Is it time to lower the Barn?

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I’m assuming you all know that the name came from Madison Square Park which is the area where the Garden is located.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If you were going to try and "modernize" the Barn - as in pull out the seating and make other improvements to amenities, concourses, bathrooms, eliminate obstructed views, etc - then the Gophers would have to play off-campus for probably 2 years.

but beyond that, the big question is still money. I don't see the state kicking in a lot of money for that project, and the 'private fundraising' route still hasn't paid off Athlete's Village, to the best of my knowledge.

So unless Rich Uncle Pennybags comes along with a major gift, I don't know where the money comes from.
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Just ask Joe for it
He gives money for everything else in the world !!
 

roadrunner said:
In 2027, the home of Gopher basketball, the Barn, will be 100 years old. It has seen some great players pass through including Mychal Thompson and Kevin McHale, and seen 8 conference championships and an elite eight appearance- but it is not Yankee Stadium.
The other major sports have opened Mariucci Arena in 1993, Huntington Bank Stadium in 2009, and Siebert Field in 2012. While Gopher basketball has been left out, with the excuse that the Barn is a tradition like no other. Further, the U has recently found money for new track, tennis, aquatics, and women's hockey and softball facilities. Could it not find money for a new Williams Arena? Or will we have to wait for a Metrodome moment to bring basketball into the 21st century...
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leave it alone
 




They need to knock the Barn down. Modern Kids just don’t get it….. it doesn’t “sell” when its empty and hot in July - Oct (recruiting). Re-build on the exact same site, exact same style stadium, just make it 11,000 great seats!! Make it a great homey experience! Same same layout, just way better concourses, b-rooms, wider hallways, MN HOF for ‘Gopher Hoops’. It would take 1 1/2 years. Start in late March to Oct. of next next year. Play in T. Ctr. or X for a year…
 

Oly O Hooper said:
They need to knock the Barn down. Modern Kids just don’t get it….. it doesn’t “sell” when its empty and hot in July - Oct (recruiting). Re-build on the exact same site, exact same style stadium, just make it 11,000 great seats!! Make it a great homey experience! Same same layout, just way better concourses, b-rooms, wider hallways, MN HOF for ‘Gopher Hoops’. It would take 1 1/2 years. Start in late March to Oct. of next next year. Play in T. Ctr. or X for a year…
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Is this what the Modern Kids have told you?🤔
 

Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, seating 15,500, was built in 2013 as the new home of Husker basketball. It appears their lowly program has now surpassed the Gophers...
Maybe facilities DO mattter.
 

Oly O Hooper said:
They need to knock the Barn down. Modern Kids just don’t get it….. it doesn’t “sell” when its empty and hot in July - Oct (recruiting). Re-build on the exact same site, exact same style stadium, just make it 11,000 great seats!! Make it a great homey experience! Same same layout, just way better concourses, b-rooms, wider hallways, MN HOF for ‘Gopher Hoops’. It would take 1 1/2 years. Start in late March to Oct. of next next year. Play in T. Ctr. or X for a year…
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Why not just renovate and do the things you are saying here. Replace all seats/benches with nicer chair back seats, except for the student section. Take the back part of the sections (what is under the second deck - some not all) make some suites, better concession areas and concourses. It would reduce overall capacity but that would be ok.
 



I’ll never understand the love for the raised floor. Outside of the safety concerns it’s horrible for viewing. Half of the lower bowl is basically looking up at the game. If anything they should lower the court and fill those huge gaps between the sidelines and the first row.

I would love something like Mackey; a dedicated hoops arena where the fans are virtually on top of the court.
 

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I posted this in one of the many "replace the barn" threads a few months ago. It would not take that much to make the building a better place to go. (well, except money).

1. As mentioned, replace the remaining bench seats with chairs. Hell replace all the chair seats as well with cushy, wider seats and make it the most comfortable arena in town. So what if it reduces capacity? I'd rather have a full house of 9000-11000.

2. As mentioned - the bathrooms. There are three places I can think of in town that still have troughs. The Barn, the State Fair, and First Ave. Get rid of that.

3. If we're not selling many upper deck seats, remove the seats on the ends, and figure out a way to build some kind of suites/party/group deck areas there.

4. You won't be able to widen the concourses, but on the south side (facing University Ave.) you could build out a modern concession area annex to the arena, adding more bathrooms, more food and drink options. You certainly couldn't do it on the north side because the arena is basically right up against the street.

