Reusse: It's time for the Barn to go; Rand: Arena is a classic, not a relic

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2nd Degree Gopher said:
Most of the discussion I’ve seen fails to address cost. I’d like to know:

Can Williams Arena be satisfactorily renovated? If so, at what cost? How long can we expect the renovated structure to last? What would we like to have in an arena, but would have to leave out because it can’t be accomplished in a renovation? How much would it cost to either incorporate a practice facility into the renovated Williams or build one separately?

What would a new basketball arena cost? How much more to incorporate a practice facility into the building?

Once we know those answers, we can discuss the appropriate course of action and start to determine how to pay for it.
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Well said. Logical research and discussion will need to take place. We don't need stubborn emotion to cloud rational decisions.
 

The new AD will have to address the Barn, practice facility and Mariucci updates as his/her first priorities...especially with the BB stadium ready to go.

The state isn't going to give the U any money for a new Barn...just not going to happen, and we probably can't raise the $200 million needed to build it without state $$$$...I suspect the plan will be to build the practice facility first (must have) and start the funding for Mariucci upgrades and a full renovation on the Barn that includes expanding the side to create larger concourses, better access, more bathrooms and concessions, etc. along with fixing many of the seating issues and scoreboard deficiencies.

Total for all three projects will be about $100 mil I suspect...time to start giving!
 

I love the Barn but it's time for a new arena. Anyone here seen Missouri's arena? You're telling me you wouldn't want that? An important point is that the new arena wouldn't have hockey so you can build a basketball only facility that can have a great atmosphere and a college feel to it. It's time to move on. And if the Barn is so great how come attendance is down? People claim they love the Barn but they don't even go to games.
 

Like most of the people on this board, I have very fond memories of the Barn. But, in today's very competitive sports marketplace, the fans expect more amenities - more concession choices, more bathrooms, wider concourses. Like it or not, going to a game now is about more than just watching the game - it's about the "experience."

This is not about the hard-core fans - they would go to watch the Gophs play if the game was played at a HS gym. But the average fan - the fickle fan who switches allegiance from team to team - that is the person who puts more stock in the facility.

At some point, in order to attract younger fans (and more fans), the U is going to have to take a hard look at the Barn. On another board, someone suggested that they keep the shell of the building, gut the inside, and re-do it while the Gophs play at Target Center or the X for a couple years. I would sign onto that plan, if they could do the practice facility at the same time.

One other question - if they re-do Williams, what happens to the Pavillion? That is a nice space for WR, VB and other events.
 

Make it the largest basketball venue in the country

If it gets built, it should return the facility to the largest basketball venue in the country. Maybe it should retain some of the features of The Barn, like the raised floor, close proximity of seating to the floor.
 


The Barn in my opinion puts this place to shame....yet would anyone here call for Cameron Indoor to be demolished?
800px-Cameron_Indoor_Stadium_interior_display_image.jpg
 

For one, Cameron is a much better venue to watch hoops. Second, it actually has legitimate history, unlike the Barn.
 

GoGophers2005 said:
The Barn in my opinion puts this place to shame....yet would anyone here call for Cameron Indoor to be demolished?
800px-Cameron_Indoor_Stadium_interior_display_image.jpg
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I don't see any beams obstructing the fans' view.

I used to be among the crowd that wants to keep Williams forever, but I'm starting to think a new stadium would really help the program. I'd love to build a new arena where Williams is and try to design in a way that gave a nod to Williams, kind of like the design of TCF being similar to Memorial Stadium. Design the new stadium with an elevated court etc.

The problem is the University has no money for a practice facility, much less a brand new stadium.
 

MadtownGopher said:
I don't see any beams obstructing the fans' view.

I used to be among the crowd that wants to keep Williams forever, but I'm starting to think a new stadium would really help the program. I'd love to build a new arena where Williams is and try to design in a way that gave a nod to Williams, kind of like the design of TCF being similar to Memorial Stadium. Design the new stadium with an elevated court etc.

The problem is the University has no money for a practice facility, much less a brand new stadium.
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There aren't any beams because Cameron Indoor only seats 9,300 people.

I find it hilarious that everyone is bringing up beams obstructing views. You can have any seat you want for a non-conference game.
 



So is this about 'watching' hoops? I thought everyone was bitching about the concourses and bathrooms.

Cameron is a much smaller venue, it better have a better view than Williams......but at the same time Williams Arena puts you 'on' the action more than any arena in the Twin Cities.
 


