New Arena for Sioux Falls

[mango4]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Just because Stu doesn't agree with the Events Center proposal, gives me one more reason to think it's the right way to go.

BTW...if you all haven't noticed, Stu disagree's with everything that might bring SF/SD into the 21st century. As Jackrabbit fans I'm sure you've all noticed.

Go Jacks!!

I should clarify my post, I don't think he has a problem with the Events Center, what he does have a problem with is a dome being built.

[propar80]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I should clarify my post, I don't think he has a problem with the Events Center, what he does have a problem with is a dome being built.

No claraification needed.

If God Almighty himself took the FargoDome off it's foundation and plunked it down on Howard Wood tomorrow and the Residents of SF didn't have to pay a dime for this act....Stu would be the first one ripping it....believe me, he'd find a way.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I would almost guarantee a bigger crowd for any November football game played in Sioux Falls than what the team is drawing up in Brookings. People would drive down to watch a game inside during the cold weather, especially if season tickets included this game. If the team is as good as it was this year, 8-12 thousand should be pretty easy to get, come down watch the game, do some Christmas shopping, go out to eat, etc...

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I would almost guarantee a bigger crowd for any November football game played in Sioux Falls than what the team is drawing up in Brookings. People would drive down to watch a game inside during the cold weather, especially if season tickets included this game. If the team is as good as it was this year, 8-12 thousand should be pretty easy to get, come down watch the game, do some Christmas shopping, go out to eat, etc...

Dude.... the college is in Brookings.... The games should be played in Brookings..... I don't care if they put Dallas new stadium in Sioux Falls.... You play your games on campus, thats how it works....

[goon]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Dude.... the college is in Brookings.... The games should be played in Brookings..... I don't care if they put Dallas new stadium in Sioux Falls.... You play your games on campus, thats how it works....

I agree that if fans from Brookings don't make it to the game in Brookings I would doubt they would make the effort to go to SF. I know student attendance would be even less then it is and would not make the trip. Even if people did not have to pay for it I still think others would not want it for the fact that people may not think its nessicary. If you could take a vote, Im sure an events center and or new arena to hold 12-14 for basketball would be higher on the list then a football dome. I live in SF and would not like to see football here, maybe a basketball game or too but I know its not practical for the money. I enjoy the day of going to Brookings for football food and fun for the day.

[tjbison]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Dude.... the college is in Brookings.... The games should be played in Brookings..... I don't care if they put Dallas new stadium in Sioux Falls.... You play your games on campus, thats how it works....

Couldn't agree more! you would get the intersted casual Football fan looking for something to do, but I would say the actual atmosphere playing a game in a different city would be well boring! IMO

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I would almost guarantee a bigger crowd for any November football game played in Sioux Falls than what the team is drawing up in Brookings. People would drive down to watch a game inside during the cold weather, especially if season tickets included this game. If the team is as good as it was this year, 8-12 thousand should be pretty easy to get, come down watch the game, do some Christmas shopping, go out to eat, etc...

Been there, did that, they didn't come! Plus, Howard Wood doesn't have near the atmosphere that CAS has. Now, if by guarantee you mean you are willing to fork out the $$$,$$$ to make up the difference then.....

GB, GB, GJ!

SUPERBUNNY

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

I agree that if fans from Brookings don't make it to the game in Brookings I would doubt they would make the effort to go to SF. I know student attendance would be even less then it is and would not make the trip. Even if people did not have to pay for it I still think others would not want it for the fact that people may not think its nessicary. If you could take a vote, Im sure an events center and or new arena to hold 12-14 for basketball would be higher on the list then a football dome. I live in SF and would not like to see football here, maybe a basketball game or too but I know its not practical for the money. I enjoy the day of going to Brookings for football food and fun for the day.

With this line of thinking, if consumers from Brookings don't shop at the Brookings Mall, they wouldn't make the effort to go to the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. I suppose students will not attend the Summit League tournament either (how sad will it be if an SDSU team is going to the dance and no one rushes the floor)? Unless you go to a game for the venue (like Lambeau Field), you go to watch your team.

A 1 hour road trip to Sioux Falls is too far to watch your team? Really??? Yet fans from Sioux Falls (and farther) get blasted by many on this board for not making the trip to Brookings to watch every game. Goon, how many times a year does the average SDSU student come to Sioux Falls for something other than an SDSU game? 10, 15, 20, 50? Heck, I know a number of them who come to SF regularly for a class at the University Center.

