to see what's possible for improving the JAR without breaking the bank.

Let's put this into perspective a little. Take the Q for example. That arena has been able to host basketball, arena football, hockey, monster truck rallies, concerts... the list goes on. In my experience seeing a lot of basketball games there, never once did I ever feel there was a really "bad" seat. Hell, even when the alumni dept sponsored a bus trip to cleveland for the home opener for the Cavs last year, we all had seats in about the highest up part of the arena and even then I didn't feel THAT far away from the action. There really aren't any major compromises to be made with a multi-purpose arena.

Exactly...and add to it we are using a venue that is going to be half that sized. It's hard to mess up the seating in something that small, but then again, we do have the Jar....

[flipthezip]

Maybe a little background on this topic might help some fully understand how the JAR came to be.James A. Rhodes Arena, commonly nicknamed "The JAR," is a basketball arena in Akron, Ohio, named for former Ohio governor Jim Rhodes. The arena opened in 1983 and is home to the University of Akron Zips men's and women's basketball teams. The new facility was six years in the making. Some delays were encountered after the General Assembly, in 1977, appropriated $8 million for the construction of a 10,000-seat building for the 1977-79 biennium. However, by October 1978, when preliminary plans for the new complex were presented and accepted by the Ohio Board of Regents, construction costs had risen so rapidly that it required $12.5 million to complete the project.[1] After scrapping the original design, the University decided to go ahead with plans for a scaled-down version of the building. The 125,538-square-foot building, including an 18,000-square-foot wood floor, was designed by architect Thomas T. K. Zung. The University Board of Trustees approved the new version in July 1981, and ground breaking occurred on March 8, 1982. The Convo Center opened in 1991 so we didn't lose out on that project.Also, Akron has only averaged over 4000 once since the JAR opened - the first year. I don't know what this past season's numbers were but for the previous 4 years we averaged 3369, 3470, 3593, and 3454. It is going to take a lot more to convince anyone we need a new arena.As for building a mutli-use arena downtown by Canal Park, that makes a lot of sense. However, in taking a point made earlier this week on the Channel 3 piece on the new stadium, it was clearly pointed out that Akron has developed this combined athletic complex on campus including the JAR, Natatorium, Info, Lee Jackson. Once the soocer stadium and tennis courts get done, it would be hard pressed to go against everything else and place an arena on the other end of campus.How long would it take to build an arena? If we started demo of the JAR at the end of February, could it be ready by January 1 and the start of conference play or would we lose a whole year of having to play home games off campus? Or bring in portable bleachers, suck up the inconvience and play in the fieldhouse.