Spin Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I got hammered when I said other teams and shows would come to a new arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 When we post on forums, we should expect others to challenge our assumptions. Forums are places for people to exchange differing opinions. Sometimes discussions get heated and we think others are hammering us. Maybe others also believe we're hammering them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Rumors are floating about a new arena in the near future (announcement in 2 or 3 years). Several factors to consider, first, location; second, conference affiliation; third, cost; fourth, need. All are being looked at. Right now the weak economy is stalling many major projects country wide. It is no secret that Akron longs to step UP to higher level conference. Football must be turned around first. Location dictates it be on campus. Find a place for a large building with lots of easy access parking. Management is in no rush to make a mistake. Rather, they want a growth move that nearly everyone says, "yes, that's the right move". Forget the CSU Convo. There is a major design flaw. The lower bowl seating is so shallow that the fan noise goes right over the top of the players. Fan noise has to be directed to the floor.. The four year old drawings commissioned as part of a feasibility study have once again surfaced. Patience is the key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachTheZip Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 As far as need goes, I heard that ticket sales are up. Obviously not enough to force the issue of a new arena, but that's always a good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 When we post on forums, we should expect others to challenge our assumptions. Forums are places for people to exchange differing opinions. Sometimes discussions get heated and we think others are hammering us. Maybe others also believe we're hammering them. I love to debate, and often change my mind on things. But when you bring out example after example of having other tennants and all you hear from a group of posters is "It won't work. Why? Because I don't like minor league sports. That's why.", that's not a debate or a discussion. That's talking to the wall. Define that however you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Dr. Proenza was on WAKR this morning and seemed to indicate that if there is a new basketball facility, it will have to be developed in partnership with the city and most likely would not be on campus. I'm not saying it can't be done like this. However, getting involved with the City and the politics that follows make me nervous. Too many people looking out for their own interests and we end up with an arena not in the Zips interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoZips Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I'm not saying it can't be done like this. However, getting involved with the City and the politics that follows make me nervous. Too many people looking out for their own interests and we end up with an arena not in the Zips interest. Well said. Looking about you can discover any number of a arenas that have corporate sponsership. Not unlike Infocision or the soccer stadium on campus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance99 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Perhaps you got hammered because your question "where at?" makes no sense. WOW! The grammar police is out! But you are right, I should have said "where" only Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 @Spin, I appreciate that you try to make reasonable points and are open to changing your position when presented with reasonable counterpoints. I also enjoy those types of discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballzip Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 The MAC and the Horizon Conference are both considered mid majors. There are just a few mid major programs that fill there arenas on a consistent basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 For sake of this discussion, lets agree the JAR seats 6500. What percentage of the 6000 are "season tickets"; meaning sold for all home games? What percentage of the 6000 are reserved for students? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Might as well use the official JAR capacity, which is listed at 5,500. Here's what GoZips.com just said about the number of season tickets sold: On Wednesday, the Zips surpassed the 1,097 season tickets sold during the entire 2012-13 season, 36 days before Akron opens its 2013-14 campaign against Coastal Carolina at James A. Rhodes Arena on Friday, Nov. 8. They say they're almost sold out of lower level reserved seats but don't say anything about what percentage of upper level reserved seats have been sold. My guess is that at least 25% of the seats (1,375) are reserved and available for season tickets.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I'm glad to see season ticket sales are up. Our basketball ticket sales are probably similar to how minor league baseball teams look at season ticket sales. Pre-season ticket sales are critical because it is so much harder to sell tickets once the seasons starts. If you have tickets, you have made the commitment to go...so, even on a snowy January night, you may go because you have the tickets. If you have season tickets and can't make a game, you can give them to someone who could attend and wants to attend because they can sit in a better seat. Actual attendance goes up. If you don't have season tickets and it is snowy, you can easily talk yourself out of going for any number of reasons. Not to mention, more season tickets means more scholarship fund donations. Always a good thing. To me, ticket sales aren't about a couple of sell outs a year. Season ticket sales are about increasing the actual average attendance for a season. If you want a new arena, this should be the number one measurable you look at. What you "might" get if you have a new arena is theoretical. What you are actually getting is a real number. Schools should "build" around real numbers. Building arenas based upon theoretical outcomes or cliches like "if you build it they will come" is the foundation for success that has given us years of the "building process". No thank you. The Athletic Department is doing a good job of creating reality by selling more season tickets. KD has to keep those kids winning though in order to keep the ticket sales up. KD has the hardest job in the whole equation. So many things have to go right... