Mikovio wrote:mvfcfan wrote:VUGrad1314 wrote:Just curious: why NKU over Belmont? Overall athletics commitment? Greater potential?
Lack of fan support is the biggest one for me. Their arena only seats 5000 and they only got 2400 on average last season. When their team isn't good one has to wonder how low their attendance will drop. I also don't like that they are in a city where they are second rate to Vanderbilt and maybe even Tennessee State. TSU averages more than Belmont (TSU had 2600 last season) and they have not had the success Belmont has had. Their arena is only okay as well.
One could argue that Northern Kentucky is second rate to Cincinnati and Xavier, but at least they are not technically in the city of Cincinnati and they are in a different state as well. Northern Kentucky also plays in a newer arena that is definitely MVC quality. I think they have a lot more overall potential (to have a growing fanbase and sustain success if/when their coach leaves) than what Belmont has.
This also leads into why I'm not very high on Milwaukee. They are second rate to Marquette and what's worse is that they play across the street from where Marquette plays. So I really hope we pass on them, although I fear that is who we will add.
Oral Roberts' fanbase has completely disappeared, so I don't want them. They couldn't even bring a crowd to their cross town rivalry game against Tulsa that I attended. UIC is the same deal. Sometimes I hear UMKC brought up, but they have talked about dropping out of D1, so I'm not sure what the appeal is there.
UNK is second rate in metro Cincy to UC, Xavier AND Miami. And Kentucky while a great basketball state is smaller than Wisconsin and oversaturated with established teams (UK, UL, Murray, WKU). Plus UK's hold on KY is stronger than UW's hold on WI. I'd rather add a KY and WI team than two KY teams, even if UNK is higher than UWM at the moment. This is a long term add and I just see more potential in Milwaukee.
I’ve been to a Saturday game at both UWM and NKU this past month. Walked in thinking both were about the same and walked out knowing NKU is lightyears better.
UWM is directly competing against the Bucks and Marquette who both play next door, not to mention the Admirals draw better and UW’s presence. There couldn’t have been more than a couple hundred UWM fans at the game I went - almost as many gold/maroon scarves there (Loyola held an alumni event). I parked first row, sat third row and my section only had a dozen people. This was on a heavily marketed Star Wars Day with free bobbleheads.
NKU was definitely a bigger presence in Cincy. When I arrived, the parking garage was completely full so I had to park in the half-full adjacent lot. Then walked over the short bridge to the arena. Beautiful setting. Sat upper deck as the lower bowl was pretty crowded. The game legitimately had 3k butts in the seats - at least 5x as UWM in that regard. I spotted UK, X, & Cincy fans there - seemed there’s a good bunch who’ve adopted the Norse as #2 and go to the games. NKU DEFINITELY has a larger presence than Miami hoops in Cincy. NKU’s arena unquestionably would be #1 in the Valley.
I drove home blown away by the newness and high scale facilities at NKU. I left certain that NKU is a next gen mid-major with relatively decent fan support in just year #2. Go to a game at Milwaukee, then one at NKU. It’s night and day. You’ll be sold. I sure as heck was - and I liked attending UWM - but NKU was another level.