No one from BROOKINGS goes to games in BROOKINGS in November except NDSU and Augustana fans. Temps from climate.sdstate.edu

November 8, 2008 vs Illinois State = 3276 (35 Degrees)
November 1, 2008 vs Missouri State = 6117 (57 Degrees)
November 17, 2007 vs NDSU = 16345 (55 Degrees)
November 10, 2007 vs Southern Utah = 3317 (45 Degrees)
November 4, 2006 vs William Penn = 4211 (64 Degrees)
November 19, 2005 vs Northern Colorado = 1881 (43 Degrees)
November 5, 2005 vs Southern Utah = 4022 (40 Degrees)
November 6, 2004 vs Augustana =13166 (59 Degrees)

That's an average attendance of 6500 people at games in November. If you take out games against rivals, that average drops to 3804. Any way you look at it, that's a sorry number.

My point was that if you have an indoor venue that could hold 10,000K in Sioux Falls, you would draw a bigger crowd than one played in Brookings if the temp is below 45 degrees, unless we're playing NDSU, Augustana, or USD (yuck). I too love to go to games in Brookings and love watching football outside. However, if Sioux Falls ever gets an indoor football stadium, I would hope that at least 1 game every 2 years would be played in SF.

Also, for the record: In Men's basketball when SDSU played Manhatten in the SF Arena, attendance was 2083. Average attendance for that season was 2070. So it wasn't like there was a huge drop in attendance and some people who had never been exposed to SDSU basketball were. The non SDSU fans I took to the game were surprised at how athletic our team was then and said they would rather attend a game like that than a Sky Force game. They haven't been to a basketball game since, in large part because they would have to drive up to Brookings to do so.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Been there, did that, they didn't come! Plus, Howard Wood doesn't have near the atmosphere that CAS has. Now, if by guarantee you mean you are willing to fork out the $$$,$$$ to make up the difference then.....

GB, GB, GJ!

SUPERBUNNY

Like I said in my previous post, they did come for the basketball game. And most of those that were there were not season ticket holders or students--they were people who may not have been to another game that year or ever.

If Sioux Falls builds an indoor football stadium, SDSU needs to play at least one game every 2 years there in the month of November. No indoor football stadium, there probably should not be a game in SF.

If we don't, Augustana and USF will be (not to mention USD). And if you don't think they are fighting for the SF casual fan, you're kidding yourself.

[joeboo22]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

The point is the college is in Brookings..... How can you ask money from donors and/or go to the state and ask for money, if you are playing games off campus.....

If you are going to play games at Sioux Falls why don't they just move the campus there then.....

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Was gone for the weekend and am just catching up on things. I just scanned the articles in the Argus a couple times, and I didn't see anything about a dome, Sanford offered to donate the land for the site of a HW2, but as I understood it, the offer was the site, not the building. In fact one of the concerns of the school board was how much money they would have to put towards the building of the a HW2. The other thing I am not sure where it came from was the $50 million figure. Pam Homan, SFPS Super., is quoted as saying it would take $25 million, although it was somewhat unclear if she was talking about the site and infrastructure alone, or with the facility also.

As for the event center committee, they have state often that the basis for a new event center is NOT sporting events. To make this a financially sound proposal, the center must be built so that it can host more and bigger conventions and other events than are currently being held at the Convention Center/Arena. In fact the committee, sporting events, including the current teams, are really a minor amount in the equation. Does that mean you don't take them into account? Absolutely not, but they will not be the driving force.

As for the Summit Tourney, if SF has the a second year as successful as the first year already has been, we are in very good shape to get the tourney again. If we build on the first year to make the second year better, I think we are almost assured of getting another two years if nothing is done at all.
If you want to help make sure that the event goes well, contact the Sioux Falls Sports Authority as they are looking for volunteers for the Summit tourney as we speak.

[State_fan]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Like I said in my previous post, they did come for the basketball game. And most of those that were there were not season ticket holders or students--they were people who may not have been to another game that year or ever.

If Sioux Falls builds an indoor football stadium, SDSU needs to play at least one game every 2 years there in the month of November. No indoor football stadium, there probably should not be a game in SF.

If we don't, Augustana and USF will be (not to mention USD). And if you don't think they are fighting for the SF casual fan, you're kidding yourself.

I was at the game the last time we played at HW, and it was not a great experience. The problem was it felt like an away game. Even though we had the large majority of fans, the atmosphere wasn't good. Maybe part of that was HW itself. Tracks DO NOT belong around football fields when your forced to sit in the stands. Thats even more high school than our east side bleachers.

I guess if they decided to try a late season football game in Sioux Falls indoors, I might accept it once to see how it goes. Making the case that if we are only gonna draw 3500 fans to Coughlin anyway, I suppose that could be pulled in SF too.

But there is no way we would want to play a big game (such as USD) in SF without a large guarantee.

[goon]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

With this line of thinking, if consumers from Brookings don't shop at the Brookings Mall, they wouldn't make the effort to go to the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. I suppose students will not attend the Summit League tournament either (how sad will it be if an SDSU team is going to the dance and no one rushes the floor)? Unless you go to a game for the venue (like Lambeau Field), you go to watch your team.