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I think 8000 would be a better number to shoot for. Here's my thinking. You know a new venue always brings in a lot of people the first year. The Zips winning would keep them coming back. Might even bring in some schools that are famous for football, whose basketball program would come here and we could compete (win) with. Alabama, LaTech, or some regional rivals like Wright, Cincy, Xavier, Pitt. Duq. Teams that would bring fans. Detroit and Marshall are nice home games this year in that regard. That capacity also increases the number of other events you can bring in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 DIG thanks for the accurate number and I agree with GP1 in that season tickets are a great barometer of fan interest and for planning for the future. The season tickets sold quoted above is very disappointing to me, in light of our recent success. For an area with the population Akron has to sell just over 1,000 season tickets is....disappointing. Especially considering their cost. With that figure in mind, building a new facility with a capacity over 6 0r 7000 is not going to happen. Nor should it. Pitt, Cincy & Xavier aren't coming to the JAR. We'd have a shot at Duquesne & Wright State by agreeing to a home and home but almost all the Zip fan base would complain they aren't "name" programs and not worthy of their attendance. I still contend the best way for the Zips to play "names" is in the made for TV events (PR, Hawaii, etc) or to organize and find funding support for one held at the Q with the Ohio Hoops theme. Then the Zips could play Xavier, Cincy and even OSU if the TV networks deem interest high enough to give programs financial guarantee's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Green Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 @taxpayer, keep in mind when considering the number of season tickets sold that the premium, lower-level reserved seats are essentially sold out, as there are only a few odd seats still available there. I've sat in the lower section and was not impressed with the view due to the shallow seating angle causing people sitting in front of you to obstruct your view. I actually prefer the sight lines from the less expensive upper level reserved seats, even though they're further from the court. Ideally you want your premium seats to not only be closest to the court but also have the best, unobstructed views. I'd be a candidate to upgrade to premium seating in a new arena where the lower level seating has better sight lines, and I suspect others would, as well. As long as the Zips keep improving and winning more, there's no doubt in my mind that a better arena with more quality seats would attract more season ticket holders as well as higher overall attendance. The only question is how big the increase would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 DIG thanks for the accurate number and I agree with GP1 in that season tickets are a great barometer of fan interest and for planning for the future. The season tickets sold quoted above is very disappointing to me, in light of our recent success. For an area with the population Akron has to sell just over 1,000 season tickets is....disappointing. Especially considering their cost. With that figure in mind, building a new facility with a capacity over 6 0r 7000 is not going to happen. Nor should it. We discussed before a big reason the attendance (especially season ticket sales) is low is because of the JAR. It's uncomfortable, lacks the most basic amenities, lacks any character (unless you dig high school gymnasiums) and is about as D1 as our "ballpark". We've also talked about how a modern, comfortable venue skyrockets attendance and revitalizes the area it is located in. Reference Canal Park and Gateway. And Columbus' Arena District. An on-campus arena also adds to the campus itself, and brings potential benefactors onto campus to see what "Akron U" has become and what it could achieve. Built adjacent to the Info and First Energy, it could revitalise the old Zip Strip. Which improves campus life, and the cycle continues. There are several better reasons to build a new arena than outgrowing the JAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 Spin - no arguing that there are MANY reasons why a new facility is a preferable option. However, I haven't seen nor heard of money being available from the State of Ohio nor from any private source. Therefore, I believe with the current success of the men's program a sit and wait attitude towards the JAR is a mistake. Again, I'm out of town and have read little about the little improvements that will be made in the JAR this year. My attitude is that a new facility is not going to be a reality for at least 5 - 7 years. I'm in the camp that would support a renovated JAR that addresses one of it's obvious shortcomings. Seating. If the UA has a master plan where the JAR remains a facility for volleyball for example, I'd like to see some cost projections for removing the current seating concept and installing FEWER, closer and steeper seats. Chairbacks of course. If some classrooms, offices or concession space is the result of the redesign great. Leaving it the way it is should not be an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spin Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 Money is another topic, and a big one. Apparently Tress is working on that, being able to get that done without city (FINE BY ME) and state money.It could be done through benefactors and naming rights, and a healthy investment by the school. Putting those three things together is the trick. IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxpayer Posted October 8, 2013 Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Is there a website where UA's master plan for the campus is currently available to review? I'd be very interested to see if the JAR is in the future plans; as a bball facility or for some other purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy_ua_00 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 According to a family friend that is on the board of directors, there is a meeting to discuss the building of a new arena on Tuesday. They want to build it downtown across from canal park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balsy Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 I ran the number the other day but never got around to posting about it. Average home attendance (10-games) is up about 109 people. A positive sign the program is staggering in the right direction? 2013-2014 2012-2013 change6-games 3158.88 2896.16 +262.7210-games 3183.20 3074.10 +109.112-games TPD 3324.6616-games TPD 3781.56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance99 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 According to a family friend that is on the board of directors, there is a meeting to discuss the building of a new arena on Tuesday. They want to build it downtown across from canal parkHere is a thought:If the city have to get involved, the city should do a arena/cansino combo and use the profits to fund it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akzipper Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 According to a family friend that is on the board of directors, there is a meeting to discuss the building of a new arena on Tuesday. They want to build it downtown across from canal parkAt this point I'm just tired of waiting. UA has to "strike while the iron is hot." Spend $60 million for a football team that won 3 games in 3 years, but a 20+ win basketball team can't get a decent place to play? I know plenty of people will complain about it being downtown. It isn't a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valpo Zip Posted February 9, 2014 Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 At this point I'm just tired of waiting. UA has to "strike while the iron is hot." Spend $60 million for a football team that won 3 games in 3 years, but a 20+ win basketball team can't get a decent place to play? I know plenty of people will complain about it being downtown. It isn't a big deal.Two basket ball teams... and a volleyball team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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