It may be time to look into expanding Apogee

[DentonLurker]

Stadium expansion is not on what was presented to the BOR last November. Unless something changed, here’s where Wren’s priorities seem to lie.

[UNTFan23]

2 hours ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

Baseball good, but don’t see the advantage of a new basketball arena so far away from where most the students live---do you?  

Since some of y’all want to go smaller for a basketball arena (which Wren Baker would probably never do) then move to the Men’s Gym for a year then gut the Super Pit for a complete redux.  

What year did you graduate, UNTFan23?  1976 was my graduation year—I’m old.🎅

 

GMG!

What are your thoughts on a football stadium that is about the same distance away from where most the students live as the new basketball arena would be?

[Mean Green Matt]

5 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

What are your thoughts on a football stadium that is about the same distance away from where most the students live as the new basketball arena would be?

Way less football games than basketball games.  Football is typically during a better part of the year for walking outside to a destination.  Football is also more of an "event" rather than just going to and from a basketball game.  

I've made this point on here before that moving the arena to the other side of the highway would be massively detrimental to student attendance.  Building a 5,000 seat arena at a university with 40,000 students would also be a big mistake. I'm anxiously awaiting the updated plans.

[Mean Green Matt]

On 9/7/2018 at 11:00 AM, Cerebus said:

I can tell you leadership does not agree, I've seen the plans.

The University rents out the SP, they hate having to give up dates for BB events.  The athletic department hates not having control of the venue, thinks it's the wrong size, lacks amenities, and wants to combine vb and bb practice space.

New arena is down the list, but it's way ahead of apogee expansion or even a baseball program.

I love just about everything that leadership is doing (and love would be an understatement), but making students cross a highway to go to basketball games is not a good move just for the sake of having all of the athletic venues in one spot.  I wish there was a way to have had the football stadium (and all the other stadiums for that matter) on the east side of the highway.  It just didn't shake out like that.

[Cerebus]

3 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

but making students cross a highway to go to basketball games is not a good move just for the sake of having all of the athletic venues in one spot.  

That's not the reason.  The reason is every single inch of space on the east side of the highway is going to become academic building. 

In the future, no students will park on that side.  All the lots will become buildings.  Every student, and most staff, will park on the west side and take a bus over to campus.

That is what is happening to the fouts field area.  Bus terminal, expensive parking garage for visitors, staff, and faculty, some intramural fields.  But mainly that shuttle service from the other side of the highway.

[Mean Green Matt]

12 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

That's not the reason.  The reason is every single inch of space on the east side of the highway is going to become academic building. 

In the future, no students will park on that side.  All the lots will become buildings.  Every student, and most staff, will park on the west side and take a bus over to campus.

That is what is happening to the fouts field area.  Bus terminal, expensive parking garage for visitors, staff, and faculty, some intramural fields.  But mainly that shuttle service from the other side of the highway.

Well I guess we will just see what happens.  There is a way to generate space on the east side of the highway if there is a will in the administration to do it. Eminent domain for a sports venue would likely face some opposition though and would be more expensive than land already owned.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Mean Green Matt

[PlummMeanGreen]

12 hours ago, Cooke County Kid said:

I started NTSU in 1976 and graduated in 1980, the Super Pit is a good venue and the money can be better spent elsewhere. Besides get that pit rocking with 7-8 thousand and it is a great home court advantage.  Spend the money on a baseball team.  A need to expand the stadium would be great, it is in the plan!  WIN GAMES........

BEAT la tech!!!!!

GO MEAN GREEN!!!!!

Because of Seth Littrell’s presence I think the Apogee expansion just went to the top of the list.  You make money with winning NCAA football. ($1 million from the Arkansas win).

 The IPF was a good sign of our leadership’s seriousness about a future beyond CUSA.   An Apogee expansion would prove it with schools coming to Denton we’d never dreamed would come to Denton. We just can’t make money traveling to Florida, Virginia, Etc.

UH built a 40K seat stadium & knows Re-alignment is coming with maybe even some Big 12 changes.  Maybe 2 or 3 openings from that conference so they are positioning for it.  Our own history is to get left behind at the train station—me’thinks Wren Baker has & will continue to stop that failed modus operandi of OldDenton past.  

🔺🔴🔻

GMG!

Edited September 25, 2018 by PlummMeanGreen

[Stan R]

14 hours ago, UNTFan23 said:

This couldn't be farther from the truth.

Grammar nitpick

further. 😁

Edited September 25, 2018 by Stan R

[UNTFan23]

Just now, Stan R said:

further. 😁

Any chance I could blame autocorrect for my misspelling and you believe me? 😂

[Stan R]

1 minute ago, UNTFan23 said:

Any chance I could blame autocorrect for my misspelling and you believe me? 😂

I was going to give you the canonical skeptical eagle, but - out of reactions - you're off the hook bro... 

[oldguystudent]

On 9/7/2018 at 11:00 AM, Cerebus said:

or even a baseball program.

I kinda think that giving me a fully funded fellowship and making me chancellor of the UNT system is higher up on the list than a baseball program. 

[oldguystudent]

On 9/7/2018 at 10:30 AM, GrandGreen said:

If you want an local example of the new plastic looking arenas go to UTA's. 

I have been proven to be in the minority here by great margins, but my impressions of my one trip to UTA's joint were that I felt like I was watching a game in Disneyland's Toontown.  The taco coupon farting blimp was the component that really put things over the edge for me. 

As to basketball facilities as a whole across the NCAA, don't multiple blue chip programs play in rickety old warehouses under the guise of "Tradition and history?"  

