I am excited about moving to freedom hall. To me it is a no brainer.

(10-27-2013 06:11 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Well, I have never heard $100 million for a 6,000 - 7,000 seat arena. More like $50 million, but it doesn't make much difference.

They aren't going to move all the bells & whistles for 3 games in Freedom Hall this year. Next year, when we move there for good, you can expect to see that. I guess the fact it's an actual basketball venue has no weight on here, which is kind of amazing.

They are looking to spend 10-15 million to renovate Freedom Hall and not own it! That is crazy in my opinion. I would rather stay in the Dome without spending another dollar on it other than expanded seating on the far side where the wooded bleachers are, for another 10 years or so and build a 50 million dollar facility that ETSU owns. Yes, freedom hall is a basketball facility, but its off campus and the city owns it, both of which is enough by itself to be a crazy idea.

I think if you build a new arena, it should be in joint with the city. To do it as "ours" and not an arena for Johnson City is not a good idea. That's following the plan of the previous AD.

(10-27-2013 06:11 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Well, I have never heard $100 million for a 6,000 - 7,000 seat arena. More like $50 million, but it doesn't make much difference.

They aren't going to move all the bells & whistles for 3 games in Freedom Hall this year. Next year, when we move there for good, you can expect to see that. I guess the fact it's an actual basketball venue has no weight on here, which is kind of amazing.

Agree completely, never understood why folks think it is a fantastic idea to play basketball in a football arena.

Actually with cost of land acquisition (remember ETSU is landlocked), relocation of existing things displaced, etc. that is about it, and that was for around 10k seats.


UVa-Wise spent about $36 million on approximately 3000-3500 seats, already owned the land and didn't displace any items on their campus. They also doubled up on parking and share it with their football stadium.

(10-27-2013 07:13 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  

(10-27-2013 06:11 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  Well, I have never heard $100 million for a 6,000 - 7,000 seat arena. More like $50 million, but it doesn't make much difference.

They aren't going to move all the bells & whistles for 3 games in Freedom Hall this year. Next year, when we move there for good, you can expect to see that. I guess the fact it's an actual basketball venue has no weight on here, which is kind of amazing.

They are looking to spend 10-15 million to renovate Freedom Hall and not own it! That is crazy in my opinion. I would rather stay in the Dome without spending another dollar on it other than expanded seating on the far side where the wooded bleachers are, for another 10 years or so and build a 50 million dollar facility that ETSU owns. Yes, freedom hall is a basketball facility, but its off campus and the city owns it, both of which is enough by itself to be a crazy idea.

Hate to break the news, but it will probably be 20-25 years before a new arena will be a reality (unless there truly is a substantial donor with the $100 million or so).

Let's see, the QCOM is off campus, the GCOP is off campus, the Nave Center is off campus, the PT program is off campus, the Gray Fossil Site is off campus, the Valleybrook facility is off campus, the Innovation lab is off campus, etc. ETSU is a university, not a community college, check out the UVA facilities that are "off campus"...

Also don't forget, I believe ETSU promised the SoCon they would get basketball out of the football arena. Again, if the dome is not acceptable to recruits and the conference, a new arena is 20 years or so out, exactly what are the alternatives? There is always Viking Hall, or perhaps we could work out something with Milligan to play on nights they aren't using their facility.

Sounds like a lot of folks are against something but unable to propose a viable alternative.

Alternatives??

I just see it as you're moving from one dump to another. At least the current dump is on campus and ETSU themed.

(10-27-2013 07:56 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  I just see it as you're moving from one dump to another. At least the current dump is on campus and ETSU themed.

I'm not sure it matters how we see it. What matters is how coaches and recruits see it and how the SoCon sees it. Apparently they see it very differently.

I liked the plan a few years ago to upgrade the dome-the one with the new bleachers, lighting, and banners that encapsulated the floor. I remember looking at the renderings and thinking the proposed plan looked a viable (financial) option and a unique way to recast the dome.

Why was this plan scrapped? I ask out of genuine interest: I realize that these sorts of decisions come from data that I don't have access to. I wish, however, the athletic department would be clearer about their intentions with respect to basketball. I would have far more buy-in if I had some sense of the vision. As a donor and season ticket holder for a decade, I expect to be told "this is why we're not retrofitting the dome after all..."

(10-27-2013 08:40 PM)Bucfaithful Wrote:  I liked the plan a few years ago to upgrade the dome-the one with the new bleachers, lighting, and banners that encapsulated the floor. I remember looking at the renderings and thinking the proposed plan looked a viable (financial) option and a unique way to recast the dome.

