Shooter: Minnesota, conceptually, has considered either renovating Williams Arena or building a new arena in the parking lots north of arena

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Dave H said:
This take is so awful it actually is almost as bad as your terrible math in your other post. Have you ever been to an event where they tent off part of the arena? If you have you know it doesn't make it feel like the arena is smaller, it makes it look like you couldn't sell enough tickets. Plus it doesn't change the atmosphere either because you are still 5k in a 10k stadium.

Good lord, if I had a nickel for every one of your terrible takes around here I could fund a new arena myself.
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Put that money towards an NIL fund and we would win multiple national titles in all sports.
 

MplsGopher said:
It's really not that hard, you make the new arena have a "lower bowl only" configuration where you use black tents to make it seem/feel that the upper bowl doesn't even exist. Then the full open config is for major sports or any event where they know they're selling more than 5-6k tickets.
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Simply fill in the upper empties with cardboard cutouts (DEI compliant, of course). Pipe in some cheers…wallah!
 

Ope3 said:
Not only have I been to "non-Gopher/Big School HS Hockey games" that have drawn less than 40% capacity, I have been Gopher Men's hockey games that have drawn less than 40% at Mariucci.

No, the fan experience is not great. I'm not arguing otherwise.

Do I think it would hinder the Gopher Women's Hockey program from being able to compete for WCHA and NCAA titles? No, I don't. Even if it does, if it's for the greater good of the Gopher Athletic program, I would be totally fine with it.

Having said all that, I do not think it is a likely scenario but everything should at least be considered.
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It wont hurt the team per se (excusing the home ice advantage stuff as we know raucous crowds can change games) but it will definitely hurt the fan experience. Ridder is a lot of fun for hockey games when it is filled I used to go all the time. (back when we had Krissy Wendell and the other Olympians)

Agreed it will never happen.
 


Bama looking at a 10k hoops arena
 

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USAF said:
14,000 x $50 = $700,000
10000 x $50.7 = $507,000
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Thanks for catching my typo.

It was supposed to say:
"Average ticket prices only need to be > than 1.4x higher to net more revenue from a sold out 10k vs a sold out 14k."

Times, obviously, not percentage. Typo
 

Dave H said:
Have you ever been to an event where they tent off part of the arena?
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Yes and it's completely fine and appropriate. Hence why several P5 schools do it this way as opposed to maintaining completely separate arenas for different arena sports.

Keeping trying bud, one day you'll get one.
 
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Ope3 said:
And the Badgers presumably have to do that because their Men's hockey team shares their arena with Men's & Women's basketball.
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I don't think they "had" to do it. Kohl was opened in 1998 and women's hockey was in there along with men's and basketball, until LaBahn opened in 2012.

I can see where they decided that the program with the most national championships in NCAA women's hockey history deserved its own home, or some such reasoning.
 

Was at the game last night and my kid says, this place really is a dump and I can see why people want a new arena.

To get to our seats we had to twice turn around and go back down and up the other side of the stairs because there was a dead end and not complete access. Not sure how, with the skinny footprint, they would be able to modernize the facility with enough seats inside the shell. Maybe lower the floor and have top load seating light 3M arena, but not sure how you'd fit in a quality concourse or any luxury seating.

Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
 



MaxyJR1 said:
Was at the game last night and my kid says, this place really is a dump and I can see why people want a new arena.

To get to our seats we had to twice turn around and go back down and up the other side of the stairs because there was a dead end and not complete access. Not sure how, with the skinny footprint, they would be able to modernize the facility with enough seats inside the shell. Maybe lower the floor and have top load seating light 3M arena, but not sure how you'd fit in a quality concourse or any luxury seating.

Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
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You've clearly never tried to move around US Bank stadium. That place is a mess to move between the various levels and clubs.
 

AO54 said:
You've clearly never tried to move around US Bank stadium. That place is a mess to move between the various levels and clubs.
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US Bank is obviously a beautiful facility but I couldn't agree more. It is impossible to move around that stadium. There is no main concourse to my knowledge that walks around the entire stadium. You have to zig zag, go in different entrances to different zones, etc.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Was at the game last night and my kid says, this place really is a dump and I can see why people want a new arena.

To get to our seats we had to twice turn around and go back down and up the other side of the stairs because there was a dead end and not complete access. Not sure how, with the skinny footprint, they would be able to modernize the facility with enough seats inside the shell. Maybe lower the floor and have top load seating light 3M arena, but not sure how you'd fit in a quality concourse or any luxury seating.

Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
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Lou Nanne grew up playing professional hockey without a helmet. That’s a lot of hard hits to the head. And that kid of yours may need a dope 👋 slap.
 

