Time to replace the barn

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GopherinPhilly

GopherinPhilly

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Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo you suck. kidding, might not be a terrible idea, but I still like the barn
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

Look at Penn State's cavernous, 16,000-seat, NBA-style arena. It hasn't helped Penn State after being constructed for $55 million in 1996.
 


GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

You Philly, I was so adamant against the topic even being brought up just last year, but I have warmed up to it more in the past year than I ever thought I would. I love the barn, but I don't think we would lose any home court advantage by building a state of the art arena. Just my 2 cents.
 


GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree with your opinion.
 

I hate the idea of replacing Williams Arena.

I doubt that either the U or the State of Minnesota will have the desire to spend the money to construct a new arena for a long time.

We've gone more than 80 years in The Barn. What's another ten?
 

The cost of a new arena...

...will come out of our pockets. Higher ticket prices, higher concession prices and even larger extortion payments to get a half decent seat than those already planned for next year are how we'll pay. Attending a Gopher basketball game will become even more more out of reach for those of us of modest means. A new arena means only the high rollers (and maybe a few students) will ever get to see them play in person.

The corporate fat cats who pay $750 or $1,000 for premium seating are the ones who sit on their hands and politely clap once in a while. If you want a rabid, rocking venue for the Gophers, you better fight a new arena for all you're worth.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

Duke seems to do fine in their old arena.
 



As a non-season ticket-holder I defer to others. I can only tell you that UVa has a shiny brand new arena (John Paul Jones Arena) and I'll take the atmosphere in a full Barn over the atmosphere there any day, especially since it's almost never full. A new arena half full or even 2/3full is not a great thing. If you build a new arena with 17,000 seats, you'll encounter this more then you wish.

Most seem to agree that the Barn is great on game-day, crappy otherwise. It seems to me a new Practice Facility removes the Barn from the picture for all times outside of game day, and therefore, solves the problem. Outside of the suites , I don't think there's huge revenue being missed by the U here. 14,625 may not be the largest capacity in the world, but it's not the smallest by any means. I don't think there's huge demand for those extra 2,000 tickets. Certainly not enough to justify what will probably be $50-75 million in investment from the U at minimum. As for the suites, if the U can't get the legislature to get off it's ridiculous stance on the booze issue, it's going to be hard enough selling the ones they have. Sorry, but suites are all about entertaining clients and if I can properly entertain them for the same price at Target Field or the new Vikings stadium or the X, I'm spending my $$ there.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

Your arguments are well put,and right on. Having attended games at a number of modern venues, I'll take comfortable seats, escalators, sound systems that are understandable, adequate toilet facilities , better site lines, and any other gimmic that will help attract recruits.
Maybe even the students would be allowed decent seating on one side of the gym, as they are at other schools. It is their team too. I'm sure they would show up in greater numbers.
I do feel safe in the old barn. If it were going to burn down, it would have done it years ago.
 

I can see throwing a few million into The Barn for renovations, but to get rid of it all together...hate the idea!
 

poor logic

GopherinPhilly said:
Why are we talking about putting 15 mil into a new practice facility when we should be talking about a new state of the art arena with 17k seats, premium boxes and a practice/office facility built in.

Lets go all out and do it right with a modern new revenue source going forward. The outside can still look like the barn...but lets not pretend the limited seating, limited revenue, limited recruiting tool of the barn isn't hurting us...new isn't necessarily bad...if it can be a game changer with money and recruiting. I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

Absolutely, NO.

I do not believe a new arena equates to a National Championship and there have been hundreds of examples to prove that one does not lead to the other.

What you would have twenty years later is a dump like the Target Center. The money is much better spent on a practice facility, IMHO.

Absolutely, NO.
 



The Barn is great. There will be a day to replace it but that day is certainly not here. You have to look at the big picture:

1. The football stadium was just built so the state and the fundraising well has been heavily tapped.

2. The economy is poor and may languish for a good long while.

3. The Vikings need a new stadium worse than anyone and that is going to be a huge hit.

At this point a practice facility would be just fine.
 

The Barn

From someone who has spent 36 years going there to watch basketball games, ASOLUTELY NOT!!!
 

WHEN The Barn is replaced...

