Zips Need More Fans for New Arena

[Zipmeister]

waiting for GP1......................................

[Spin]

...and it can accommodate hockey.

[Dave in Green]

According to the attendance figures posted on Wikipedia, from 1984 through 1988, CSU basketball home attendance at Woodling Gym rose from an average 1,393 per game to 3,391. If Wikipedia is correct that Woodling Gym had a seating capacity of 3,000, that means that they were over capacity in both 1987 (3,096) and 1988 (3,391), several years before the Wolstein Center opened in 1991. Let's say that actual capacity of Woodling was more than 3,000. The fact remains that they were at or near capacity and apparently growing, which makes a good case for a new facility. They certainly didn't need a capacity of 13k for CSU games. But prior to the Q, downtown Cleveland needed a large event arena. What eventually happened was a mess. But there was certainly a good case for at least a somewhat larger CSU basketball arena at that time.

[skip-zip]

According to the attendance figures posted on Wikipedia, from 1984 through 1988, CSU basketball home attendance at Woodling Gym rose from an average 1,393 per game to 3,391. If Wikipedia is correct that Woodling Gym had a seating capacity of 3,000, that means that they were over capacity in both 1987 (3,096) and 1988 (3,391), several years before the Wolstein Center opened in 1991. Let's say that actual capacity of Woodling was more than 3,000. The fact remains that they were at or near capacity and apparently growing, which makes a good case for a new facility. They certainly didn't need a capacity of 13k for CSU games. But prior to the Q, downtown Cleveland needed a large event arena. What eventually happened was a mess. But there was certainly a good case for at least a somewhat larger CSU basketball arena at that time.

That's pretty much how I remember it. Your research supports that. I knew you'd look that up, Dave !!

Although, I do agree with those who feel that they built the new arena waaaay too big.

This is interesting too. To help Dave, our research guru, I actually was able to find some attendance numbers from game they moved from Woodling Gym over to Public Hall. It shows that between 1981 and 1989, their attendance at this location ranged from 4,100 to 7,400 in the games they played there.

[LZIp]

That's pretty much how I remember it. Your research supports that. I knew you'd look that up, Dave !!

Although, I do agree with those who feel that they built the new arena waaaay too big.

I actually disagree. I do not know specifics, but building a 13k arena with no other arena downtown in a city the size of Cleveland seems alright to me. Like DiG hinted at, it seems the building of the Q killed any chance it ever had. Seems more unfortunate than anything.

[skip-zip]

I actually disagree. I do not know specifics, but building a 13k arena with no other arena downtown in a city the size of Cleveland seems alright to me. Like DiG hinted at, it seems the building of the Q killed any chance it ever had. Seems more unfortunate than anything.

I can only wonder if they had any inkling that they would abandon the Richfield Coliseum and build a new Downtown arena at the time that they decided to build the 13k CSU arena. According to what I am seeing, the CSU Arena was completed only about a year or two before they broke ground to start building Gund Arena. Bad planning?

[Dave in Green]

From everything I've read, the whole Wolstein Center/Q situation was a nightmare of lack of political coordination between the city, county and state. Here's a part of one article written just recently:

Officials have said it costs approximately $2.5 million a year to operate the Wolstein Center. CSU has always hoped for profits from revenues from sports events, concerts, trade shows, conventions and banquets.

It never occurred because by the time the center was built, after years of wrangling with the state to get funds to buy land and build, Cuyahoga County commissioners had signed a lease with the owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers to move the team to a new arena that was part of the Gateway project in downtown Cleveland.

The then-Gund Arena opened in October 1994. The Q has drawn major concerts and sporting events while the Wolstein Center has struggled.

[Zipmeister]

That's pretty much how I remember it. Your research supports that. I knew you'd look that up, Dave !!

My bad. I didn't realize the early eighties ran through 1989.

This is interesting too. To help Dave, our research guru, I actually was able to find some attendance numbers from game they moved from Woodling Gym over to Public Hall. It shows that between 1981 and 1989, their attendance at this location ranged from 4,100 to 7,400 in the games they played there.

Its' all on the link I provided.

[legendofzippy]

I'd say it's a pretty big night on campus. Soccer game, volleyball game, and Massillon/Highland at the football stadium. Everyone that can should really attend something tonight.

[Dr Z]

I'd say it's a pretty big night on campus. Soccer game, volleyball game, and Massillon/Highland at the football stadium. Everyone that can should really attend something tonight.

