Arena Update

[Hilltopper]

My source inside the university says high level meetings in the last few weeks have focused on selecting a design for a new basketball arena. Three different designs proposals were presented. They ranged from $69 million for a 7k+ design to $44 M for a 3800 seat design. At this point the committee is leaning towards the 3800 seat design. It would have chairbacks from floor to ceiling on the sides and bleachers in the endzones. Very intimate with the seating right on top of the court and nice amenities in the rest of the arena. I know this isn't what a lot of Zips fans had in mind when thinking of the future, but its what we can afford. Currently there is zero funding in place for any arena.

[zippy5]

I'd rather stay in the JAR than move to a 3800 seat arena.

Think bigger?

[ZachTheZip]

3,800 seats? That would give us the smallest arena in the MAC. Might as well move back to the OVC.

If we can't afford anything better than that, then take what little money we do have and get some nicer seats in the JAR.

[Dave in Green]

Think Bigger + smaller arena = does not compute.

[LZIp]

My source inside the university says high level meetings in the last few weeks have focused on selecting a design for a new basketball arena. Three different designs proposals were presented. They ranged from $69 million for a 7k+ design to $44 M for a 3800 seat design. At this point the committee is leaning towards the 3800 seat design. It would have chairbacks from floor to ceiling on the sides and bleachers in the endzones. Very intimate with the seating right on top of the court and nice amenities in the rest of the arena. I know this isn't what a lot of Zips fans had in mind when thinking of the future, but its what we can afford. Currently there is zero funding in place for any arena.

What was the 3rd design?

[Blue & Gold]

3,800 seats? That just can't possibly be accurate. Can it? I'm absolutely shocked. And extremely disappointed.

[zippy_ua_00]

Well with a 3800 seat arena we'd be close to selling out the games.

[Z.I.P.]

Well with a 3800 seat arena we'd be close to selling out the games.

Who's seen the Stroh Center? Could that be the model for us? Please, say NO!!!

[Dave in Green]

Let's try to look at this logically. The committee looked at three options -- $69 million for a 7,000+ seat design at the top and $44 million for a 3,800 seat design at the bottom, so the middle design would probably be about 5,500 (close to the JAR) for about $57 million. They currently do not have any funding, so they'd obviously have to lean toward the cheapest option. But since they have no funding, they're not going to be building anything anyway. In other words, this is way too premature for realistic consideration.

[infofan]

Two thoughts here. First, does that mean a renovation of the JAR is off the table entirely? And two, I know it was 10, 12 years ago they built it but wasnt the Eastern Michigan convocation center (A building KD loves) built for only about 33 million and it holds close to 9k. Also the Covelli Center in Youngstown was built for 42 million in 2005 and it holds close to 6k. Why so expensive in the design costs? Although if theres no funds available its a moot discussion.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Lest anyone think building a 30,000 seat palace for a, to-date, bottom 5% of D-1 football team wasn't perceived as a colossal bitch slap by KD , see how he feels when the proposal for a 3,800 seat "arena/dinner theater" is floated past him.

"Hello, Duquesne? It's me again...how's it goin'?"

It is the Wistercil administration, so it wouldn't surprise me...

[Zips Win!]

Who's seen the Stroh Center? Could that be the model for us? Please, say NO!!!

The Stroh Center BLOWS. It is the worst arena ever and it is brand new. 25% of the seats are behind the basket.

Every other seat has terrible sight lines, bad angles....

If UA builds one like that, I am done.

[72 Roo]

Sadly I have heard similar thought is taking hold inside the university regarding Hilltopper's post on the size of any new arena. The higher-ups who I have talked with actually have praised BG for building the Stroh center with only 5,000 seats. It is maddening to settle for so little an arena size. They support their thinking by talking about the traditional lack of attendance wherever we play, the possibility of raising ticket prices (and Z Fund required donations) with high demand for limited seating and the fact several big programs have small arenas ala Duke, Temple, both of which put our top design to shame. Additionally, the lack of any funding seems to be consistent in any conversation about an arena. They would gladly partner with the city if the city money. Putting the arena on the edge of campus or further away is no concern if the city provides money. The problem is that the city has higher aspirations regarding seating (10,000 +) and no money to make it happen.

A major or foundational donor was sought. I think First Energy was being worked hard but with their puchasing the naming rights of Brown's Stadium it appears that hope is fading fast. Renovating the JAR is out of the question and is seen as throwing money down the drain because it will take too much to achieve basic improvements. It appears we are stuck for now as DIG has said. Without a big time donor don't expect any betterment of the situation. Especially with layoffs looming if the enrollment doesn't improve and a freeze on new positions, even replacement hires, in effect.

What pisses me off is that many in athletic administration are talking about how we could join the Big East if we wanted because they need new membership. Our people are living in a fantasy world when they think we are welcome after going 1-11 three years in a row, having no attendance and a high school gym. Let's get real folks and stop treating the Zip faithful as a bunch of idiots who believe everything you say.

End of rant.