Ridder Arena is like their home. With all their trophies. The right size for the amount of fans. Their practice rink.

Their lockers. They come out after games and hang out after the game with family, friends, the team. Lots of kids around too. Teams of kids come. It is a social thing.

Ridder also hosts various tourrnaments and other stuff.
 



MaxyJR1 said:
Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
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And/or to do a really quality job on a remodel, it would cost $$$. Like, not enough savings over just tearing it down and starting over, versus how much less you would get?
 


AO54 said:
You've clearly never tried to move around US Bank stadium. That place is a mess to move between the various levels and clubs.
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I know I'm replying to an old thread here that's been bumped up, but we went to the high school semi finals there, and yeah, it's ridiculous how that place was constructed. Great venue once you're in your seat, but moving around is a mess.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Was at the game last night and my kid says, this place really is a dump and I can see why people want a new arena.

To get to our seats we had to twice turn around and go back down and up the other side of the stairs because there was a dead end and not complete access. Not sure how, with the skinny footprint, they would be able to modernize the facility with enough seats inside the shell. Maybe lower the floor and have top load seating light 3M arena, but not sure how you'd fit in a quality concourse or any luxury seating.

Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
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Your kid knows nothing.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
Was at the game last night and my kid says, this place really is a dump and I can see why people want a new arena.

To get to our seats we had to twice turn around and go back down and up the other side of the stairs because there was a dead end and not complete access. Not sure how, with the skinny footprint, they would be able to modernize the facility with enough seats inside the shell. Maybe lower the floor and have top load seating light 3M arena, but not sure how you'd fit in a quality concourse or any luxury seating.

Lou Nanne was on KFAN and said that basketball deserves a new facility and would build right in the same location, playing at Target Center and/or Xcel (even a split to draw fans from the east and west). He also makes a good point that often after remodels there is regret that they should have just built new.

I just don't see the consultant coming back with a viable option to remodel without going significantly under 10,000 seats.
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Under 10K no. The Barn can be remodeled with expansion towards University Avenue. It would be a complete remodel with a possible closure of 2 years with final seating capacity of 12 to 12.5K. Will it cost more than a new facility...Yes.
I believe it would be a huge mistake to ty not to save the essence of Williams Arena.
Yes, I'm old and I love the place.
 

nitramnaed said:
Under 10K no. The Barn can be remodeled with expansion towards University Avenue. It would be a complete remodel with a possible closure of 2 years with final seating capacity of 12 to 12.5K. Will it cost more than a new facility...Yes.
I believe it would be a huge mistake to ty not to save the essence of Williams Arena.
Yes, I'm old and I love the place.
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Yes. Plenty of new arenas around the country. There are very few throwback facilities any more. What's next, tear down Wrigley and Fenway?
 

golf said:
Yes. Plenty of new arenas around the country. There are very few throwback facilities any more. What's next, tear down Wrigley and Fenway?
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Exactly. Can you build a replica of Williams? Sure. But let me tell you something, it will never be the same. Just another smaller version of an NBA stadium.
 

nitramnaed said:
Exactly. Can you build a replica of Williams? Sure. But let me tell you something, it will never be the same. Just another smaller version of an NBA stadium.
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Yes, put the money toward buying the best coach money can buy
 

Yankee stadium was rebuilt with the same field dimensions.
Williams has a few flaws that could be fixed with a rebuild.
1) No obstructed viewing.
2) Wider concourse
3) Escalators to the second level.
 

FinnGopher said:
Yankee stadium was rebuilt with the same field dimensions.
Williams has a few flaws that could be fixed with a rebuild.
1) No obstructed viewing.
2) Wider concourse
3) Escalators to the second level.
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It's easily doable for the money. The only obstruction to expansion is 4th Avenue. It's nuanced but even expansion to the 4th Avenue side is possible for a concourse that leads to the other 3 side of the arena. Impact on the Pav?
 

golf said:
Yes. Plenty of new arenas around the country. There are very few throwback facilities any more. What's next, tear down Wrigley and Fenway?
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Fenway is like a cattle chute loading site. Wrigley has been destroyed by renovation.
 

HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving said:
Fenway is like a cattle chute loading site. Wrigley has been destroyed by renovation.
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My company has seats in the 1914 Club at Wrigley Field, and I used the tickets last year.

It's very, very nice.

After having lived in Wrigleyville for 12 years and having attended at least 100 games, it's just not the same though. It's nice like a McMansion in the suburbs is nice. Everything is very comfortable but the soul has been utterly sucked out.