Out of the three, the volleyball game interests me the most. I got a chance to play a couple games with a few of the girls at the end of last season. Disappointing to see they have a losing record. Hopefully they can put it together for the tournament. Good luck to them!

Here is the preview for tonight.

[legendofzippy]

Out of the three, the volleyball game interests me the most. I got a chance to play a couple games with a few of the girls at the end of last season. Disappointing to see they have a losing record. Hopefully they can put it together for the tournament. Good luck to them!

Here is the preview for tonight.

We went last week for the upset of Ball State. Maybe a young team gelling at the end of the season? Tomorrow is senior night too, so hopefully they get some support.

We'll most like attend volleyball, but that's a pretty good football game. The young QB from Massillon appears to be a star in the making, but Highland is pretty good too. Nice matchup.

[MDZip]

The young QB from Massillon appears to be a star in the making, but Highland is pretty good too. Nice matchup.

Young? Geez, how many high school playoff teams have a freshman starting at quarterback? Zips, keep an eye on him! Of the three events events though, how can a MAC playoff game (of any kind) take a back seat to any of the other events if you're a Zips fan?

[LZIp]

Young? Geez, how many high school playoff teams have a freshman starting at quarterback? Zips, keep an eye on him! Of the three events events though, how can a MAC playoff game (of any kind) take a back seat to any of the other events if you're a Zips fan?

Zips unfortunately have no chance. He already has an offer from OSU.

I am glad that the University has decided to host playoff games, finally.

[Z.I.P.]

We went last week for the upset of Ball State. Maybe a young team gelling at the end of the season? Tomorrow is senior night too, so hopefully they get some support.

Do the couple of VB fans on the list think coach Arenz can survive another season -- what's his contract status? I thought for a while he had the background to succeed here, but things haven't seemed to work out.

[legendofzippy]

Do the couple of VB fans on the list think coach Arenz can survive another season -- what's his contract status? I thought for a while he had the background to succeed here, but things haven't seemed to work out.

I have no idea on contract status, but they have 7 freshman and 3 sophomores, so you'd think he'd be given a pass on this season. Still, needs to produce more than he has.

I don't believe Danny Clark has an offer from OSU. There is mutual interest of course, but long way to go. I highly doubt he'd fall to Akron though.

[LZIp]

Yeah, I was wrong.

Not sure how much interest I have in him anyways. He looked like crap tonight for being as highly touted as he is.

[Zipgrad01]

Shouldnt be any need for a new arena. The jar will be empty after the first 10 games.

[Bubba4three]

Highland's QB is nice but heard he is heading Ivy League or some other super smart route.

[johnnyzip84]

Although the timing isn't the greatest, tomorrow's Beacon has this story discussing the potential for a new arena.

[Dave in Green]

That's a really good article in terms of talking to a lot of key people and getting a wide variety of opinions on all the pros and cons. And just like all the many discussions we've had on the subject right here, the article concludes that there's no slam dunk approach that's guaranteed to work.

[Spin]

A lot better article than the one that told us the Zips need better attendance in order to need a new arena. That fallacy was never even brought up by the people in this article.

A lot of it read like our old threads, we're not as out-of-touch as some claimed.

[Blue & Gold]

Another article from the ABJ comparing Youngstown's Covelli Center & Cleveland's Wolstein Center.

[GP1]

If UofA can do it without the Mayor's influence AND it can pay for itself, or at least come close to paying for itself, do it. If not, don't do it.

[Dave in Green]

The success of the Covelli Centre is a good starting point for a model that could be optimized to work in Akron, assuming that a second arena wouldn't pop up as it did in Cleveland and screw things up. But as the previous article pointed out, the interested parties in Akron and at UA are far from having a consensus on how to best make this happen. Youngstown probably went through a similar process before arriving at the Covelli Centre plan.

[skip-zip]

A lot better article than the one that told us the Zips need better attendance in order to need a new arena. That fallacy was never even brought up by the people in this article.

I think many of us know the situation in terms of the money and the city vs. university relationship on this matter. This article simply does the job of updating us on current thoughts from those involved.

The idea of increased attendance comes up all the time (me included) because this is the only thing we can do as fans that could influence and expedite a more immediate NEED for a new arena for UA basketball.

As I've said many times over the years, this is likely 10 years away from reality. And reading this article, and the discussions I've had with people in the athletic dept. indicate that we're no closer than we were a few years ago. My gut feeling is that a continuation of improvements to Rhodes Arena will be the solution, especially since it still seems as if the University will remain on their own on this.