[ZachTheZip]

Doesn't look good, especially in light of this story from yesterday.

[akzipper]

They need to come out with some concrete designs and release them to the public. How do they expect to get any money if nobody is even aware of the plans. Showing a rendering of a nice arena, with a decent amount of seating would impress people. When people are impressed they will be willing to put money forward. 3000 doesn't even sound realistic. We have been the best MAC program over the past 6-7 years, and have potential to get even bigger. Why would UA want to mess with that. Football is awful, soccer is on the decline, and basketball is all we have left. Even tonight with freaking Ball State in town, we had over 3,000. Anything under 6,000 would be pointless. Why build a new arena if it's not going to be an improvement?? dumb. This isn't football where you can expand seating if needed. Once you build an area, you are STUCK.

Someone mentioned the OVC? Average arena size in that conference is 7-8,000. Anything under 4 is pushing Division 2 status.

[WinZip]

My source inside the university says high level meetings in the last few weeks have focused on selecting a design for a new basketball arena. Three different designs proposals were presented. They ranged from $69 million for a 7k+ design to $44 M for a 3800 seat design. At this point the committee is leaning towards the 3800 seat design. It would have chairbacks from floor to ceiling on the sides and bleachers in the endzones. Very intimate with the seating right on top of the court and nice amenities in the rest of the arena. I know this isn't what a lot of Zips fans had in mind when thinking of the future, but its what we can afford. Currently there is zero funding in place for any arena.

I guess my only thought is that there's no way it should hold LESS than the JAR is now.

I'd rather have a retractable section than that!

Come on UA let's at least be respectable here. Think bigger..move forward..

[RootforRoo44]

So am I to believe we're all in agreement that 3,800 seats is laughable at best, embarrassing at worst?

[akzipper]

So am I to believe we're all in agreement that 3,800 seats is laughable at best, embarrassing at worst?

Anything under 5,000 to me is embarrassing, just because the JAR holds 5,500 and we are becoming a successful program.

The Stroh Center is a perfect example of what NOT to do, yet that "proposal" is actually worse than the Stroh.

[wadszip]

Let me jump in with everybody who is saying that 3,800 is a slap in the face. If they ever go forward with that plan, it's the end for Akron hoops as we know it. Why build 3,800 when there are already at least two guaranteed games that will draw 5,000 plus in the current, inadequate, facility we have (Can't and Ohio, don't see either rivalries going away)? And like others have said, 3,800 is not much less of an average than what the team currently draws.

Does the administration also already forget that last year, the team drew 4,400 for a 3-20 Northern Illinois team?

http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=320422006

I admit, I don't know the details about that game (maybe half those seats were given away, and I do remember a bunch of kids being there), but still, at 3,800, you can't even give out those ticket to youth leagues anymore. Not that that's the goal anyway, but if you think long-term, even giving out 1,000 tickets to a game to kids who may end up liking the product, going to your school and then becoming die-hard fans down the line, it's still well-worth the short-term "loss" of not "selling" those tickets.

And, if it's true that nothing has been raised for a new arena, than what the hell is Jim Tressel doing to justify is 250,000 or so a year salary? I thought his No. 1 athletic goal was to raise funds for a new basketball arena? If nothing has been raised, then the university is only 250,000 further away from being able to have a venue that fits the quality of the product that KD is putting on the floor. I hope that's not true. If so, that's beyond a joke.

Finally, if it's the case where the university can't get this done on its own, I don't see how anybody can justify not working with the city/county/whoever to get something done. I know there are sentiments to having it on campus, but if the university can't think big enough to make it happen, lets do it downtown, which isn't as bad as even the people who are dead-set on it being on-campus make it out to be.

I'm just one person, but of the Akron football games I've been to at Infocision (on campus), I've still parked downtown, went to an establishment there pre-game, walked up Exchange to the stadium for the game, and then walked back down Exchange and went to the bars afterward. It's not a big deal. It's one thing if there was a gap between downtown (or if it was a 5 mile walk), but there isn't. It's all connected. Hell, even in 2002, about half of my classes at UA were technically in downtown. And that was when virtually none of the residential was down there. Now, more residential is there, making downtown/campus even more connected.

I hate to bring up Can't as an example, but a university that can connect downtown to campus has major plusses. Why do you think Can't/Can't State is undergoing hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate their downtown to connect the two? It's not like UA even has to transform the entire area to make that happen ... the two already are connected, and downtown Akron, simply based on the sizes of the cities, is better than downtown Can't to begin with. An arena in downtown would be a blip on the radar compared to what Can't/Can't State has had to spend in order to bring the two entities together.

[wadszip]

Sadly I have heard similar thought is taking hold inside the university regarding Hilltopper's post on the size of any new arena. The higher-ups who I have talked with actually have praised BG for building the Stroh center with only 5,000 seats. It is maddening to settle for so little an arena size. They support their thinking by talking about the traditional lack of attendance wherever we play, the possibility of raising ticket prices (and Z Fund required donations) with high demand for limited seating and the fact several big programs have small arenas ala Duke, Temple, both of which put our top design to shame. Additionally, the lack of any funding seems to be consistent in any conversation about an arena. They would gladly partner with the city if the city money. Putting the arena on the edge of campus or further away is no concern if the city provides money. The problem is that the city has higher aspirations regarding seating (10,000 +) and no money to make it happen.

