Jump to content

A New Arena


JeffQ78

Recommended Posts

A hockey arena with the fans right on top of the basketball court? But I thought that's impossible! And you could even put student sections behind the baskets if you wanted to.

ArenaatHarborYards.jpg

Make it Basketball only and I am all in! :wave:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 395
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

No, I’m addressing the presented for building a facility with additional capabilities, which has been to raise additional revenue to help pay for it.

That was one of several reasons, you must have missed a lot in this thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A hockey arena with the fans right on top of the basketball court? But I thought that's impossible! And you could even put student sections behind the baskets if you wanted to.

ArenaatHarborYards.jpg

Unless you really looked, could you tell this was a full floor arena?

q.jpg

26ce8abf-b341-4c47-a145-6362567b1f31.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a idea Spin, put it right in the middle of Joy Park! LOL :bow:

That kind of goes back to the fitness thing. Fans will have a 100 yard dash getting from the parking lot to arena and back to the parking lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's ridiculous.

The argument is to be able to host as many events as posible. The benefits of that include bringing people onto campus that normally don't go there (including estranged alumni), and providing more services to students. Students complain that the university doesn't do nearly enough to keep them engaged outside of the classroom, and they're right. Engaging students greatly increases the chance for them to turn into alumni that support the university long after graduation. It's an investment.

To host as many events as possible to help pay for it. That has been the constant argument. There's a pretty glaring flaw in the notion that engaging students in non-university events is going to increase support back to the university.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To host as many events as possible to help pay for it. That has been the constant argument. There's a pretty glaring flaw in the notion that engaging students in non-university events is going to increase support back to the university.

What is a non-university event? What makes UA students different from non- university "people" (hint: there is a difference but I want to know what your idea of a difference is and how it has an impact on turnout at a UA facility) What is a university event as opposed to a non-university event at UA's Thomas Hall?.

Another question I continue to have is that why do some of you have the contaminated feeling/thinking that if an arena is on-campus, it will be specific to basketball but if it is off-campus, it will be multi-purpose?

Also, there is no difference between an all-purpose arena and a multi-purpose arena. Why is it that although the paternalism is not announced in some posts, I still see a glimmer or spirit of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, there is no difference between an all-purpose arena and a multi-purpose arena. Why is it that although the paternalism is not announced in some posts, I still see a glimmer or spirit of it?

Pat, I'll answer this one for you. Over the course of years talking about this, we've discussed the pros/cons of a basketball-optimized arena floor plan versus what we called a "hockey-optimized" floor plan.

We used to call the former a "basketball arena" and the latter a "hockey arena." Even though neither of those descriptions was entirely accurate, it just helped us clarify what we were referring to.

Now we've gotten to referring to the basketball-optimized floor plan as "multi-purpose" as it could host many events other than basketball, but not as many as what we now refer to as an "all-purpose" arena, which could host everything the multi-purpose arena could, then some (hockey, indoor football/soccer, circus, monster trucks/motor cross, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're all "university events"! :wall:

Thank you for making clear the obvious. Unfortunately, some on here need that kick in the head. What does it take for people to realize that the UA campus is the most central place to meet and greet in Akron, Summit County and the NE Ohio region as a whole. Stop trying to twist, distort and pilfer it into downtown Akron. Let the campus be the campus and downtown be downtown. On some days the mayor and the paper will describe the UA campus as being in downtown and on other days, they will say it is distinct. It is obvious that the UA location changes according to the political whim of the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's wrong with a "basketball-optimized multi-purpose arena" that can host hockey games?

It has to do with the corner and end seating. The seats are (quite a bit) further from the court than in a basketball-specific facility. The center court seats are basically the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has to do with the corner and end seating. The seats are (quite a bit) further from the court than in a basketball-specific facility. The center court seats are basically the same.

So? Ninety percent of the JAR's end seating is far away and on the second level, and we don't even have corner seats.

It's still a massive upgrade, and it's a much better long-term investment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never cease to be amazed at how these arena discussions always go off on tangents with some either not understanding or deliberately misrepresenting the positions of others. I don't think anyone posting here in the Basketball Forum is inherently opposed to a new basketball arena that can also accommodate hockey and other activities that require a larger floor space as long as the arena is optimized for basketball and doesn't have compromises for basketball viewing. If I'm wrong about this, please speak up and let us all know if you are absolutely opposed to such a facility.