I have great memories of Williams Arena from the 70's and early 80's. From a fan's perspective, I've never felt the same energy in another arena that I used to feel at The Barn. When the time comes and it's necessary to replace The Barn, I would like to see a "retro" type fieldhouse with seating as close to the floor as possible, larger capacity and the classic raised floor. Basically, like The Barn with no obstructed views.

I definitely wouldn't want it replaced with a Target Center type building. I remember going to the Pillsbury Classic at Met Center, and granted the opponents weren't top of the line, but it seemed like you were watching scrimmages, virtually no energy in the building.

Anyway, I would prefer to see in this order:
1. New practice facility
2. New Retro Fieldhouse
 

GopherinPhilly: Let the lambasting and assault begin...

I lambast you :horse: and assault you :banghead:
 




Dr.Don said:
201, with an invitation like that from Philly, who can resist that? I accepted the invitation.
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And I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I don't want to replace the barn...just wanted to poke some fun...be we do need to get the practice facility done ASAP.
 

good one

GopherinPhilly said:
And I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I don't want to replace the barn...just wanted to poke some fun...be we do need to get the practice facility done ASAP.
Click to expand...

I totally agree on the Vatican and the practice facility !

:D
 

I've said this before, but I'd actually be willing to build a new barn. I think, however, we need to make sure we keep some sort of "historic" look to the new building. Missouri did a nice job of keeping a "historic" feel to its new arena, which opened in 2004 for only $75 million. It has a practice facility, weight room, offices, additional revenue opportunities with suites, etc. I figure if we're raising $20-25 already, let's get someone to give a really big gift and go all out. I know I'm in the minority, but I've been inside of Mizzou Arena and it is nice. We'd be happy with it. And Mike Anderson is killing recruiting with it there. Think what Tubby could do.:

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I like the looks of the Mizzou Arena, hadn't seen it before.

I thought I would do a search on their arena. Built in 2004(I think). Seats about 15,600.

Also stumbled accross the following. (I realize it's a little OT, but thought it was quite interesting)

TOTALS 32-16 87-19 .821

[edit] Naming ControversyThe facility was originally to be called Paige Sports Arena. This name was the result of a $25 million naming rights gift from Wal-Mart heiress Nancy Laurie and her husband Bill. Nancy is one of two daughters of Bud Walton, brother and business partner of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Although neither of the Lauries attended Mizzou, they have made the school the main beneficiary of their philanthropy. "Paige" is their daughter, Elizabeth Paige Laurie. The primary reason for this generosity is believed to be due to the fact that the Lauries live in Columbia, Missouri.

The name was widely opposed by students, as Paige has no connection to Mizzou other than her parents' monetary giving; she graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2004. In November of that year, Paige's first-semester roommate at USC charged that Paige had paid her $20,000 over four years to write papers, prepare oral reports, and exchange email with Paige's professors. After the charges were aired on local radio station KFRU and the ABC newsmagazine 20/20, the elder Lauries stripped their daughter's name from the arena and returned the naming rights to the university. In October 2005, USC announced that Paige had returned her diploma to USC and was no longer a graduate.

While no major games were played while the building was called the "Paige Sports Arena", several exhibition matches were contested with the offending name on the floor, causing Mizzou officials to put a new arena logo on the court. In addition, the lighted letters that spelled out "Paige Sports Arena" on the façade of the building were sold to a buyer who put them for sale on eBay, only to be taken down when University officials caught wind of the offer.[1]
 

GopherinPhilly said:
I want a national championship and I don't think we can win one in the barn.

Let the lambasting and assault begin...
Click to expand...

I didn't realize that we were able to play for the National Championship in the barn. Isn't that at a neutral court?;)
 

The idea of replacing the Barn used to make me sick to my stomach, but not anymore. After seeing the newer facilities we have around here -- TCF Bank Stadium, Mariucci, Excel, Target Field -- I would be fine with a new arena. Heck, put an additional practice floor in the same building.

I don't think it's necessary yet, and I think the Barn is still fine. But I think a new arena will not only help recruiting, it can enhance the experience for fans. I might be even able to see the scoreboard in a new arena!
 

how about build a new arena and the barn can be the practice facility!
 


NOOOO leave the Barn! I do agree, that Missouri's new arena is about as good as it gets for a new place. I think we need to do a poll about tearing down the Barn. I'll guess 90% on this site say keep the Barn.
 

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