Gotta side with Reusse. The atmosphere in the Barn is nothing like it used to be. If we can't get a much more spirited atmosphere in the Barn, then we may as well go for a new arena. I love the Barn, but those who can remember the Musselman days, even the Dutcher days, know that the place is like a library these days.
 

...it actually has legitimate history, unlike the Barn
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So the Barn has illegitimate history :( . Doesn't that makes us Bas tard fans watching a Bas tard program?

If we tear down Williams Arena and build a shinny new Buffalo Wild Wings Center (I am guessing they will buy the naming rights) will that give us a chance to legilimize our history going forward?
 



EverTheSkeptic said:
Gotta side with Reusse. The atmosphere in the Barn is nothing like it used to be. If we can't get a much more spirited atmosphere in the Barn, then we may as well go for a new arena. I love the Barn, but those who can remember the Musselman days, even the Dutcher days, know that the place is like a library these days.
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Exactly. The atmosphere at the Barn, with the exception of a few games over the years, has never been the same since the academic fraud scandal in '99. As a matter of fact the overall program in general just hasn't been the same to me since that scandal, not just record wise but the feeling towards the program from fans in the Twin Cities. I still don't think we've fully recovered from that.

I love the Barn but it's time to move on. Many of these new arena's around the country that have been built within the past 10 years have made me very jealous. Ironically three of the worst of these new arena's are in the Big Ten, Kohl Center (UW), Value City Arena (OSU), and The Jordan-Bryce Center (PSU). I'm not envious of those ones, but school's like Missouri, Maryland, Virgina, Auburn, South Carolina, Pitt, and others have built some beautiful basketball only facilities with great atmosphere.
 

sec105 said:
So the Barn has illegitimate history :( . Doesn't that makes us Bas tard fans watching a Bas tard program?

If we tear down Williams Arena and build a shinny new Buffalo Wild Wings Center (I am guessing they will buy the naming rights) will that give us a chance to legilimize our history going forward?
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Isn't that kind of going out on a limb?:)

Pun intended.
 


Reusse may not be a fan favorite here but he does have history with Williams Arena and knows how much fun it was back in the day. He's not alone in thinking we need a new arena. If we can build a great stadium like Target Field and a great football stadium like TCF, why can't we build a great retro venue to replace the barn. There aren't that many of us left who remember the really good old days of Williams Arena. Of course, there's still the issue of money. :)
 

gophertime said:
Reusse may not be a fan favorite here but he does have history with Williams Arena and knows how much fun it was back in the day. He's not alone in thinking we need a new arena. If we can build a great stadium like Target Field and a great football stadium like TCF, why can't we build a great retro venue to replace the barn. There aren't that many of us left who remember the really good old days of Williams Arena. Of course, there's still the issue of money. :)
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True

Some people will not ever consider replacing the barn. The barn has been great but it is not a temple.
 

My favorite places to watch MLB...Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley
Favorite places to watch football...Camp Randall and Notre Dame Stadium
Favorite places to watch basketball...Cameron Indoor and the Barn
Now remember in the late 70's and early 80's when Paul Giel wanted to move the Gopher down to the Metrodome and Memorial Stadium and Northrup practice field replaced by the McNamara center....30 years later we had to move back to TCF!!!
1989 Marv and Harv built what was known as the state of the art arena called Target Center...come on fans this place will never compare to our barn...as a young boy watching Lou Hudson, Archie Clark, Ray Stephens (Sandy's Brother),Tommy Kondla, and then as a student during Muss and Dutch era, the Barn was it and still is after last night holding Bo and his Badgers scoreless for the last 7:48 of regulation, the barn was rockin...if left we as Gopher fans will miss the Barn!!
 

Sophie said:
My favorite places to watch MLB...Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley
Favorite places to watch football...Camp Randall and Notre Dame Stadium
Favorite places to watch basketball...Cameron Indoor and the Barn
Now remember in the late 70's and early 80's when Paul Giel wanted to move the Gopher down to the Metrodome and Memorial Stadium and Northrup practice field replaced by the McNamara center....30 years later we had to move back to TCF!!!
1989 Marv and Harv built what was known as the state of the art arena called Target Center...come on fans this place will never compare to our barn...as a young boy watching Lou Hudson, Archie Clark, Ray Stephens (Sandy's Brother),Tommy Kondla, and then as a student during Muss and Dutch era, the Barn was it and still is after last night holding Bo and his Badgers scoreless for the last 7:48 of regulation, the barn was rockin...if left we as Gopher fans will miss the Barn!!
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Sad that TCF is not one of your favorite places to watch football.