5. Finally, if the team has to play elsewhere during renovations, it should NOT be at Mariucci. I posted in that earlier thread what a basketball configuration at Mariucci looks like, and it's horrible. Apparently one year some of the girls high school playoff games were there (they borrowed the court that belongs to the Xcel) and it's just embarassingly awful, largely because of the olympic sized ice sheet. Tons of empty space surrounding the court.
 

Bfan said:
I don't think we need wide and modern concourses. NO, TO ANOTHER TARGET CENTER.
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In what universe is Target Center a modern arena? It's the NBA equivalent of whatever the White Sox stadium is called these days. One of the last arenas built in the pre-open concourse era. While the renovation is nice, the Xcel is so much better in every way.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
OK, time for me to float my wacky idea.

Replace the State Fair Grandstand with a new indoor arena.

the arena can be used for State Fair Concerts, special events - and serve as the home of Gopher Basketball. lots of parking available on the grounds. getting to and from games would not be any worse, and might be better, then the current situation on the U of MN campus.

work out the financing between the Fair board, the U of MN, and the various city/county officials.
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Not the grandstand. That will never happen. All the booths/businesses in the underbelly of the grandstand would be displaced. I can't see the fair going for that. They don't/won't even book concerts there outside the fair itself, despite that we have no major outdoor amphitheater like most major metro areas.

Now, the Warner Coliseum is another story. If you think Williams is decrepit, you haven't been in that building. I had mentioned before that if UST needs a hockey arena, they should pay to replace the icemaking equipment that has been removed and make that their hockey arena. But what if that location became the Gopher basketball arena?
 

Lot 37, north of Mariucci. Gophers could play in Williams until its ready...
 

disco said:
5. Finally, if the team has to play elsewhere during renovations, it should NOT be at Mariucci. I posted in that earlier thread what a basketball configuration at Mariucci looks like, and it's horrible. Apparently one year some of the girls high school playoff games were there (they borrowed the court that belongs to the Xcel) and it's just embarassingly awful, largely because of the olympic sized ice sheet. Tons of empty space surrounding the court.
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Mariucci on a short term basis, though not ideal, would work out fine on a short term basis.

Stay on campus, control the revenue, functions as a TV studio, clear (though distant) sightlines, they could get by for a 25-30 games over a couple of years.
 


disco said:
Not the grandstand. That will never happen. All the booths/businesses in the underbelly of the grandstand would be displaced. I can't see the fair going for that. They don't/won't even book concerts there outside the fair itself, despite that we have no major outdoor amphitheater like most major metro areas.

Now, the Warner Coliseum is another story. If you think Williams is decrepit, you haven't been in that building. I had mentioned before that if UST needs a hockey arena, they should pay to replace the icemaking equipment that has been removed and make that their hockey arena. But what if that location became the Gopher basketball arena?
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You are right. Except I am guessing we would get a Target Center -- not even that -- if a new arena was built. No! to another Target Center.

No doubt the Barn is a dump. I argue it's because it hasn't been properly maintained.

I think we should all go to Menards or Home Depot with a spending account and spruce it up. The inside COULD look much nicer. The concourses could look much nicer. The bathrooms could look much nicer. The Barn has been neglected. I think the paint, wall textures, and fixtures are ancient and easily upgraded.


....while still keeping the retro design of the Barn with the nice sightlines. Please, no bad sightlines in any change!


I do agree Williams Arena is a dump.
 

disco said:
it's just embarassingly awful, largely because of the olympic sized ice sheet. Tons of empty space surrounding the court.
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Arenas that host both NHL and NBA franchises have figured out how to make it work. You have a separate set of seating that you install on the ends of the rink that have a lower pitch/angle and that extend out to meet the ends of the basketball court.

Olympic ice sheet is 100' wide instead of 85' for NHL. So that would leave some extra space on the sides where you could possibly do the same.
 

disco said:
I posted this in one of the many "replace the barn" threads a few months ago. It would not take that much to make the building a better place to go. (well, except money).

1. As mentioned, replace the remaining bench seats with chairs. Hell replace all the chair seats as well with cushy, wider seats and make it the most comfortable arena in town. So what if it reduces capacity? I'd rather have a full house of 9000-11000.

2. As mentioned - the bathrooms. There are three places I can think of in town that still have troughs. The Barn, the State Fair, and First Ave. Get rid of that.

