Well I guess it it is done more in the fashion of the arena in Charleston rather then the curb event center...I wouldn't have too much of a problem with it. But they are kind of big and bulcky and non condusive for the kind of atmosphere represented in that Oklahoma State picture. For instance if I was going to invest a lot of money into basketball seats....I'd prefer the Nicholson seat. But that's just me.

I'm glad Webster's online does you some justice but seriously, I'm not talking about the half assed deal at the Curb Center, I'm thinking suites with box seating, and this may piss all of you off, but it also should signal the end of the Ward Room and the crap of giving donors FREE FOOD. HELLO? Part of getting revenue flowing at basketball games comes from concession sales, hard to generate that flow when the majority of fans attending games are given free food.

I completely agree with you BucLover...

When I first got up here and found out about the little "picnic area" behind the student section and saw everyone filtering down there at halftime I was shocked. I don't know another department in the country that gives around 25% of the arena free food on an every-game basis.

That not only cuts into concessions profits, but it has to cost a ton to put a spread out for a few thousand people each game. I can understand the Wardroom on the top floor, most people have an area for elite, big-money donors to hob-nob....but the thing on the floor open for seemingly everyone else on the planet is crazy.

I've never even considered this and though I doubt the expense is that great....no one should eat free from a school that cannot afford football. But this privelage has been a part of ETSU for as long as I can remember.

If we can get the kind of donations that will justify luxury boxes, fine. But I don't see a lot of luxury boxes at schools that are our peers that have relatively new arenas? Are there any @ App? UTC? Furman? Belmont? Jacksonville? And are they being used?

Like I said, if we can get that kind of donation to justify it, fantastic. But, it wouldn't be very smart to put them in there when no one would use them. I guess I identify luxury boxes w/ high D-1, although I don't even think that Kentucky has luxury boxes at Rupp.

(06-12-2009 07:33 PM)GoBucsGo Wrote:  But I don't see a lot of luxury boxes at schools that are our peers that have relatively new arenas? Are there any @ App? UTC? Furman? Belmont? Jacksonville?

I think that's the point

Belmont and DAVID lipscomb have them....in both cases they look utterly ridiculous.

The ones at the Curb Center and Allen Arena are horribly terrible, that's not what I'm talking about. Why not have something that our peer institutions don't have? Give our fans something new? And yes, I do believe we have a market to tell like 15 or so, between the industry in town, and a few people who are well off that would get one just to show off. I also think it would be good to have a presidential suite to take recruits up to for all sports, as well as potential donors, advertisers. etc... Instead of having them just pregame and halftime in the Ward Room, get them for the whole game. Keep them entertained while they are being entertained. You guys are wanting the program to improve, this is something that would improve it.
And yes, the free food on the floor needs to go, and with that so does this garbage idea that Aramark gets to control the food in the dome. Outsource that mess to Sodexho, get some variety in there, and get fans spending money while at the games.

Lover...give me an example of the kind of luxury boxes you are talking about so I can look up pictures of the arena and get a visual reference.

These are the kinds of boxes I think lover was refering to.

BTW. Old Dominions basketball arena is incredible. I went up there when we got destroyed a few years ago.

I'm just not a fan of all that open space...I prefer the Oklahoma State look

Go look at the club level seating at Thompson Boling, or better yet what was built at Neyland Stadium on the east sidelines. Translate that to basketball, and scale it down. The boxes need to have private entrances with food and beverage, and yes it contradicts what I've said but for what they would cost it would be totally okay to include food and drink.

(06-14-2009 03:56 AM)Goldfinger Wrote:  I'm just not a fan of all that open space...I prefer the Oklahoma State look

As opposed to what we have at the mini-dome?

22

that's a different kind of open space

It's empty space Gold. It's empty space that ETSU can't turn into capital to improve the facility even more or maybe even one day get a separate practice facility.

Has ETSU every played at Freedom Hall? I'm not opposed to the Dome....however it needs some work done to it.

(07-06-2009 11:51 PM)tcrunner25 Wrote:  Has ETSU every played at Freedom Hall? I'm not opposed to the Dome....however it needs some work done to it.

ETSU has played several games at Freedom Hall in the past but not recently. The last one that I remember was during Dechellis' first year. We played Georgia Southern in Freedom Hall that year and lost.

UVA-Wise just broke ground last week on a $30M convocation center. 3,000 seats for basketball and 4,000 for concerts etc. Look out A-Sun here is a future member and travel partner for ETSU.

If it takes 30 million for 3,000 seats then a 50 million dollar facility doesn't look good to me