Maybe that's what people want these days. It certainly seems that way in America.

Soul is important. Maybe Gopher Basketball would be better off without Williams Arena, but a piece of the soul will be dead forever.
 

NateDawgUM said:
My company has seats in the 1914 Club at Wrigley Field, and I used the tickets last year.

It's very, very nice.

After having lived in Wrigleyville for 12 years and having attended at least 100 games, it's just not the same though. It's nice like a McMansion in the suburbs is nice. Everything is very comfortable but the soul has been utterly sucked out.

Maybe that's what people want these days. It certainly seems that way in America.

Soul is important. Maybe Gopher Basketball would be better off without Williams Arena, but a piece of the soul will be dead forever.
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My opinion is that the soul has definitely been sucked out of Wrigleyville, which now more closely resembles an upscale suburban mall than its former funky, independent (and kind of seedy) self. But I think they did an excellent job with the ballpark itself, or as much as you do to modernize a 110 year old stadium without completely changing its character. What’s changed the gameday experience for me is the obscene ticket prices the Cubs charge, which attracts an entirely different clientele than the old days. Gone are the days of the Bleacher Bums and crowds of 9,000 enjoying a day game (always a day game). Now, every game is pretty much sold out and the crowd makeup is corporate. But I still love the ballpark. I’ve been to more than 30 ballparks current and defunct, and the only one I enjoy more than Wrigley is PNC in Pittsburgh (Target Field is top 5). But I understand that its transformation isn’t for everyone.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
My opinion is that the soul has definitely been sucked out of Wrigleyville, which now more closely resembles an upscale suburban mall than its former funky, independent (and kind of seedy) self. But I think they did an excellent job with the ballpark itself, or as much as you do to modernize a 110 year old stadium without completely changing its character. What’s changed the gameday experience for me is the obscene ticket prices the Cubs charge, which attracts an entirely different clientele than the old days. Gone are the days of the Bleacher Bums and crowds of 9,000 enjoying a day game (always a day game). Now, every game is pretty much sold out and the crowd makeup is corporate. But I still love the ballpark. I’ve been to more than 30 ballparks current and defunct, and the only one I enjoy more than Wrigley is PNC in Pittsburgh (Target Field is top 5). But I understand that its transformation isn’t for everyone.
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Murphy's is still Murphy's, even though sadly Beth recently passed away.

Hopefully I can make the trip for the Gopher/Northwestern football game.
 

NateDawgUM said:
My company has seats in the 1914 Club at Wrigley Field, and I used the tickets last year.

It's very, very nice.

After having lived in Wrigleyville for 12 years and having attended at least 100 games, it's just not the same though. It's nice like a McMansion in the suburbs is nice. Everything is very comfortable but the soul has been utterly sucked out.

Maybe that's what people want these days. It certainly seems that way in America.

Soul is important. Maybe Gopher Basketball would be better off without Williams Arena, but a piece of the soul will be dead forever.
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Sure, the fan experience could be improved. Sure, it would be nice to go to a restroom without descending and ascending a staircase and missing game time. Sure it would be nice if the concourses were roomier. But I've always enjoyed attending games there, even with recent competitive ineptitude. The game viewing experience from practically any seat in the house is as good as anywhere. I love the Barn. Let's build and improve on what we have rather than blow it up.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Sure, the fan experience could be improved. Sure, it would be nice to go to a restroom without descending and ascending a staircase and missing game time. Sure it would be nice if the concourses were roomier. But I've always enjoyed attending games there, even with recent competitive ineptitude. The game viewing experience from practically any seat in the house is as good as anywhere. I love the Barn. Let's build and improve on what we have rather than blow it up.
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Agree. It can be done to improve the experience without removing what makes it special when it is packed for a close rivalry game.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
My opinion is that the soul has definitely been sucked out of Wrigleyville, which now more closely resembles an upscale suburban mall than its former funky, independent (and kind of seedy) self. But I think they did an excellent job with the ballpark itself, or as much as you do to modernize a 110 year old stadium without completely changing its character. What’s changed the gameday experience for me is the obscene ticket prices the Cubs charge, which attracts an entirely different clientele than the old days. Gone are the days of the Bleacher Bums and crowds of 9,000 enjoying a day game (always a day game). Now, every game is pretty much sold out and the crowd makeup is corporate. But I still love the ballpark. I’ve been to more than 30 ballparks current and defunct, and the only one I enjoy more than Wrigley is PNC in Pittsburgh (Target Field is top 5). But I understand that its transformation isn’t for everyone.
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I never felt like I bought a ticket to a Cubs game…it was always more like paying a cover charge to go to a party.
 

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