3. If we're not selling many upper deck seats, remove the seats on the ends, and figure out a way to build some kind of suites/party/group deck areas there.

4. You won't be able to widen the concourses, but on the south side (facing University Ave.) you could build out a modern concession area annex to the arena, adding more bathrooms, more food and drink options. You certainly couldn't do it on the north side because the arena is basically right up against the street.

5. Finally, if the team has to play elsewhere during renovations, it should NOT be at Mariucci. I posted in that earlier thread what a basketball configuration at Mariucci looks like, and it's horrible. Apparently one year some of the girls high school playoff games were there (they borrowed the court that belongs to the Xcel) and it's just embarassingly awful, largely because of the olympic sized ice sheet. Tons of empty space surrounding the court.
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They're beginning renovations on Mariucci in March to lower the floor and reduce the size of the ice. A basketball-only facility is obviously preferable, but let's not pretend it will happen. Wisconsin and Ohio State seem to do fine in multi-use arenas -- better than us, anyway. Playing at Mariucci would be fine temporarily I would argue moving there permanently would be better than staying in Williams Arena.
 

Hates Monikers said:
I would argue moving there permanently would be better than staying in Williams Arena.
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You'd still have to deal with what to do about Volleyball (which probably outdraws the men's hoops program at this point) and wrestling and gymnastics at the pavilion.
 

disco said:
You'd still have to deal with what to do about Volleyball (which probably outdraws the men's hoops program at this point) and wrestling and gymnastics at the pavilion.
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Pav won't be going anywhere, and Vball has a new-ish facility (couple years old?) "built into" the space between Pav and Williams now. Other than limited view seating in the upper deck, it really is a perfect facility for vball. Seats around 5k, which if we averaged that would be #3 in the country behind Nebraska and Wisc.

If Mariucci is getting the floor lowered and the rink switched to an 85' width, then as I mentioned, there are already very well known and established methods to convert NHL size rinks into very good seating situations for basketball. I don't think it would be that big of a deal to convert to that. And bball HQ/practice facility is at the Athlete's Village anyway.
 



Bfan said:
You are right. Except I am guessing we would get a Target Center -- not even that -- if a new arena was built. No! to another Target Center.

No doubt the Barn is a dump. I argue it's because it hasn't been properly maintained.

I think we should all go to Menards or Home Depot with a spending account and spruce it up. The inside COULD look much nicer. The concourses could look much nicer. The bathrooms could look much nicer. The Barn has been neglected. I think the paint, wall textures, and fixtures are ancient and easily upgraded.


....while still keeping the retro design of the Barn with the nice sightlines. Please, no bad sightlines in any change!


I do agree Williams Arena is a dump.
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The Barn is a reflection of the program- not well maintained- neglected. My guess is regardless of this discussion, nothing is going to happen with the Barn because there is no money or desire. Sure there is a big TV contract to come. They won't reinvest it in basketball. They owe so much money that they are attempting to sell bricks. When we have a good team again, this discussion might have merit. I for one would love to see it remodeled and made to look amazing. It could be done.
 

bga1 said:
The Barn is a reflection of the program- not well maintained- neglected. My guess is regardless of this discussion, nothing is going to happen with the Barn because there is no money or desire. Sure there is a big TV contract to come. They won't reinvest it in basketball. They owe so much money that they are attempting to sell bricks. When we have a good team again, this discussion might have merit. I for one would love to see it remodeled and made to look amazing. It could be done.
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Yep this is it. A new facility would primarily require state funding, and there will be less than zero appetite in the legislature or from taxpayers to spend money behind this program when it’s at its lowest point in generations. Yes, the Barn is outdated and far from perfect, but people aren’t going to games not because the venue sucks, but because the team does, and has for a long time now.
 



I don't understand how people claimed, "the Gophers need to invest in an Athlete's Village to remain competitive," yet the same people claim, "the 100 year old Barn is adequate. Facilities don't make a difference."
This program needs to, in the immortal words of Vince Neil, "kickstart it's heart" and a new arena would certainly do that.
 

theTurning said:
I’ll never understand the love for the raised floor. Outside of the safety concerns it’s horrible for viewing. Half of the lower bowl is basically looking up at the game. If anything they should lower the court and fill those huge gaps between the sidelines and the first row.

I would love something like Mackey; a dedicated hoops arena where the fans are virtually on top of the court.
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I’m all for whatever makes it harder to watch the current product.
 

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