New Look for UNI

[TrueBlueJay]

When you said new look for UNI I thought you meant this.

[MoValley John]

When you said new look for UNI I thought you meant this.

This may be the best use of a picture to date on mvcfans!!!

[MoValley John]

Two points on the size of arena issue.

How good do you expect UNI continue to be into the future and how much are you willingt to pay for tickets?

These are two important factors to consider when you think of this perfectly sized basketball arena. Two years of success is not enough to load up the bandwagon, but should UNI make the NCAA's this year, the bandwagon fills up and you are sold out for the season. If the winning continues, suddenly, there is only one way to raise revenue, higher ticket prices. This is the real way college athletics works.

Should UNI continue to succeed the athletic department will look to take advantage of the situation and raise more revenue. And when the barn is full, the only way to beef up the money is to charge more per head. You mentioned Gonzaga. Yep, they built an intimate arena. The school is located in Spokane, with tons of rich people and tickets are also unaffordable to the average Joe. The current minimum donation required for season ticket holders is $2500. But here is the best deal yet, since Gonzaga is currently SOLD OUT! you can donate $250 per year to be on the waiting list for the mere opportunity to buy single game tickets should they become available. No guarantee that they will become available, but you're on the list. What a deal!!!

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/gonz/genrel/auto_pdf/BDCbenefitchart10_11.pdf

[valleychamp]

Two points on the size of arena issue.

How good do you expect UNI continue to be into the future and how much are you willingt to pay for tickets?

These are two important factors to consider when you think of this perfectly sized basketball arena. Two years of success is not enough to load up the bandwagon, but should UNI make the NCAA's this year, the bandwagon fills up and you are sold out for the season. If the winning continues, suddenly, there is only one way to raise revenue, higher ticket prices. This is the real way college athletics works.

Should UNI continue to succeed the athletic department will look to take advantage of the situation and raise more revenue. And when the barn is full, the only way to beef up the money is to charge more per head. You mentioned Gonzaga. Yep, they built an intimate arena. The school is located in Spokane, with tons of rich people and tickets are also unaffordable to the average Joe. The current minimum donation required for season ticket holders is $2500. But here is the best deal yet, since Gonzaga is currently SOLD OUT! you can donate $250 per year to be on the waiting list for the mere opportunity to buy single game tickets should they become available. No guarantee that they will become available, but you're on the list. What a deal!!!

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/gonz/genrel/auto_pdf/BDCbenefitchart10_11.pdf

In other words, having a smaller arena could be a very good thing. What side of the argument are you on?...

[WSUbballer]

When you said new look for UNI I thought you meant this.

Oh boy!..

[WSUbballer]

While I would like the majority of our arenas over 9-10k in capacity, for some schools, it just wouldn't make much sense.

Northern Iowa had their best season in their school's history last year. I'm curious to know how many sellouts they had? I also would think season ticket totals would be higher this year thanks to last year's success. Also, I'd expect the average attendance to rise a bit from last year.

If UNI can't draw 7,000 a game in a season they had like last year's, then they never will IMO.

[MoValley John]

While I would like the majority of our arenas over 9-10k in capacity, for some schools, it just wouldn't make much sense.

Northern Iowa had their best season in their school's history last year. I'm curious to know how many sellouts they had? I also would think season ticket totals would be higher this year thanks to last year's success. Also, I'd expect the average attendance to rise a bit from last year.

If UNI can't draw 7,000 a game in a season they had like last year's, then they never will IMO.

And that is the saddest part of this whole thing. For two years the UNI basketball team has been anything but midmajor. Their fans never figured it out, they still see themselves as midmajor. They are happy with midmajor. And Cedar Falls isn't as rural as one might think, there are over 200,000 people living within 60 miles of the McLoed Center to market to, but it's tough to market a program as bigtime when your true, dyed in the wool fans are happy with midmajor.

Had anyone at UNI had any vision five years ago, they would have built bigger, marketed bigger and sold more seats. Instead, they dreamed midmajor and never tried to sell the people that the program was going to win back to back Valley titles, make a Sweet 16, knock off one of the biggest names in college basketball history, get a cover story in Sports Illustrated and win an ESPY. They freaking let McDermott put an Iowa State billboard in their back yard, and just like a happy go lucky midmajor, when McDermott left Iowa State for Creighton, they let him take their prized recruit as well.

It takes a little longer for the bandwagon to leave the station when a team is worthy of a Sports Illustrated cover but they build an arena and market the program like they would just be happy with a few column inches in Midmajority. This is just one of the reasons that Wichita State fans want out of the Valley. And they're right.

[unipanther99]

MVJ, I know this has turned into you being you. However, a couple of points. We haven't been building off of 2 years of success as you said, it's been a steady climb for nearly a decade. Attendance has probably increased by about 250%, if not more.

What fundraising strategy would you have used to build a bigger arena? What marketing strategy would you have used to fill it?

Honest questions.

[valleychamp]

Where was Gonzaga's vision, MVJ? What were they thinking? I guess they just saw themselves as mid major too.

Its too bad they built such a small crap arena. They surely will never make anything of themselves with an arena like that.

You are WAY over analyzing this...

[WSUbballer]

While I would like the majority of our arenas over 9-10k in capacity, for some schools, it just wouldn't make much sense.

Northern Iowa had their best season in their school's history last year. I'm curious to know how many sellouts they had? I also would think season ticket totals would be higher this year thanks to last year's success. Also, I'd expect the average attendance to rise a bit from last year.

If UNI can't draw 7,000 a game in a season they had like last year's, then they never will IMO.

And that is the saddest part of this whole thing. For two years the UNI basketball team has been anything but midmajor. Their fans never figured it out, they still see themselves as midmajor. They are happy with midmajor. And Cedar Falls isn't as rural as one might think, there are over 200,000 people living within 60 miles of the McLoed Center to market to, but it's tough to market a program as bigtime when your true, dyed in the wool fans are happy with midmajor.

Had anyone at UNI had any vision five years ago, they would have built bigger, marketed bigger and sold more seats. Instead, they dreamed midmajor and never tried to sell the people that the program was going to win back to back Valley titles, make a Sweet 16, knock off one of the biggest names in college basketball history, get a cover story in Sports Illustrated and win an ESPY. They freaking let McDermott put an Iowa State billboard in their back yard, and just like a happy go lucky midmajor, when McDermott left Iowa State for Creighton, they let him take their prized recruit as well.

It takes a little longer for the bandwagon to leave the station when a team is worthy of a Sports Illustrated cover but they build an arena and market the program like they would just be happy with a few column inches in Midmajority. This is just one of the reasons that Wichita State fans want out of the Valley. And they're right.

I don't think I can disagree with anything you've said. It is kinda sad if you think about it.