Why was this plan scrapped? I ask out of genuine interest: I realize that these sorts of decisions come from data that I don't have access to. I wish, however, the athletic department would be clearer about their intentions with respect to basketball. I would have far more buy-in if I had some sense of the vision. As a donor and season ticket holder for a decade, I expect to be told be told "this is why we're not retrofitting the dome after all..."

Bathroom facilities in the area scheduled to have more seats would have been portable, probably contained in semi trailers. Dressed up jobsite johnie's not exactly the image desired, wouldn't you agree? Absolutely nothing could be done to improve the acoustics/sound, etc. SoCon didn't want ETSU if basketball was to be played in the dome, etc. Somewhat expensive to "curtain" out the empty seats, etc. Looked good until the details were investigated.

(10-27-2013 07:19 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  I think if you build a new arena, it should be in joint with the city. To do it as "ours" and not an arena for Johnson City is not a good idea. That's following the plan of the previous AD.

Sometimes we can agree on things. I've said it all along, and honestly believe this Freedom Hall expirament is an attempt to build a relationship between ETSU and the city, so maybe the two can work together to build something beyond the Tri-Cities wildest dreams.
I understand that Freedom Hall is a "basketball" arena. It's also just as old, outdated and not really serviceable as the dome is. And as much as I hate Aramark and their nasty food, the food at Freedom Hall is bad, too. I went to the Metrodome earlier this year (watching FNIA right now), and with that outdated, crumbling facility they had the best concession food I've EVER HAD. It was hot, it was good.
I guess my problem is why in the world would ETSU PAY RENT to use that hell hole that sits on a high school campus, not do anything to make it look like it's ETSU's court? Ten years ago when C-USA laughed ETSU out of the room, they told them that one of the first problems ETSU had was their sports were all off campus and all outdated. So they spent to get soccer, baseball, and softball on campus. Now we're gonna move one of the high profile sports OFF campus? The dome can be dolled up and made serviceable for basketball, atleast to envoke a plan to get something done in the next 10 years. Get the city on board to collarborate, split the cost/revenue and put the damn thing somewhere between campus and downtown. Slap a tourist tax, and a sin tax if you have to (beer, wine, cigs, liquor), to help pay for the bond. Fundraise on ETSU's end, get another bond issued and let's go. 10,000 seats with 4,000 in the lower, 6000 upper including club seating and a few luxury boxes.
And for those who do like Freedom Hole, at first ETSU was going to play the entire year there, and maybe all of next year, too. The scoreboards, lights, floor, LED boards and bleachers were all gonna be made to work over there. Then it was just out of conference games with all the gear at Freedom Hall, then it was three out of conference games with the gear, now it's three without the gear.
It's what alot of us have been saying all along, it's a great idea but:
A: That old ***** that runs it is a disaster to work with
B: The roof, electrical and sound system are all absolute garbage.
C: The seats in Freedom Hall have all the comfort of sitting on tree logs. ETSU would need to pull the seats from the unusable sections of the dome and put them in Freedom Hall just to have decent seating.
I guess in short I should said they're both not serviceable for basketball and something needs done.
The mighty Bearcat Den at Virginia High is probably a better facility than Freedom Hall.

I sat in Freedom Hall for 2 hours and had no complaints. I was actually sitting in a seat, not on a bleacher.

Is it ideal? Of course not. But it's a basketball venue with pretty decent bones to work with. We can move our stuff over there. I'll at least give it a chance, but that's me being the crazy wild idealistic optimist.

And the College of Medicine isn't 'off campus.' It's part of the campus, just not the main campus.

Food wise ,at Freedom Hall we can bring in whoever we contract. I have a hell of a source that told me that. There's a lot of potential there.

(10-27-2013 09:03 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  

(10-27-2013 07:19 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  I think if you build a new arena, it should be in joint with the city. To do it as "ours" and not an arena for Johnson City is not a good idea. That's following the plan of the previous AD.

