Announcement

**bigticket1** · 02-05-2014, 01:23 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Originally posted by FargoBison View Post

I posted this on Bisonville but I thought some here would be interested in a rundown on some of the basketball facility projects going on in the Summit...

IUPUI(Pepsi Coliseum)

http://news.iupui.edu/releases/2013/...coliseum.shtml

USD(Not named yet)

This $53 million athletics project will include an arena, basketball practice facility, track and soccer field. Capacity for the basketball/volleyball arena will be 6,000 seats. There will be a science research facility that will link the basketball facility to the Dakota dome. As of December 2013 USD still needed to raise $9.5 in order to get construction started, the school hopes to break ground in the spring.

Omaha(Not named yet)

http://sports.omaha.com/2013/09/27/v.../#.UvHFOvldWHs

NDSU(Scheels Center at the SHAC)

http://www.gobison.com/sports/2013/6/6/edge.aspx

Not trying to flame , but isn't that basketball capacity for the NDSU new building kind of low ? You would think that you would have the capability to draw more than 6,000 in a new building. If SDSU were building a new basketball facility , you would think 7,500 - 8,000 would be a realistic capacity.

**goon** · 02-05-2014, 01:29 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Kinda wish we were getting one too. well one thing at a time. I didnt know IUPUI was doing anything, but its a pretty nice looking one. I dont care for the open area along the sideline for USD. sort of looks like Pitts and that just buggs me since those are a lot of the prime seats in that middle area.

Would be nice to renovate frost and actually make it nice. since they started changing thing years ago its ruined the atmosphere IMHO. Getting rid of the wooden bleachers really took away from the crowded and intense crowds. now not as many people are as close to the floor and its affected the viewing angles from the upper sections. putting in a full bowl section on the top would be great eventually. Maybe I am alone on this but to get it back to a nice place to play, get the media into the rafters again, only need the scorers table and lower those seats behind the baselines where the students are so they can see better around the baskets.....and I would love to see SDSU go back to using the hanging baskets like we did for so many years. It opens up viewing lines better on the lower sections there and its frees up a lot more room around the court. Plus I think its sort of cool look.....and not only because Duke has the baskets like that too, i just think its better, nice when going for a fastbreak you dont slam into the basket frame, you can run or slide under the hoop. surprised more players dont get injured running into um. Frankly I would like to see permannant seating in the whole thing and make it a true bowl where its rounded in the corners and not just straight seating across like it is now. do that on the top and bottom levels and that would be pretty cool.

**goon** · 02-05-2014, 01:32 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

I too thought the numbers were a little low for USD and NDSU, i would have though more 7-8k range also. I know our attendance isnt as good as it had been back in the great D-2 days, but I think if the confrence stablizes with getting good teams and qaulity play the numbers will go back up.

**Southeast** · 02-05-2014, 01:40 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Who is going to sit in all those seats at IUPUI?

I'm all for seeing it happen, but you have to realize that replacing the bleachers at Frost with permanent seats would drop capacity quite a lot. Whatever the case, the wooden bleachers need to go!

**FargoBison** · 02-05-2014, 01:42 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Originally posted by bigticket1 View Post

Not trying to flame , but isn't that basketball capacity for the NDSU new building kind of low ? You would think that you would have the capability to draw more than 6,000 in a new building. If SDSU were building a new basketball facility , you would think 7,500 - 8,000 would be a realistic capacity.

I think having to work within the footprint of the existing facility kind of limited NDSU's options in regards to capacity. NDSU wanted a seating bowl with an open concourse, they also wanted a club area.

That said having a 6k seat arena filled every night would be a good problem to have in my opinion.

**FargoBison** · 02-05-2014, 01:58 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

I am also not fan of USD's courtside club area pit. While it is nice to cater to your big donors, that thing takes away some of the best seats in the house.

**jacks1** · 02-05-2014, 02:04 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

UNO's pic has to be 'off'....unless they plan on having the largest rink in the history of the world.

**SF_Rabbit_Fan** · 02-05-2014, 04:22 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

I've been saying it for awhile now, but by the time the MVC gets around to wanting the xDSU's the Summit might be a much better home. Especially if/when WSU moves on to a better league. RPI has never been better, and these facilities will lead to better recruits, better teams, and even better RPI. I hope our Athletic Department has plans ready to go on Frost once the football facilities become reality.

**MontanaRabbit** · 02-05-2014, 04:43 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

I personally like the basketball court IUPUI is putting in what appears to be a pre-engineered metal building.

**SF_Rabbit_Fan** · 02-05-2014, 04:49 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Originally posted by goon View Post

Kinda wish we were getting one too. well one thing at a time. I didnt know IUPUI was doing anything, but its a pretty nice looking one. I dont care for the open area along the sideline for USD. sort of looks like Pitts and that just buggs me since those are a lot of the prime seats in that middle area.