A major or foundational donor was sought. I think First Energy was being worked hard but with their puchasing the naming rights of Brown's Stadium it appears that hope is fading fast. Renovating the JAR is out of the question and is seen as throwing money down the drain because it will take too much to achieve basic improvements. It appears we are stuck for now as DIG has said. Without a big time donor don't expect any betterment of the situation. Especially with layoffs looming if the enrollment doesn't improve and a freeze on new positions, even replacement hires, in effect.

What pisses me off is that many in athletic administration are talking about how we could join the Big East if we wanted because they need new membership. Our people are living in a fantasy world when they think we are welcome after going 1-11 three years in a row, having no attendance and a high school gym. Let's get real folks and stop treating the Zip faithful as a bunch of idiots who believe everything you say.

End of rant.

I didn't read your post as thorough as I should've, you answered a lot of the questions I had in my last post. However, even with the lack of city funds, couldn't they be talked down to the 6-7K range? That would still be more than adequate for Zips basketball and probably 99 percent of the events they have in mind, if done right?

Also, good point on FirstEnergy. However, couldn't Goodyear still be in play? With what they are trying to do with their world headquarters, I would assume that they may have the cash/willingness to support their hometown on an endeavor like this ... or even a Goodyear/Summa conglomerate. Both seem to be interested in building up the near eastside into a place that attracts young, educated people (ala Highland Square). And with the proximity to UA/downtown to both those areas, seems like a natural fit. ... you could have a connected area between downtown/UA/Middlebury/Goodyear Heights with a bunch of educated younger, homegrown folks (which would help the hiring processes of both Goodyear and Summa).

Maybe those parties don't see the same investment potential as I do, but I'm just "thinking bigger," something the university I went to wants me to do. Hopefully, they do the same instead of settling on a small-time project.

[GoZips]

...

Maybe those parties don't see the same investment potential as I do, but I'm just "thinking bigger," something the university I went to wants me to do. Hopefully, they do the same instead of settling on a small-time project.

You have hit the nail on the head. Akron as a community during my long life time has nearly always failed to grasp what it, the

community, can do to improve itself. I thought that most of these dunderheads had died off. Now, it appears that their

grandchildren are back in control of the community's future.

Information: the Stroh Center seats 4,200 in a room full of bad sight lines, awkward seating and in general a poor atmosphere

for playing basketball. Any attempt to build such a pathetic arena is a guaranteed way to send Coach Dambrot to greener

pastures. It would be the kiss of death for future recruiting. Louis Orr is near retirement age, or in my opinion, he would be

looking hard to get out of Bowling Green.

Where does this mush head thinking come from? No arena less than 7,000 should even be considered. They spent over

sixty million on football for a really nice, state of the art facility. The basketball programs deserve the same

consideration.

Hell, let's all give up and go home.

[GP1]

Coastal Carolina built a 3,600 seat arena for their team. They beat us this year.

Build a stadium that can be filled every game, not for one or two high capacity games a year. Empty seats look terrible.

[akzipper]

Coastal Carolina built a 3,600 seat arena for their team. They beat us this year.

Build a stadium that can be filled every game, not for one or two high capacity games a year. Empty seats look terrible.

Yeah, this would be an embarrassment.

You do realize that our Exhibition games almost draw 3,000 right?

Coastal Carolina is a school of only about 8,000 from the Big South Conf., in a City of only 16,000. You can't compare that to Akron, even if we did lose a fluke game to them this year.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Coastal Carolina built a 3,600 seat arena for their team. They beat us this year.

Build a stadium that can be filled every game, not for one or two high capacity games a year. Empty seats look terrible.

Ok...then we should build a 2,000 seat arena (just to be safe).

Coastal Carolina beat Clemson this year...so I guess they really should have built a 13,000 seat arena?

The truth is - there is no use in building a 3,800 seat arena just so you can say you sell out every game. 90% of college basketball arenas have empty seats.

The final nail is the Wistercill coffin will be his proud press conference boasting of his shiny new 3,800 seat arena...with 2 loges and a beer keg in the corner.

A 3,300 seat arena is fine for Coastal Carolina, who typically draws 1,000 fans off the beach or out of Hooters. The Zips average over 3k/game. They sell out for Can't @ 5,600. If we build a 3,800 seat Division 1 arena, those games against Malone and John Carroll would soon become Conference games.

For fun -

Yurachek isn't the only ex-UA AD building a new arena. Towson's opens soon. 5,200k capacity.

[zipsbandman]

Hate to say it, but this AD is slowly killing our athletic department. If they don't have the funding to do this right, then they should not do this at all. They should invest the money toward academics then. One bad decision after another...

At least they are giving away those Lebron James bobblehead dolls.