(04-03-2012 07:50 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (04-03-2012 03:59 AM)CardinalJim Wrote: (04-02-2012 10:29 PM)quo vadis Wrote: Good point. Makes you also wonder about the politics of a deal that is such a sweetheart for UofL but not nearly so much for the city?
UofL, Tom Jurich and Papa John Schnatter had City Officials by the short and curlys when the arena was being planned. If UofL didn't get the deal it wanted it would have simply built it's own arena, on campus, without assistance from the city or state, and Yum would never have been built. The city needed UofL and UofL knew it.
Ok, well that explains it. Thanks!
Quote:As for the position of some programs on the list like UK. Keep in mind they have a huge fan base... a huge poor fan base. The average UK fan has never been to a game in Rupp or saw the Cats play in person. They are what many would call a T-Shirt fan base.
... but UK does sell out Rupp arena, and UK does have an immense traveling fan base. I've been to NCAA regional at least 4 times when UK happened to be one of the teams involved, and every time they absolutely numerically swamped the fan bases of other teams. Even of blue-chip teams like Kansas and Louisville this past weekend in New Orleans.
And Walmart fans don't travel.
+2
While every fan base as t-shirt fans (i.e. many that just don't have the means to travel to games or purchase season tix)...and yes, they are still IMPORTANT to any and every program (they buy merchandise, even from places like Walmart), to say that UK fans don't have CA$H is just laughable and naive.
UK fans poured in approx 15,000 of the 17,000 that showed up for days at the SEC Tourn in New Orleans 4 weeks ago.
UK fans poured in by 20,000 plus for the NCAA Regionals in Atlanta.
UK fans poured in by 50,000 plus to New Orleans for the Championship Game....spending THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of $$$$$ on expensive hotel rooms, stub hub tix, etc....
NO ONE in college hoops (its not even close) has the traveling fan base like UK...as their hoop traveling fan base rivals that of even the best football programs.
What some probably don't know is that while Rupp is the largest on-campus "Basketball" arena (i.e. not a dome used for football) in the country, the 36 yr old building doesn't have suites or club seats, which generate tons of incomes for those with new buildings today...plus, most, if not all seats in the upper deck are "bleacher seats", which offers more seating for more fans vs individual chairback seats which are found in mostly new arenas today.
UK and Lexington are trying to come up with plans to either renovate Rupp Arena...or possible build a new one...but they have to figure out how not to displace many long-time season tix holders...as with a renovation or a new arena will include new suites and club seats, which will most likely take away general seating from some long-time season tix holders.