Would be nice to renovate frost and actually make it nice. since they started changing thing years ago its ruined the atmosphere IMHO. Getting rid of the wooden bleachers really took away from the crowded and intense crowds. now not as many people are as close to the floor and its affected the viewing angles from the upper sections. putting in a full bowl section on the top would be great eventually. Maybe I am alone on this but to get it back to a nice place to play, get the media into the rafters again, only need the scorers table and lower those seats behind the baselines where the students are so they can see better around the baskets.....and I would love to see SDSU go back to using the hanging baskets like we did for so many years. It opens up viewing lines better on the lower sections there and its frees up a lot more room around the court. Plus I think its sort of cool look.....and not only because Duke has the baskets like that too, i just think its better, nice when going for a fastbreak you dont slam into the basket frame, you can run or slide under the hoop. surprised more players dont get injured running into um. Frankly I would like to see permannant seating in the whole thing and make it a true bowl where its rounded in the corners and not just straight seating across like it is now. do that on the top and bottom levels and that would be pretty cool.

I think its safe to say Frost will be every bit as nice as these new facilities within 5-10 years. Look at what has happened to football facilities in the last decade, I don't see the administration being content with the poor sightlines and everything else in Frost.

I will say that DI media should not be expected to sit in the rafters. The coverage we get today dwarfs what we had in the DII days. Part of that is due to the times changing, but media people need to have their egos stoked a little too. Ever notice how much TV talks about the food spreads schools do for media when he's on the road? Somebody like Stu probably cares much less about attending NDSU/SDSU if he has to sit up there. If you don't believe it, he has bumped TV to the rafters in Williams Arena on more than one occasion just to have the privilege of sitting courtside.

I think there is A LOT of revisionist history that goes with attendance in the DII days. I bet there are actually more tickets bought today than there were in the DII days.

The atmosphere and attendance were better with full bleachers - for big games. For other games not USD, Augustana, or conference front runners it wasn't that great. Attendance for schools like Mankato were usually about the same as they are for a WIU today.

**2002jack** · 02-05-2014, 04:51 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

The "improvements" to Frost have made it worse. I wish they would just stop. I hate the arena, I once loved.

**jack power** · 02-05-2014, 04:54 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Originally posted by MontanaRabbit View Post

I personally like the basketball court IUPUI is putting in what appears to be a pre-engineered metal building.

Apparently they also play hockey there which pushes the seating too far from the floor,especially the 2 ends. Omaha has the same issue.

**goon** · 02-05-2014, 05:03 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

Originally posted by SF_Rabbit_Fan View Post

I think its safe to say Frost will be every bit as nice as these new facilities within 5-10 years. Look at what has happened to football facilities in the last decade, I don't see the administration being content with the poor sightlines and everything else in Frost.

I will say that DI media should not be expected to sit in the rafters. The coverage we get today dwarfs what we had in the DII days. Part of that is due to the times changing, but media people need to have their egos stoked a little too. Ever notice how much TV talks about the food spreads schools do for media when he's on the road? Somebody like Stu probably cares much less about attending NDSU/SDSU if he has to sit up there. If you don't believe it, he has bumped TV to the rafters in Williams Arena on more than one occasion just to have the privilege of sitting courtside.

I think there is A LOT of revisionist history that goes with attendance in the DII days. I bet there are actually more tickets bought today than there were in the DII days.

The atmosphere and attendance were better with full bleachers - for big games. For other games not USD, Augustana, or conference front runners it wasn't that great. Attendance for schools like Mankato were usually about the same as they are for a WIU today.

I think they could redo the media area up. change the previous rafter location to accomdate more space etc. I know in the current setting it wont work since the changes have been made, but putting in a higher spot that creates a better atmosphere is important. Well i know the attendance numbers in some of those D 2 days were better then a lot of our D1 years. it would be packed for many games a year, now maybe 1 or 2 games are esentially sell outs. I would like to think that they could make Frost a lot better then it is, but every change they have made in the last 15 years I think has made it a worse venue. If all the seating in frost is replaced with chairback seating it would lose some seats, but if its done correctly with permanant bowl filled in on lower and upper levels, you gain seats in the corners we dont have now. so Its a bit of a trade off most likely. Getting the seats closer to floor level would help but that means moving the media. I get media is important, but why do they like to sit so close? beause its better then the baselines or further away. I guess I would rather SDSU fans or students have that expereince even though i love TVs coverage, his needs are secondary IMO. Get media food catered in, and a hospitality area and it would work.

**2002jack** · 02-05-2014, 05:11 PM

Re: Summit League Building Boom

I would say during my years in school 98-2002, most of the NCC games had a larger crowd then the current Summit games. According to the media guide, the average attendance in 1997-98 was 5350. Last years average attendance (the highest since DI) was 3625. Somethings not right. They messed up the sight lines for G.A. to the point that alot of people don't enjoy going. Including me. I only go if I get reserved seats from someone.

I might be part of the problem.

Announcement

Summit League Building Boom

Summit League Building Boom

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment