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

[disco]

This. I was thinking about it last night when some were saying it affects recruiting. In a specific cases, maybe a kid cares.

But the discussion about the Barn really shouldn't have anything to do with that. All the issues with the Barn are related to fan experience. None of those things affect the kids on the floor, and if it's loud, they will feel it and love it.

I agree. Which is one of the reasons I brought up that youtube piece on odd college arenas. I think it MAY have been a factor in the pre-NIL, pre-athletes facilities era, but honestly, they aren't spending much time in the arena itself. It's kind of like if you ever tour US Bank Stadium. The players don't even have permanent nameplates on their dressing areas - because they're only there 8-12 times a year (also because people would steal them). Most of their work is done at the practice facility.

 

[Ope3]

Williams arena has zero effect on recruiting and does not prevent the Gophers from winning.

The only effect it has is on the fan experience.

This. I was thinking about it last night when some were saying it affects recruiting. In a specific cases, maybe a kid cares.

But the discussion about the Barn really shouldn't have anything to do with that. All the issues with the Barn are related to fan experience. None of those things affect the kids on the floor, and if it's loud, they will feel it and love it.

While I generally agree, however, if the Barn is empty resulting in poor atmospheres that can certainly impact why a recruit/Portal player would choose Minnesota or not.

Also if revenue streams are impacted by their home arena, that can also impact the caliber of recruits/Portal acquisitions.

In this day in age of NCAA D1 sports, I don't see how a teams playing facility can have ZERO impact with the on court product.

 

[DMB123]

If only the U had a newish, beautiful arena on campus that seats around 10-11k.

 

[ShushPush]

In the case of the old Highway 100, PBS did a documentary film, and that was considered mitigation for losing all those old structures. Although legal and proper, it was a shame. Part of Graesser Park was desrroyed just so we could have a longer queueing length on a ramp. That makes me cry.

Sorry to hear that it hurts. Infrastructure projects have a big tendency to wreck things. On the other hand, Spaghetti Junction was the result of unreasonable preservation efforts.

 

[ShushPush]

This. I was thinking about it last night when some were saying it affects recruiting. In a specific cases, maybe a kid cares.

But the discussion about the Barn really shouldn't have anything to do with that. All the issues with the Barn are related to fan experience. None of those things affect the kids on the floor, and if it's loud, they will feel it and love it.

This. I was thinking about it last night when some were saying it affects recruiting. In a specific cases, maybe a kid cares.

But the discussion about the Barn really shouldn't have anything to do with that. All the issues with the Barn are related to fan experience. None of those things affect the kids on the floor, and if it's loud, they will feel it and love it.

The fan experience is less than satisfactory. The main entrance is also a transit hub for traveling team buses. The diesel exhausts next to fans entering or exiting the building. It is a crappy way to great people and as their first impression. The next impression is the excessively crowded walkways jammed with people in line ordering food. There are people who deliberately try to avoid crowds who will not go to games just to avoid the mezzanine, which seems cramped from its low ceiling compared to other floors, which is really the auditorium itself. The iron walkways are very narrow and feel claustrophobic to many. The raised floor has issues of its own. Fan experience is the only thing to care about. It supersedes everything else. If fans are an afterthought, let's just have the team play in a small gymnasium without fans at all.