Sometimes we can agree on things. I've said it all along, and honestly believe this Freedom Hall expirament is an attempt to build a relationship between ETSU and the city, so maybe the two can work together to build something beyond the Tri-Cities wildest dreams.
I understand that Freedom Hall is a "basketball" arena. It's also just as old, outdated and not really serviceable as the dome is. And as much as I hate Aramark and their nasty food, the food at Freedom Hall is bad, too. I went to the Metrodome earlier this year (watching FNIA right now), and with that outdated, crumbling facility they had the best concession food I've EVER HAD. It was hot, it was good.
I guess my problem is why in the world would ETSU PAY RENT to use that hell hole that sits on a high school campus, not do anything to make it look like it's ETSU's court? Ten years ago when C-USA laughed ETSU out of the room, they told them that one of the first problems ETSU had was their sports were all off campus and all outdated. So they spent to get soccer, baseball, and softball on campus. Now we're gonna move one of the high profile sports OFF campus? The dome can be dolled up and made serviceable for basketball, atleast to envoke a plan to get something done in the next 10 years. Get the city on board to collarborate, split the cost/revenue and put the damn thing somewhere between campus and downtown. Slap a tourist tax, and a sin tax if you have to (beer, wine, cigs, liquor), to help pay for the bond. Fundraise on ETSU's end, get another bond issued and let's go. 10,000 seats with 4,000 in the lower, 6000 upper including club seating and a few luxury boxes.
And for those who do like Freedom Hole, at first ETSU was going to play the entire year there, and maybe all of next year, too. The scoreboards, lights, floor, LED boards and bleachers were all gonna be made to work over there. Then it was just out of conference games with all the gear at Freedom Hall, then it was three out of conference games with the gear, now it's three without the gear.
It's what alot of us have been saying all along, it's a great idea but:
A: That old ***** that runs it is a disaster to work with
B: The roof, electrical and sound system are all absolute garbage.
C: The seats in Freedom Hall have all the comfort of sitting on tree logs. ETSU would need to pull the seats from the unusable sections of the dome and put them in Freedom Hall just to have decent seating.
I guess in short I should said they're both not serviceable for basketball and something needs done.
The mighty Bearcat Den at Virginia High is probably a better facility than Freedom Hall.

Unless something changes, the dome will NOT be available for the 2014-15 season.

Emotions aside, I understand you are agin' it, but what is your viable alternative? It's easy to be agin' something, but what are the alternatives?

Apparently Freedom Hall isn't a viable solution because if it were the next two years would be getting played there. Not just three out of conference games using zero ETSU signage/branding and just that ugly maroon generic Freedom Hall court that looks like it was from the early 80's.
There's not emotion about it, neither buildling is serviceable, and I don't know what the answer is, but there's gotta be something better than Freedom Hall.
I'm dead serious, the Bearcat Den at Virginia High School is a nicer facility than Freedom Hall.

No, no it's not. Of course there's no alternative, otherwise you would give it to us. We have to put a new roof on the dome. There's nowhere else to go. You have a 6,000 seat arena a mile from campus. There's no alternative.

Its just such a hellhole for reasons already mentioned.

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Right. No alternative. I think this discussion is done.

And yes, VHS' facility is nicer than freedom hall. The court is better, they have a ton of bathrooms, a little weak on concessions and parking. Obviously Freedom is more convenient with location but they gotta figure out the sound and electrical there.

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I think I would rather figure out the sound & electrical @ Freedom Hall than drive all the way to fricking Volunteer High. This is silly.

If Freedom Hall was a 1 year solution for them to put the roof on the Dome and then go back to it, I would be in favor of that. I think most people could support that. If we are going to put a roof on the Dome, then use it for nothing other than a practice facility for football, I am not in favor of that. Id rather tear it down and build an academic building than do that.

I am not completely opposed to teaming up with the city on a new facility, as long as its a true partnership, and its close to campus. I am not in favor of spending all of this money on a city facility, then the city getting pissed at us for some reason, quit letting us use it, and there we have spent all this donor money on renovating Freedom Hall for nothing. If we are going to spend 10-15 million dollars, it needs to be for a long term fix, and Freedom Hall can't be a long term fix. Spending 25 million on a partnership for a new facility in a situation where we co-own it, help decide its location, and is branded with ETSU, that can be a long term fix.

(10-27-2013 09:35 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  Apparently Freedom Hall isn't a viable solution because if it were the next two years would be getting played there. Not just three out of conference games using zero ETSU signage/branding and just that ugly maroon generic Freedom Hall court that looks like it was from the early 80's.
There's not emotion about it, neither buildling is serviceable, and I don't know what the answer is, but there's gotta be something better than Freedom Hall.
I'm dead serious, the Bearcat Den at Virginia High School is a nicer facility than Freedom Hall.

And seats how many? ETSU averages around 2600 fans and needs to accommodate the largest crowd they have, last year around 4000.