New Look for UNI

[Duan]

I couldn't agree more! However, UNI fans on here seem more than satisfied so I guess we don't need to break their rose colored glasses.

[unipanther99]

I couldn't agree more! However, UNI fans on here seem more than satisfied so I guess we don't need to break their rose colored glasses.

Happy, proud of how far we have come. But satisfied implies that we don't want more, which isn't the case.

However, I don't waste time worrying if others view us as "major" or whatever.

[MoValley John]

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.

This wasn't me turning this into anything. This is a true frustration of mine. And when VC tries to sugar coat the fact that you guys built a crackerbox by trying to explain away size by stating that the bleachers weren't out, well that is ridiculous.

Here is what I think and it isn't directed only to UNI and I know it will anger a lot of people. So be it. The Valley could be such a better league. The Valley could be a perrenial top six or seven league. It isn't. In fact, this year the Valley isn't even projected to be in the top 10. Bigger arenas isn't the only answer, it's one, but not the only. Bigger budgets, tougher schedules, better and higher paid coaching staffs is the answer. If you want to compete with the big boys, you need to act like a big boy. Otherwise, you may have some years of success, but in reality, you will spend more time wishing you were good. If you want to become a millionare, you don't act like the clown that works at 7-11, you act and behave like a millionare. Same goes with building a powerhouse program, to get there you have to act like one. Having enough seats to actually "buy" lesser teams and to make the big boys at least think about a two for one, is one avenue to thinking like a big boy.

Doug Elgin built this league up with the 150 rule, it employed a scheduling philosiphy that would have demanded Valley schools act bigger. The schools whined and it was dropped. Now we are in a backslide.

[WuDrWu]

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

Where is ValleyTalk when you need it........'99, you know this needs additional comments.

[unipanther99]

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

Where is ValleyTalk when you need it........'99, you know this needs additional comments.

I freely admit, that photo was a very bad idea. It was done in conjunction with a story in the Register titled "Rebel with a Cause."

[snoopj]

Snoopj-

The Men's BB team did play a few home games in the West Gym in 1998 when the roof was being replaced. Most games were held in Young Arena in Waterloo (home of Blackhawks Hockey) that year.

When the roof collapsed back in 1994, a significant number of games were moved to Cedar Rapids' US Cellular Center (5 Seasons Center at the time). I remember watching UNI play Nebraska at the "5."

That's what it was. I remember catching a game against Tennessee State at Young Arena that year. That's why I was thinking it was the same year for the West Gym, but I couldn't find any official information about games being moved around that year.

[musiccitybulldog]

I remember the announcers during the NCAA Tournament saying the floor was going to UNI.
Was it new at the Edward Jones Arena for the regional games, before going to Cedar Falls?

[fastbow]

The perfect arena seats 10,500, is designed to reflect noise back down onto the court, has exactly 0 bleacher seats in the house, excellent concessions, a tunnel by the friends and family seats for the home team and a tunnel between the students for the refs and opponents, excellent configurations for volleyball and events, enough hookups for TV that there are very few cables in anyone's way, beautiful sight lines, and the ability to host a kick-butt concert.

Incidentally, Eck Stadium seats more than UNI's barn.

[MoValley John]

The perfect arena seats 10,500, is designed to reflect noise back down onto the court, has exactly 0 bleacher seats in the house, excellent concessions, a tunnel by the friends and family seats for the home team and a tunnel between the students for the refs and opponents, excellent configurations for volleyball and events, enough hookups for TV that there are very few cables in anyone's way, beautiful sight lines, and the ability to host a kick-butt concert.

Incidentally, Eck Stadium seats more than UNI's barn.

So I guess there are exactly zero arenas in the Valley that are perfect.

[oneNEIGHBOR]

The perfect arena seats 10,500, is designed to reflect noise back down onto the court, has exactly 0 bleacher seats in the house, excellent concessions, a tunnel by the friends and family seats for the home team and a tunnel between the students for the refs and opponents, excellent configurations for volleyball and events, enough hookups for TV that there are very few cables in anyone's way, beautiful sight lines, and the ability to host a kick-butt concert.

Incidentally, Eck Stadium seats more than UNI's barn.

So I guess there are exactly zero arenas in the Valley that are perfect.

No. CKA arena is like this... other then the concert thing, mabye.