I was watching SOAS and thinking about UCs problem for basketball. I'm just throwing an idea out here. Would it be possible to put basketball in the Duke Energy Center downtown? Many city's convention center is in or is connected to their arenas. The convention center is a huge space that goes unused for a large part of the year. The city could market it as a possible venu for the NCAA tourney as well as a possible way to revive the downtown. Although US Bank arena is on the river, to me it really doesn't have a downtown feel, and it's very outdated.
Honestly, UCs only problem with basketball is that some fans cannot understand that basketball needs to take a back seat to football, in every instance, if UC is to have any shot of moving on to a better conference.
UCs other problem with basketball are too many half assed fans who use a million excuses regarding the Shoe to not go to games. And I'm not talking about the last 3 or 4 rows where you're even with the rafters (although Ive sat there before and to me it wasn't that bad). We don't need 13k at every game. But we can't even get 11 or 12K to show up to the majority of games. There's so real excuse for that. Cameron indoor has some of the most uncomfortable old chairs you've ever seen and many don't even properly face the floor yet they fill the dump game in and game out.
It is pretty simple. You want to be a big program, you want to be viewed as a power program attractive to big conferences, you want to have a discussion about bigger better facilities....show up. We need more fans showing up, buying tickets versus watching from home.
Other than permanent lower level seating, how much different is the Cintas Center than 5/3 arena? The upper levels look the same. Maybe their upper levels are at a slightly steeper incline? And it is smaller, so with less seats you would be closer to the action.
I have been in the Bank of Kentucky Center. The suites in there are pretty nice. UC's suites could probably use some upgrading.
But couldn't UC just install new, permanent lower level seating and update/upgrade the suites that they have?
And I too have watched any UC games from the upper reaches on 5/3. It's not great, a bit uncomfortable especially when sold out, and of course the view is not ideal, but I suspect most arenas that have seats up that high the view will not be great. When you have a 13,000 seat arena not everybody is going to have a great view.
(12-17-2012 02:10 AM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote: [ -> ]I was watching SOAS and thinking about UCs problem for basketball. I'm just throwing an idea out here. Would it be possible to put basketball in the Duke Energy Center downtown? Many city's convention center is in or is connected to their arenas. The convention center is a huge space that goes unused for a large part of the year. The city could market it as a possible venu for the NCAA tourney as well as a possible way to revive the downtown. Although US Bank arena is on the river, to me it really doesn't have a downtown feel, and it's very outdated.
For heavens sake forget about downtown..........students would hate that....every game becomes an away game to an extent.....Excitement goes away when things are off campus.
I'd keep Fifth Third arena but replace upper level bleachers with seats and then add some lower level seats in the corners. Re-do the luxury suites and tweak a few other areas and voila....a good arena that holds nearly 12,000 fans and alot cheaper than tearing down and building a new arena. Put most of the money raised for nippert stadium renovations.
oh, and the city of cincinnati could raise a ton of tax money by charging an extra tax on UC alumni that live within the City limits and don't attend uc games. That should be worth a few million dollars and it wouldn't take very long to raise it. Lesser taxes would mean more alumni attending games on campus.
hey, it sounded good at first..haha
"Other than permanent lower level seating, how much different is the Cintas Center than 5/3 arena? The upper levels look the same."
Having been to both a few times, I can easily say Cintas is much better in the cheap seats. More comfortable, better sight lines, closer to action etc.
(12-17-2012 09:35 AM)#41 Wrote: [ -> ]Honestly, UCs only problem with basketball is that some fans cannot understand that basketball needs to take a back seat to football, in every instance, if UC is to have any shot of moving on to a better conference.
That wasn't the path Louisville took. Sure, FB drove the bus, but b-ball was hardly the red-haired stepchild. UL basketball makes more money than most football programs.
(12-17-2012 10:40 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote: [ -> ]That wasn't the path Louisville took. Sure, FB drove the bus, but b-ball was hardly the red-haired stepchild. UL basketball makes more money than most football programs.
Yeah, but they were able to get a "Mike Brown" deal from the city. The taxpayers took it on the YUM center, but they did jump from CUSA to the ACC in less than a decade.
(12-17-2012 10:40 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote: [ -> ] (12-17-2012 09:35 AM)#41 Wrote: [ -> ]Honestly, UCs only problem with basketball is that some fans cannot understand that basketball needs to take a back seat to football, in every instance, if UC is to have any shot of moving on to a better conference.
That wasn't the path Louisville took. Sure, FB drove the bus, but b-ball was hardly the red-haired stepchild. UL basketball makes more money than most football programs.
you are correct beej but UofL isn't normal in that regard and I will say that if the football team sucked, they would not be in the acc right now. They got into the acc as a footbal replacement...the acc didn't need their hoops, as good as UofL hoops is. Instead the hoops was a "nice kicker" to the deal. Football and facilities got them in.
UL went from playing in that dump of a old baseball stadium to building Papa John's stadium. Basketball was still in Freedom Hall during that time. UL upgraded the football facilities long before Yum was concieved. Looking back, I think UL started to play in Papa's just a year prior to Big East play, so you can almost say they upgraded their facilities to get into the Big East.
The way I see it, UC is somewhat following that formula - improve Nippert, get into new conference, then take care of 5/3.
Regardless of Nippert vs 5/3 renovation, when and how much - the biggest issue is that UC needs to get into a new conference, and to do what is necessary to achieve that.