http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.../707210435

Louisville is pushing to make its new arena home to NCAA Championships across the board. It should be pretty cool if we can land some of these events.

Louisville would make a great venue for NCAA post season events. It's centrally located, has plenty of hotel space, the facilities, and a ton of college fans in the area. It makes perfect sense to me.

The new Arena in Louisville could become the new "jewel" for the NCAA to use...as unlike most of the new top Arenas today that have both NBA and NHL Teams as their home...(or at least one NBA or NHL Team that gets priority scheduling dates), Louisville could offer just as good of an Arena...but with TOP priority to the NCAA.

Louisville will have a top arena, in a good-size city, and without PRO TEAM compeition.

I'm sure the NCAA will be scheduling a lot of events there soon.

Just like Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

bitcruncher Wrote:Just like Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

Not really. Louisville's arena will have 1st class amenities.

That's a minor detail. TBA is already home to the regional women's basketball tourney - minus the brand new amenities.

bitcruncher Wrote:That's a minor detail. TBA is already home to the regional women's basketball tourney - minus the brand new amenities.

Actually, its a VERY big deal. That's not my opinion, its what the NCAA has said. The city of Louisville isn't just hoping to host a women's basketball regional once in a while. Its discussing host the women's final 4 and the national championship matches/weekends for many olympic sports. The amenities for athletes, not spectators, are what is key here. All new arenas have suites, etc, but for example, practice space is a vital for many olympic sports. Sports such as wrestling require practice area away from the main floor in the center of the arena. What the NCAA has told the city is that most venues do not fulfill this need, and a makeshift job has to be pulled every year. Also, the arena is being designed with aspects to ensure that the logistics of running a large NCAA event can be handled efficiently.

I honestly had never heard of any other arena authority holding multiple meetings with the NCAA prior to making final design plans. As the article states, the competition is there for hosting events. I like the city's chances of hosting many events though, especially since on several design aspects the NCAA has said "Most arenas do not have Feature X and Feature Y, and those would make things run more smoothly during hosting, why don't you include those, wink wink."

How does all the talk with new UofL facilities play in Lexington, where Commonwealth Stadium is at best, an average SEC stadium and Rupp Arena is showing its age at 30 years old?

Who cares what Kentucky fans think? I love seeing them as the number 2 football team in the state.

The SEC is the weak sister in one state so far. Now all we need is for the Bulls to get stronger than Florida.

DFW HOYA Wrote:How does all the talk with new UofL facilities play in Lexington, where Commonwealth Stadium is at best, an average SEC stadium and Rupp Arena is showing its age at 30 years old?

I'm not sure how they feel but I'm sure they don't like it. Louisville really hasn't concerned itself with how UK feels about things. They behave in a provencial nature and try to obstruct, Louisville just figures out ways to get things done. The secret is in the city, the economic engine of the state and the fact that its citizens overwhelmingly support the local (and oldest) university with their dollars and attendance. UK had coal barrons and horse traders. Louisville has Papa Johns, UPS, Maker's Mark, Brown Foreman, Humana and YUM brands among other home grown or based enterprises that focus their efforts on Louisville athletics.

DFW HOYA Wrote:How does all the talk with new UofL facilities play in Lexington, where Commonwealth Stadium is at best, an average SEC stadium and Rupp Arena is showing its age at 30 years old?

The State of KY and the largest city in the State (Louisville) needed a new public "Events Center" to host concerts/shows/events all year round.

Advantage for UL is that the Cards can also be a tennant for this new Arena as well.

Lexington...bascially horse country with a beautiful college town atmsophere...and a nice small metro area (maybe 300,000-400,000 in surrounding counties)...is too small of a place compared to Louisville...as far as attracting more acts/concerts/shows throughout the year (yes...many do stop by in lex..but much more so will be stopping in Louisville).

Rupp is Rupp...as they can cram as many fans in there as possible.

Commonwealth Stadium for UK is fine...as even though they don't have a very good program...its still a place for 55,000-65,000 folks to show up on Saturdays and talk college basketball.