old sioux falls arena...

[krak-r-jacks]

haven't heard much about the ol' thing. just curious-----what are they using it for anymore? thought maybe it might be for the sports show, but, see that is out to the fairgrounds. some conventions, i would imagine?

[sdsu2000]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

It has been taken over by Auguastana University as their home basketball arena. The court is AU the signage is all AU and their sponsors. Really a pretty good deal for both parties involved.

[krak-r-jacks]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

It has been taken over by Auguastana University as their home basketball arena. The court is AU the signage is all AU and their sponsors. Really a pretty good deal for both parties involved.

oh, wow. not sure how i missed that one. don't get down there nearly as much as i used to.

[jackrabit1]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

Some smaller concerts too... I think Toby Keith is performing a benefit concert for Feeding South Dakota there this fall.

[Jacks-02]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

The farm show was also held there last week, as well as in the convention center and the premier center.

It was a pretty impressive show, I'm guessing there aren't a lot of facilities in the country that can accommodate that much floor space.

[MrAugustana]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

It has been taken over by Auguastana University as their home basketball arena. The court is AU the signage is all AU and their sponsors. Really a pretty good deal for both parties involved.

Here's some more info and some photos what it looks like at this point (I'll copy and paste some photos in, and the link offers a few more if you're interested in clicking through them): http://goaugie.com/facilities/?id=5







As of now, the Vikes are 23-0 at the Arena since making the move last season. And we currently lead the nation in D2 attendance (just looked it up, and we're actually averaging more than SDSU right now...Augie is at 2,674 for home games this year and SDSU is averaging 2,284 for home games, which kind of surprises me), so the fans seem to be cool with it so far. As sdsu2000 said, it has been a pretty good situation for everyone involved.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

Here's some more info and some photos what it looks like at this point (I'll copy and paste some photos in, and the link offers a few more if you're interested in clicking through them): http://goaugie.com/facilities/?id=5

As of now, the Vikes are 23-0 at the Arena since making the move last season. And we currently lead the nation in D2 attendance (just looked it up, and we're actually averaging more than SDSU right now...Augie is at 2,674 for home games this year and SDSU is averaging 2,284 for home games, which kind of surprises me), so the fans seem to be cool with it so far. As sdsu2000 said, it has been a pretty good situation for everyone involved.

I've been to a couple games, Augustana basketball looks more like a DI than about half the Summit League. They have done a very nice job.

[MrAugustana]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

I've been to a couple games, Augustana basketball looks more like a DI than about half the Summit League. They have done a very nice job.

It's been a fun couple of years to be an Augie fan. I'd consider adding more, but most of the Jackrabbit fans on here don't seem to like me much. Plus, it seems like almost anytime I post something, I run the risk of filbert chastising me for thread drift.

Glad you've enjoyed the games that you've been to.

[goon]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

I know winning helps drive attendance but why moving it off campus helped so much? Usually its the other way. Venues off campus usually struggle with attendance.

[FeaRed]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

What's the reasoning for moving to the Arena? I haven't been to the Elmen Center in a few years, is it THAT bad?

[MrAugustana]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

I know winning helps drive attendance but why moving it off campus helped so much? Usually its the other way. Venues off campus usually struggle with attendance.

Short answer: it feels a lot more big time than the Elmen Center did. Like we're playing in more of a college/university atmosphere rather than a decent-sized high school atmosphere. I'll list some of the other reasons attendance has gone up in response to FeaRed's question.

What's the reasoning for moving to the Arena? I haven't been to the Elmen Center in a few years, is it THAT bad?

A handful of reasons (as the press release from a few years ago explained):

• Over 3,500 chairback seats on the lower and upper levels.
• Two newer/modern videoboards to enhance the fan experience.
• A new state-of-the-art digital scorers table.
• Over 4,400 parking spaces in the Arena/Convention Center and Event Center lots.
• Club seating with over 100 preferred seats.

Out of that list, the chairback seats are probably the biggest reason. Augie has some...shall we say older?...fans, and the Elmen Center offers basically zero back support with its bleacher seating. People seem to be a lot more comfortable there. I think there might also be alcohol sales for the people who sit in the preferred seating. I've also heard recruits seem to like it. And, statistically, opposing teams shot noticeably better in the Elmen Center than they do in the Arena. Probably because the Elmen makes them feel like they're playing in their high school gym.

Of course, probably the biggest reason for the move to the Arena, as former Augie Athletic Director Bill Gross explained it a couple of years ago in the Augie newspaper:

“There is a lot of new revenue potential at the Arena from signage, video boards, advertising, and suites,” Gross said. “We have none of this revenue potential in the Elmen Center. So paying our rental expenses at the Arena we project that we can make over six figures in new revenue…to directly benefit all of our 18 sports and 378 student-athletes.”

I thought I had read somewhere that it was $200,000+ each year, but I can't find the number anywhere, so I could be mistaken.

All in all, the fans like it, the players like it, recruits like it...it has been a good move all around.

[JackJD]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

I watched just two games in the Elmen Center. I thought the seating seemed to be a little too far off the court. The Arena seating is more 'intimate' ...I thought the Arena was always a good place to watch basketball, particularly in lower section. Good move by Augie.

[Nidaros]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

I've been to a couple games, Augustana basketball looks more like a DI than about half the Summit League. They have done a very nice job.

Really? And no carrots thrown. It is the old Arena after all. Lipstick on a pig...... Which half of the Summit does Frost fall?

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

Really? And no carrots thrown. It is the old Arena after all. Lipstick on a pig...... Which half of the Summit does Frost fall?

Top 3, but that has more to do with the Summit being awful than Frost being great.

[JackJD]

Re: old sioux falls arena...

Frost is verging on venerable. Opponents like playing there. It has a reputation. It has a great name. If you could somehow ask basketball fans who do not closely follow the Summit League, to name an arena in the Summit League, some might think of the Maybe Center, some may come up with the simple but classic Western Hall as a name that sticks in mind; but, the name you'll hear the most is Frost Arena.


[The film Hoosiers was on TV this past weekend...Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, built in 1928 -- what a shrine to basketball.]