A 1 hour road trip to Sioux Falls is too far to watch your team? Really??? Yet fans from Sioux Falls (and farther) get blasted by many on this board for not making the trip to Brookings to watch every game. Goon, how many times a year does the average SDSU student come to Sioux Falls for something other than an SDSU game? 10, 15, 20, 50? Heck, I know a number of them who come to SF regularly for a class at the University Center.

No one from BROOKINGS goes to games in BROOKINGS in November except NDSU and Augustana fans. Temps from climate.sdstate.edu

November 8, 2008 vs Illinois State = 3276 (35 Degrees)
November 1, 2008 vs Missouri State = 6117 (57 Degrees)
November 17, 2007 vs NDSU = 16345 (55 Degrees)
November 10, 2007 vs Southern Utah = 3317 (45 Degrees)
November 4, 2006 vs William Penn = 4211 (64 Degrees)
November 19, 2005 vs Northern Colorado = 1881 (43 Degrees)
November 5, 2005 vs Southern Utah = 4022 (40 Degrees)
November 6, 2004 vs Augustana =13166 (59 Degrees)

That's an average attendance of 6500 people at games in November. If you take out games against rivals, that average drops to 3804. Any way you look at it, that's a sorry number.

My point was that if you have an indoor venue that could hold 10,000K in Sioux Falls, you would draw a bigger crowd than one played in Brookings if the temp is below 45 degrees, unless we're playing NDSU, Augustana, or USD (yuck). I too love to go to games in Brookings and love watching football outside. However, if Sioux Falls ever gets an indoor football stadium, I would hope that at least 1 game every 2 years would be played in SF.

Also, for the record: In Men's basketball when SDSU played Manhatten in the SF Arena, attendance was 2083. Average attendance for that season was 2070. So it wasn't like there was a huge drop in attendance and some people who had never been exposed to SDSU basketball were. The non SDSU fans I took to the game were surprised at how athletic our team was then and said they would rather attend a game like that than a Sky Force game. They haven't been to a basketball game since, in large part because they would have to drive up to Brookings to do so.

I live in SF so it wouldnt really be a one hour trip but i think there are enough that would not make it. I think Yeah, I think for 1 or 2 games a year we might be able to get a little bit better attendence. If people from SF and other areas make excuses because of the weather they are fair weather fans, those 3000 or so from brookings who attend those late games, may or may not drive down for the game. It would be foolish to play USD in SF(which is a major reason they are pushing for a indoor field along with 3 HS teams using it) which im not sure there would be as big of attendance gains taht people think. Look at the last few years of playing usd, the attendance were not that great compared to what we can draw for some games. I think keeping games outdoors are key for a home field advantage with the bad weather. Most teams do not like cold or windy weather however our team does well. Why would we want to take the team away from a home field advantage and help out the visitors even though we might get 6k fans instead of 3k.

I think students would show up in good numbers for the summit tourny but I dont think they would as well as other schools would traveling to a tourny close to their school. I think we have a good fan base but have not had situations like tournys and big rivalry games in sports except for a few NDSU games during the transition. Once we make a few tournys and the winning continues I think Students will attend more events outside of Brookings. I think to increase attendance with basketball, double headers are the way to go. If fans from either area brookings or SF have to drive 2 hours for a game, watching 2 games is a much better deal for the time. For people who work a lot of evenings they can not make trips back and forth many times for an individual game, but if they are off and there is a double header, that would make it easier for them to attend.

I just don't think any options in SF are really that good of a deal for SDSU. I think our thinking of it is second to what the needs of SF really is. I can not say i agree with their intent of what they want to build. for the money, a new arena, and updating wood field is prolly the best deal and would benefit the city more then what is being talked about.

[BTownJack]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

Looks like Howard Wood is on the move. SF City Council voted 5-0 tonight to have the Sioux Falls Sports Authority plan the move. Read the tidbit at the link below. More to come in tomorrow Argus.

Sioux Falls school board will request plan to move Howard Wood Field
Jon Walker • December 8, 2008

The Sioux Falls School Board voted tonight to ask an outside agency to develop a plan to move Howard Wood Field.

The action assigns the responsibility to the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, which is considering a plan for a new stadium southeast of the intersection of 60th Street North and Westport Avenue.

(read more)

[Jacks-02]

Re: New Arena for Sioux Falls

The point is the college is in Brookings..... How can you ask money from donors and/or go to the state and ask for money, if you are playing games off campus.....

If you are going to play games at Sioux Falls why don't they just move the campus there then.....

The point also is that there are over 200,000 people in the Sioux Falls metro area and alot of those people are SDSU graduates. Ever hear of Dana Dykhouse? I'm not sure, but I think he lives in Sioux Falls doesn't he?