Will Calipari return for a rematch?
https://triblive.com/sports/rmu-unveils-...eat-arena/

This will start the RMU to the Horizon League rumor mill up again.

Good for Bobby Mo, bad for Duquesne University. The Palumbo Center which is Duquesne's home court has a capacity of 4,406. It used to be that there was a clear pecking order in Pittsburgh college basketball. 1 Pitt, 2 Duquesne, 3 Robert Morris. Now the Colonials are close to the Dukes in facilities and a move to the Horizon would move them closer to conference prestige as well.

Duquesne is in a multi-bid league, unless RMU becomes a low-major power, the pecking order hasn't changed.

(05-04-2019 01:30 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  This will start the RMU to the Horizon League rumor mill up again.

They want to be somewhere else, that's for sure. Ironic as it is, even though a great looking arena, it still screams NEC. That capacity, no matter how nice you make it look, is still too small to run with bigger crowds. Well, maybe AmEast, even though that's a long drive for the rest of the conference. It would still be the smallest in Horizon...I doubt that gets them the votes.

Horizon schools will look at RMU’s arena as a newer Oakland’s O’Rena — which is a top 3 environment with Wright St’s Nutter and NKU’s BB&T.

Cleveland St, Detroit, IUPUI, UIC, UWM, & UWGB wish they had smaller.

Between RMU, Screamin’ Eagle Arena, & Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Horizon has some new or historic venues for the taking. I’d cash in now.

(05-04-2019 10:27 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(05-04-2019 01:30 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  This will start the RMU to the Horizon League rumor mill up again.

They want to be somewhere else, that's for sure. Ironic as it is, even though a great looking arena, it still screams NEC. That capacity, no matter how nice you make it look, is still too small to run with bigger crowds. Well, maybe AmEast, even though that's a long drive for the rest of the conference. It would still be the smallest in Horizon...I doubt that gets them the votes.

Is it not as good as Oakland's

There’s a lot of statements in this thread that I don’t necessarily agree with. First of all, Duquesne is also basically building a new arena. Whatever advantage Robert Morris gains will be short lived.

I also think it’s really interesting that UPMC – the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – is sponsoring the new arenas for both Robert Morris and Duquesne. RMU’s is called UPMC Events Center and Duquesne’s new facility will be called UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. I think that could quickly become very confusing for people.

I happen to live just a few minutes drive from Robert Morris and I cannot tell you how far they’ve come over the past 10 years. The campus, their athletic programs, the whole thing has been remarkable.

They have a tiny little campus but it’s a beautiful suburban type campus and it’s just a lovely environment. I still think most of the kids who go to school there go home for the weekend, but it’s a nice place.

I have never heard that Robert Morris wants to leave the Northeast Conference. Obviously, if they got a better offer from a larger league they would have to consider it. However, I have never heard that they are actively looking to flea the NEC until this thread.

(05-04-2019 10:27 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(05-04-2019 01:30 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  This will start the RMU to the Horizon League rumor mill up again.

They want to be somewhere else, that's for sure. Ironic as it is, even though a great looking arena, it still screams NEC. That capacity, no matter how nice you make it look, is still too small to run with bigger crowds. Well, maybe AmEast, even though that's a long drive for the rest of the conference. It would still be the smallest in Horizon...I doubt that gets them the votes.

It would be the smallest in some Indiana high school leagues.

Looks like a nice little venue.

Tangentially related ..... how many of these smaller schools simply couldn't afford to be in D-1 without March Madness money? What happens if the power conferences decide to stop sharing by ending membership in the NCAA and creating their own new organization?

I could see Bobby Mo move up in stature to solid mid major.

(05-06-2019 08:56 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  I could see Bobby Mo move up in stature to solid mid major.

What's the ceiling, though, realistically? MAAC? That course seems the more likely between them and Horizon, since Horizon is shedding private members.