As for me, and I believe most if not all other basketball fans, the only concerns are either that there would be compromises that would make basketball spectating less than optimal or that the added cost of a more flexible arena might cause economic issues for UA. If the additional funding is there for a more expensive arena that can accommodate events that require more floor space than a basketball court and there are no compromises for basketball viewing, I have no issues at all. Just do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we're going to build an arena, we need to do it right. The JAR was not done right. The original plans were for what became the Wolstein Center. Now's our chance to build what we should have had in the first place, and host the kind of events we should have had all along.

Wolstein specs. Note the arena dimensions of 112x212 feet.

We can do that, except much better. We can have the Q (minus the top level).

I've watched games seated behind the basket at the Q and at the JAR for years now, and I would take the Q every day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Campus is downtown now. They're the same. Put the arena across from Canal Park. We'd have a great arena district pop up too I'd say.

Have you been to Polsky? That's like claiming that the cornfielf outside Orrville is part of main campus, and the woods south of Medina is part of main campus. And downtown Lakewood is part of main campus.They don't pay the same tuition, the same facility fees, and no access to the facilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never cease to be amazed at how these arena discussions always go off on tangents with some either not understanding or deliberately misrepresenting the positions of others. I don't think anyone posting here in the Basketball Forum is inherently opposed to a new basketball arena that can also accommodate hockey and other activities that require a larger floor space as long as the arena is optimized for basketball and doesn't have compromises for basketball viewing. If I'm wrong about this, please speak up and let us all know if you are absolutely opposed to such a facility.

As for me, and I believe most if not all other basketball fans, the only concerns are either that there would be compromises that would make basketball spectating less than optimal or that the added cost of a more flexible arena might cause economic issues for UA. If the additional funding is there for a more expensive arena that can accommodate events that require more floor space than a basketball court and there are no compromises for basketball viewing, I have no issues at all. Just do it.

I was the instigator in thinking outside the basketball-only gym, knowing full well that modern arenas can and are designed so there is very little difference in the seating. WHat is compromised is the end seating for full-floor events (hockey, soccer, football, lacrosse). There are few (if any) seats "on the glass". Since I a want a top notch basketball facility first, I'll take that compromise.

Here's another thought, think of a "top level" "intramural" indoor soccer league, or a semi-pro team that the soccer players can stay in competition, with the team. I would pay to see semi-pro indoor soccer if Zips players and prospects were involved. Just thinking out loud.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we're going to build an arena, we need to do it right. The JAR was not done right. The original plans were for what became the Wolstein Center. Now's our chance to build what we should have had in the first place, and host the kind of events we should have had all along.

Wolstein specs. Note the arena dimensions of 112x212 feet.

We can do that, except much better. We can have the Q (minus the top level).

I've watched games seated behind the basket at the Q and at the JAR for years now, and I would take the Q every day.

Agreed, the Wolstein is "old school" when it comes to adapting basketball to a hockey or (indoor soccer in its case) arena.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed, the Wolstein is "old school" when it comes to adapting basketball to a hockey or (indoor soccer in its case) arena.

Wolstein is very "old school".

My main point was that UA wanted an arena that could do all that stuff, but got stuck with the JAR when the state pulled funding. We ended up with a "basketball-specific" arena that did not age well and was extremely limited in terms of hosting events, and now people want us to make the same mistake again.

EJ Thomas Hall turns fourty this year. Something to think about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you been to Polsky? That's like claiming that the cornfielf outside Orrville is part of main campus, and the woods south of Medina is part of main campus. And downtown Lakewood is part of main campus.They don't pay the same tuition, the same facility fees, and no access to the facilities.

II was more or less waiting for jake to pounce on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you in favor of a basketball-optimized multi-purpose arena, or a hockey-optimized all-purpose arena?

By multi purpose, do you mean still able to host hockey? I don't really care. The U will do their due diligence and figure out the best investment. In my opinion, I think an AHL or ECHL team could succeed here, but whatever gives our Zips a better place to play, and gets me off of wooden bleachers is okay in my book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...