Reusse: Unlike the Gophers’ coaching situation, the solution for Williams Arena is simple: Blow up The Barn

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IceBoxGopher said:
The held punches against Johnson is insane. Mentioned it before but it's unreal the difference in treatment for Johnson compared to other Gopher coaches.

As for the Barn, I think it's more of a reasonable point of discussion. I love historic college buildings, but if the aesthetic could be kept it would be alright I think. If a new arena was built with a similar framework, "barn-shaped" so to speak, similar raised floor, but with better tech, concourses, etc. I think that could work. Barn 2.0 maybe?

The Bank was built with that brick exterior, and is a mix of modern and old-school college football. Could do the same with the basketball facility.
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I used to be in the "keep the barn" camp, but since the team has become a nonfactor (I've basically switched to watching hockey the last few years), my desire to keep the barn has waned.

Maybe bigger version using this type of roof?
https://ifg.com/university-of-idaho-basketball-arena-charts-a-future-for-mass-timber/

Not sure home many years timber stays structurally sound.

Edit: I also like that idea regarding Hinkle's renovation.
 
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So Reusse really thinks it's easier to demolish williams, and secure new funding for a new arena on campus relative to hiring a new coaching staff? Brilliant coaching hire by Coyle. Now I really see it. Thank you for pushing me in the right direction @Spaulding!No!
 


Well, expect the Wolves new owners to be looking for a new arena. Much as I'd hate for the Gophers to have to share a building, it might be the only way.
 


swede2 said:
Could say the same about FB. Why only 50,000 seats? Sleeping giant, etc. The stadium is actually appropriate sized. Williams Arena is too big.
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Williams used to seat 16,000 until 1993, the last major renovation. 1981/82 average attendance 16,000+, last B10 championship. Average attendance 4 years, 1990 thru 1993 14,500 to 15,500. There are no stats between 93 and 99 due to the seasons that never happened and paper-writing scandal. 2023/24 average attendance 8,100. Williams used to be rocking on a Saturday afternoon playing Iowa with a sellout. Lots of good memories.
 


dbmn said:
Williams used to seat 16,000 until 1993, the last major renovation. 1981/82 average attendance 16,000+, last B10 championship. Average attendance 4 years, 1990 thru 1993 14,500 to 15,500. There are no stats between 93 and 99 due to the seasons that never happened and paper-writing scandal. 2023/24 average attendance 8,100. Williams used to be rocking on a Saturday afternoon playing Iowa with a sellout. Lots of good memories.
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No NBA team back then, so if you wanted to watch basketball, you watched the Gophers.
 

GopherBlood777 said:
So Reusse really thinks it's easier to demolish williams, and secure new funding for a new arena on campus relative to hiring a new coaching staff? Brilliant coaching hire by Coyle. Now I really see it. Thank you for pushing me in the right direction @Spaulding!No!
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Reusse did not suggest the part in bold.

He is advocating for a Wolves/Gophers shared arena per the article.
 









Reusse and Judd used their deep basketball knowledge today to decide that Niko Medved is disqualified for losing to Pitino. The MN job is the worst in the B1G and sucks so bad they can't get anyone better than Ben. Might as well keep Poor Ben.
 



howeda7 said:
Nah. It would kill student attendance. They need to make student tickets free. But if you don't show up more than twice, you lose them.
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For hoops, unlike football the number of students attending games currently could fit on a party bus or 2. They could also get a dedicated light rail to get 'em downtown and back.

How's it work for Marquette?

I'm all for making students tix free or at a paltry price of $5 or less. Hopefully they turn into full paying ticket holders or a sources for donations post graduation.
 

Ope3 said:
For hoops, unlike football the number of students attending games currently could fit on a party bus or 2. They could also get a dedicated light rail to get 'em downtown and back.

How's it work for Marquette?

I'm all for making students tix free or at a paltry price of $5 or less. Hopefully they turn into full paying ticket holders or a sources for donations post graduation.
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I'm not sure what is now, but a few years it was still 2-3K. I'm not sure you get that with an arena 4 miles off campus even if the tickets are free. And in general playing off campus in a 16K seat arena doesn't seem like a good plan.
 

howeda7 said:
I'm not sure what is now, but a few years it was still 2-3K. I'm not sure you get that with an arena 4 miles off campus even if the tickets are free. And in general playing off campus in a 16K seat arena doesn't seem like a good plan.
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It doesn't have to be that big for college basketball.
 


disco said:
Well, expect the Wolves new owners to be looking for a new arena. Much as I'd hate for the Gophers to have to share a building, it might be the only way.
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Show of hands who thinks the city and/or state is going to be willing to pick up half the tab on a billion dollar arena downtown? Hard to see it happening in today's environment.
 


disco said:
I assumed the on campus smaller arena would be to replace the pavillion for VB, wrestling etc.
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Which would be adequate for at the very least, the non- conference slate.
 


howeda7 said:
Making it 16K for the Wolves and 10K for the Gophers will either look ugly as hell or increase the cost substantially. Either way, pass.
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Not necessarily. I think the Austin, TX Arena looks pretty good.

Supposed to be phenomenal for concerts too.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Basketball has been played in Mariucci. It's not built for it though.
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I know it has (I think I watched a game there once) but we aren't talking about a stray game here or there, or games after the season (when the ice is taken out) we are talking quite a few Big Ten games being played in tandem with a full hockey schedule. (sometimes within a couple days of each other...assuming they can stop from scheduling games the same day which the Big Ten sucks at) You would be using a substandard basketball option to make a substandard hockey product.
 

swede2 said:
Show of hands who thinks the city and/or state is going to be willing to pick up half the tab on a billion dollar arena downtown? Hard to see it happening in today's environment.
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To me with Bloomberg in the Timberwolves ownership group, I think they know they are going to have to primarily finance a new arena, weather that's downtown in the same location, a nearby spot such as the farmer's market, or somewhere else (ie Eagan).

At a high level it also depends on what else they can develop around such a facility such a hotels, condos, retail etc.
 

Ope3 said:
Not necessarily. I think the Austin, TX Arena looks pretty good.

Supposed to be phenomenal for concerts too.
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Right but the Moody Center is a UT arena...not a pro team arena that is retrofitted to be a college arena when needed. (which is what howeda was saying in the post you replied to) Yes a few pro games have been played there...but it is a completely different animal than what you are advocating. A shared facility is a terrible idea and has zero in common with UT.
 

Dave H said:
Right but the Moody Center is a UT arena...not a pro team arena that is retrofitted to be a college arena when needed. (which is what howeda was saying in the post you replied to) Yes a few pro games have been played there...but it is a completely different animal than what you are advocating. A shared facility is a terrible idea and has zero in common with UT.
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It can certainly be "less in common" but it also can be more than "zero in common" with UT.

Would it be the best option for Gopher basketball going forward? Probably not.
Could it be better than playing in a current facility nearing 100 years old? Possibly so.

Just dismissing the idea all together seems foolish. It would depend on building design, location, rent agreement and revenue possibilities to name just a few (but major) factors.
 

Ope3 said:
How's it work for Marquette?
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Less than a mile from Marq campus to FiServ, and they've basically always played in that area through several arenas over the years. The walk from Middlebrook Hall to Williams Arena is a third of a mile longer.
 

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