UNI's New Arena

[PTTB]

Some on here have been interested on the progress of the new UNI arena. Well, here are some pics, and an article (as well as some home video!). I like the new school feel with the purple chair backs, and the old-school bleachers for the students. They won't be sitting anyway, but the effect is pretty cool. The front row is inches from the floor.

Pics: http://pics.livejournal.com/rawbery79/gallery/0002pc5y
Home video: http://www.panthernation.com/showthr...7542#post57542
TV Station highlights: http://www.kcrg.com/news/sports/4481321.html
Paper article: http://www.panthermania.net/articles...1802178377.txt

"To make the McLeod Center more comfortable for players and inviting for recruits, Bob's TV and Appliance is setting up all three locker rooms (volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball) with big-screen televisions and surround sound, while equipping each of the staffs' coaches with flat-screen TVs. The TVs will be used for team and individual film study, while the coaches will have multiple DVD burners to facilitate film exchanges."

If you go to www.panthermania.net you can find more on media day. Some of you have been interested in the actual building itself, which is why I spare you the media day stuff. Enjoy! Look foward to seeing some of you in the McLeod Center when the Panthers take on Bradley the first ESPN2 game in the McLeod Center.

[MacabreMob]

Re: UNI's New Arena

Some on here have been interested on the progress of the new UNI arena. Well, here are some pics, and an article (as well as some home video!). I like the new school feel with the purple chair backs, and the old-school bleachers for the students. They won't be sitting anyway, but the effect is pretty cool. The front row is inches from the floor.

Pics: http://pics.livejournal.com/rawbery79/gallery/0002pc5y
Home video: http://www.panthernation.com/showthr...7542#post57542
TV Station highlights: http://www.kcrg.com/news/sports/4481321.html
Paper article: http://www.panthermania.net/articles...1802178377.txt

"To make the McLeod Center more comfortable for players and inviting for recruits, Bob's TV and Appliance is setting up all three locker rooms (volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball) with big-screen televisions and surround sound, while equipping each of the staffs' coaches with flat-screen TVs. The TVs will be used for team and individual film study, while the coaches will have multiple DVD burners to facilitate film exchanges."

If you go to www.panthermania.net you can find more on media day. Some of you have been interested in the actual building itself, which is why I spare you the media day stuff. Enjoy! Look foward to seeing some of you in the McLeod Center when the Panthers take on Bradley the first ESPN2 game in the McLeod Center.

WOW! Nice!

What's the capacity again? And they ARE gonna be right up by the floor.

BTW - hope Bob of Bob's TV juiced 'em up with HD TV's... 2010 isn't that far away.

[collegehoopjunkie]

The new McLeod Center (the new arena at Northern Iowa) will seat a maximum of 7,000.

http://www.vpaf.uni.edu/unidome/home/mcleod.shtml

This is actually a shame, because the planning for this arena didn't take into account the great
success over the past 2-3 years of the UNI basketball team and the expansion of the UNI fans base from their usual home draws of 3,000-4,000, to what they now draw at home,
as much as 13,000 (when Iowa or Iowa State come to town), and they drew over 8,000 seven times last year.

In an effort to hurry an on campus arena into a reality, they have created a dilemma.
Now for the big games that will likely draw 8,000-12,000, do they move the game to the UNI-Dome?

[it's boogie time]

Now for the big games that will likely draw 8,000-12,000, do they move the game to the UNI-Dome?

I would think you would want to keep even the big games at the new place. Bring in the recruits and create a create a great atmosphere. The only ones you are keeping out by not going to the Dome would be the Iowa/Iowa State fans. Nothing wrong with having demand for a sellout game. They can even attach requirements to those games where you have to buy three tickets to get a ticket to either of those games.

[PTTB]

The building was designed prior to the three breakout years, but I believe the original building was suppose to seat about 8,000, but when steel prices sky-rocketed they had to down-size a little (and even when they did this, the price of the McLeod Center went from $18 to $25 million). They were going to have it just at around 6,000 seating, but added a couple hundred more seats late with extra money. The building of the arena started after the first run to the NCAA tourney, and before the second run (at least the ground breaking did).

UNI already has 3,200 season tickets sold (about triple from previous years). 2,000 are reserved for students (however students can get in regardless if more show up...most likely in standing room only sections). That's 5,200 seats already reserved, and so about 1,000 'seats' actually are open for public each game. The other 800 are either standing room only or 2nd level portable bleachers. After the season, word is that the luxury boxes will go in. That will increase the attendance, as well as being a great financial luxury to the university.

The only games that will be played in the UNI-Dome will be Iowa and Iowa State. Those were predetermined long ago. UNI still holds the record for the two largest crowds to witness a college basketball game in the state of Iowa. 22,000 when Iowa and UNI played (UNI won) in 1990. Those games consistently get over 10,000 (and upwards to 13-15K) and that's even with higher priced tickets ($30 for ISU this year). When you have the ability to double your crowd, and your ticket price...you gotta do it, IMO. Sell an extra 6,000 tickets and you have made an extra $180,000. That's a good chunk for a UNI athletic program...and that doesn't include concessions.

As far as for recruiting purposes, the kids who are going to come to the game will enjoy coming to the game. It's only one game per year that UNI will play in the Dome. There are plenty of big games (even bigger games, IMO) such as our conference rivals. I'm sure plenty of recruits will be on campus to watch the UNI/UW-Milwaukee game to open up the McLeod Center. It won't be a deterrant to see one game each year in your own bigger facility where UNI had a ton of success the past few years and pretty good success before then.