Memorial Stadium was replaced by the Aquatic Center. We didn't HAVE to move back to TCF, we were able to and extremely fortunate to. yes there was 30 years of wandering in the desert but TCF is better than Memorial Stadium.

May very well miss the Barn, but a new arena could very well be better. Keep what's irreplaceable but a new arena could be better. Keep an open mind Dave.:)
 

TCF

station19 said:
Sad that TCF is not one of your favorite places to watch football.

Memorial Stadium was replaced by the Aquatic Center. We didn't HAVE to move back to TCF, we were able to and extremely fortunate to. yes there was 30 years of wandering in the desert but TCF is better than Memorial Stadium.

May very well miss the Barn, but a new arena could very well be better. Keep what's irreplaceable but a new arena could be better. Keep an open mind Dave.:)
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TCF is a great place to watch football and an exciting venue...however it is not up to the surroundings of a pregame and postgame of excitement of the games...Notre Dame even with a poor team will get 50,000 people through their bookstore prior to the game...Camp Randall's fifth quarter and the view of Madison from the top of the stadium is breathtaking...I hope and believe the Gopher football program will get to this type of program some day and TCF will be one of the reasons
 

There isn't anything a new stadium could do or bring that couldn't be done with Williams Arena.
Stadium architecture and design have come so far the past 20 years. Hire a firm to do a study of what Williams and the Pavillion 'could be' and I think everyone here would be amazed.
Coming to any sort of conclusion until this process has been completed would be a mistake.
 

Here's my take: It doesn't matter what anybody who posts on this board. The building and whether to rebuild isn't really about this group. This group is going to watch and go regardless

To me the questions are pretty simple:
- Can a new building generate enough revenue to be viable. To me that means can it generate what the current building generates plus the debt service on the bonds that will be required.
- Will a new building help the program attract more and better players. i.e. is Williams a recruiting liability? (I say yes).
- What are the economics of the whole thing. If you renovate now, but have to rebuild in 20 years, would it just be a better move to build a new building now.
- Can a new practice facility be incorporated into the arena, eliminating one expense?

College sports is no longer about emotion and memories, it's about business.
 


I am not in favor of building a new arena. We have too many now the way it is. Like someone suggested in the paper this morning. Gut Williams Arena and make it wider on the University Avenue side, get rid of the Sports Pavillion and convert this into a state of the art practice facility. Move the court towards the new practice facility so the seating is bigger behind both ends of the court.
Make the renovation include Mariucci Arena. This would be a great place for the wrestling, gymnastics, and volleyball teams. If not there connect Mariucci to Ridder Arena and make that the new Sports Pavillion with a hockey lounge in between. If we are serious about basketball this would make them a priority while still allowing space for these other teams to play. I do not want to get rid of any sports but putting the basketball facility into the Sports Pavillion would be great.
For those of you in favor of a new arena it would have to be built on a much bigger blueprint. Where is this big patch of empty land that is close to this area now? Just some thoughts.
 

maroonfive said:
I am not in favor of building a new arena. We have too many now the way it is. Like someone suggested in the paper this morning. Gut Williams Arena and make it wider on the University Avenue side, get rid of the Sports Pavillion and convert this into a state of the art practice facility. Move the court towards the new practice facility so the seating is bigger behind both ends of the court.
Make the renovation include Mariucci Arena. This would be a great place for the wrestling, gymnastics, and volleyball teams. If not there connect Mariucci to Ridder Arena and make that the new Sports Pavillion with a hockey lounge in between. If we are serious about basketball this would make them a priority while still allowing space for these other teams to play. I do not want to get rid of any sports but putting the basketball facility into the Sports Pavillion would be great.
For those of you in favor of a new arena it would have to be built on a much bigger blueprint. Where is this big patch of empty land that is close to this area now? Just some thoughts.
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Right on!
 

station19 said:
True

Some people will not ever consider replacing the barn. The barn has been great but it is not a temple.
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Nobody called it a "Temple". It has history and many of us don't want it replaced because it's our Barn. It's unique and not new and shiny.
 



Right now we have some of the weakest basketball facilities in conference. Other schools are either extensively renovating or building new arenas. The new AD will take a look around the league and see that in the facilities arms race we are only ahead of Northwestern.

Gut the place, build within the existing Williams/Sports Pavilion structure, add your money makers (suites, exclusive seating), Widen the concourses, Keep it cozy and keep the raised floor

As much as I agree that the Barn is a great place to watch a game, none of these lists are particularly credible. They are a huge waste of time.
 

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