With all the facilities arms races that have been going on in football (and to a lesser extent, baseball), has the same thing been happening with basketball?  I don't follow the sport much, so I could entirely be speaking out my sphincter, but it doesn't seem so to me. 

Edited September 25, 2018 by oldguystudent

[Cerebus]

11 hours ago, Mean Green Matt said:

 Eminent domain for a sports venue would likely face some opposition though and would be more expensive than land already owned.

Eminent domain in Texas is very weak unless done by the State Government itself.  Even a public entity like NT is going to have a hard time doing it unless they can get the State 100% behind them.  It took over 20 years to get all the ducks in a roll just to try and condemn the S&S and McDonald's properties, for instruction purposes.   

Chances of getting it done for North Texas to build athletic facilities?  About zero. 

[Cerebus]

42 minutes ago, oldguystudent said:

With all the facilities arms races that have been going on in football (and to a lesser extent, baseball), has the same thing been happening with basketball?  I don't follow the sport much, so I could entirely be speaking out my sphincter, but it doesn't seem so to me. 

Athletics doesn't own the Super Pit.  They can't schedule it as they want, and they want their own arena to have MBB/WBB/VB  games/practices.  The university does own the Super Pit and makes money off of renting it out to all sorts of organizations.  They hate giving up dates for something that makes them no money.

It's not a "bells and whistles" thing (though you better believe The Wren™ is going to cram any luxury he can upcharge for in it), it's a "facility use" thing.  

[oldguystudent]

5 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

Athletics doesn't own the Super Pit.  They can't schedule it as they want, and they want their own arena to have MBB/WBB/VB  games/practices.  The university does own the Super Pit and makes money off of renting it out to all sorts of organizations.  They hate giving up dates for something that makes them no money.

It's not a "bells and whistles" thing (though you better believe The Wren™ is going to cram any luxury he can upcharge for in it), it's a "facility use" thing.  

I get that and agree.  The question was more generalized across the NCAA if basketball facilities have been enjoying the monster upgrades that football has. 

[Christopher Walker]

I have a feeling we'll know a lot more on facilities after this week.

[kj86]

First thing I'd like to see as far as stadium expansion is concerned is to carve out space for the Green Brigade in the south end zone.  That would free up some prime seating.  I think they could make enough space in the "boomer area" for the band.  Initially, perhaps only relocate them for games when demand is high.

 

[Christopher Walker]

On 9/25/2018 at 10:31 AM, Christopher Walker said:

I have a feeling we'll know a lot more on facilities after this week.

 

Thought so.

Scope out the basketball facility in the Radisson lot and baseball diamond to the south of the new IPF.

[NTXCoog]

On 9/25/2018 at 8:19 AM, PlummMeanGreen said:

 

UH built a 40K seat stadium

 

UH did have 2 straight years of sell outs (ok average about 500 below sell out) before announcing the new stadium

[PlummMeanGreen]

1 hour ago, NTXCoog said:

UH did have 2 straight years of sell outs (ok average about 500 below sell out) before announcing the new stadium

NTXCoog, how far back do you go in Cougar' Country?    Ever go to one of these?  This is a UH Band Day at the Astrodome in 1966.   

It was announced that there were 13,000 bandsmen in this pic and my school's HS band was in this group.  Our Danbury HS Band Director (Manuel Garza, former UT Longhorn MB member) let 2 or 3 of us footballers go as  "instrument handlers."  :)  

NTXCoog, a few of my memorable moments in the Dome:   (1) Saw Mickey Mantle hit the 1'st home run on Grand Opening night 4/09/65--Prez' LBJ & Ladybird were there, too (2) Saw UH & Elvin Hayes beat Lew Alcindor (still his name then) and the UCLA Bruins before 50,000. We had terrible seats.  (3).  Saw the Oilers Ken Houston almost decapitate Cowboy receiver Lance Rentzel  tackling him after a reception in a pre-season exhibition game. 

 

 

                                       

Edited September 28, 2018 by PlummMeanGreen

[PlummMeanGreen]

On ‎9‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 10:14 PM, UNTFan23 said:

What are your thoughts on a football stadium that is about the same distance away from where most the students live as the new basketball arena would be?

I was at the Super Pit's first game & probably didn't miss a home game for its first 10 years, yet neither one of us will probably not live long enough to see the Super Pit get replaced.  It should be gutted & the interior rebuilt with all the bells & whistles of college BB venues of this era.

  Since some of yall like a smaller seating capacity basketball venue (for a school with almost 40,000 students) the 4,500 seat Men's Gym could be home court for a year while the 'Pit is having its redux.    

GMG!

[greeneagle1]

On 9/25/2018 at 1:24 PM, kj86 said:

First thing I'd like to see as far as stadium expansion is concerned is to carve out space for the Green Brigade in the south end zone.  That would free up some prime seating.  I think they could make enough space in the "boomer area" for the band.  Initially, perhaps only relocate them for games when demand is high.

 

Man I remember when Apogee first opened and the band was almost at the 50 yard line! Would be a hard sell to them to move to the end zone lol. 

[UNTLifer]

8 minutes ago, greeneagle1 said:

Man I remember when Apogee first opened and the band was almost at the 50 yard line! Would be a hard sell to them to move to the end zone lol. 

Hard sell?  I don't think they have a say in the matter.

[greeneagle1]

8 hours ago, greeneagle1 said:

Man I remember when Apogee first opened and the band was almost at the 50 yard line! Would be a hard sell to them to move to the end zone lol. 

[billyboy85]

🌧️ It may be time to look into building a DOME! 

Great Win Today!