Should UNT copy UH with the Super Pit instead of jumping over I-35E to a less student accessible BB venue. See link.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I followed UH Cougar Athletics from age 12 to age 21.  Attended (with 50,000+ other fans) the *”Game of the Century” at the Astrodome featuring (then) Lew Alcindor vs. the Big E (Elvin Hayes).  It is a great memory of which there were many for UH fans but—I have a North Texas degree thus I’m a Mean Green fan. (Step aside, Coogs)!😎
*Late NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg credits the UCLA-UH game in the Astrodome as the reason NCAA basketball became a national sport rather than one that had previously been regional.

• UH’s 10,000 seat Hofeinz Pavilion basketball venue  opened in about 1970. It has experienced a dramatic re-do & now seats a bit over 7,000.  Many millions were spent to update & modernize the former Hofeinz Pavillion which is now called the Fertitta Center.  Something UNT might want to consider in order to keep varsity basketball on the east side of our main campus & more accessible to UNT students.  

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertitta_Center

••• See Fertitta Center videos in the next comment.

GMG!

Edited September 23, 2020 by PlummMeanGreen

[PlummMeanGreen]

2 Videos

GMG!

Edited September 23, 2020 by PlummMeanGreen

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

Saw this on google a while back, and I would definitely vouch for this type of arena. Kind of like UTA but much nicer.

I couldn't find any other pictures sadly...

Edited September 23, 2020 by NorthTexasSportsNetwork

[MDH]

We need to be fiscally responsible right now. Higher ed will continue to evolve as will focus on fees and value. I wouldn't push on a new arena.

[PlummMeanGreen]

1 hour ago, MDH said:

We need to be fiscally responsible right now. Higher ed will continue to evolve as will focus on fees and value. I wouldn't push on a new arena.

•Wholeheartedly agree, MDH,  but...... during a world-wide pandemic UNT set a Fall, 2020, record enrollment of close to 41,000 so we can more than assume now we will actually reach the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s projected enrollment of close to 50,000 for UNT.  Yet to keep up with (or close to) those we say we want to hang with athletically we need to be right in the middle of the NCAA D-1 venues arm race.  
Truth be told, this facility would need a Fertitta-type cash gift to get jump started.  It’s still fun to dream of the bright future at UNT of which astronomical growth on & near campus makes possible.  

GMG! 

[Texas Stranger]

Just not getting it, sorry.  The Super Pit is not Basketball Fouts.  There's nothing wrong with it, unless being built in the 70's is some sort of structural flaw.

[Andrew]

On 9/22/2020 at 6:24 PM, PlummMeanGreen said:

I followed UH Cougar Athletics from age 12 to age 21.  Attended (with 50,000+ other fans) the *”Game of the Century” at the Astrodome featuring (then) Lew Alcindor vs. the Big E (Elvin Hayes).  It is a great memory of which there were many for UH fans but—I have a North Texas degree thus I’m a Mean Green fan. (Step aside, Coogs)!😎
*Late NBC broadcaster Dick Enberg credits the UCLA-UH game in the Astrodome as the reason NCAA basketball became a national sport rather than one that had previously been regional.

• UH’s 10,000 seat Hofeinz Pavilion basketball venue  opened in about 1970. It has experienced a dramatic re-do & now seats a bit over 7,000.  Many millions were spent to update & modernize the former Hofeinz Pavillion which is now called the Fertitta Center.  Something UNT might want to consider in order to keep varsity basketball on the east side of our main campus & more accessible to UNT students.  

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertitta_Center

••• See Fertitta Center videos in the next comment.

GMG!

They should have planned to build a larger complex with a parking garage connected right across from the pit where the old stadium was. I suppose that’s still possible but I doubt they do it. 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

5 hours ago, Texas Stranger said:

Just not getting it, sorry.  The Super Pit is not Basketball Fouts.  There's nothing wrong with it, unless being built in the 70's is some sort of structural flaw.

I mean the argument that it's too big is definitely something to consider

[GrandGreen]

From a fan's view point, I see nothing wrong with the Super Pit.   I prefer it over the cookie cutter arenas being built now. 

UTA and others newer arenas remind me of massive McDonalds. 

Obviously no NT construction is going to be approved, until it is clear the pandemic is over and not likely to return. 

[drex]

I would take the proposed money that would be spent on a new basketball venue and use it to buy football players...football is where the real action is.  Calm down, this is tongue in cheek.

[MrAlien]

there is nothing wrong with the Superpit, and there is a lot of space in there should they ever wish to renovate it.  The program has made some serious strides over the past seasons both on the court and off the court with recruiting, I would hope the school could find a way to fill more of those seats this season. 

[DWayne47]

I follow this online community regularly and find it extremely entertaining because I love DFW sports discussion and everybody seems to be super smart. When something falls into my wheelbarrow like college basketball arenas, I lend my expertise. You're welcome. I've probably seen 100-plus games at The Pit, and it's fine. But think about what has happened over the past...I don't know...eight years? Arlington spends $80 million on a new arena. It wasn't long after that when SMU announced a $42 million renovation to Moody, which turned out to be amazing. They went from 8,600 seats or so to 7,000 with luxury suites and better locker rooms and more space for concessions and such. It was extremely well done. Shortly after that, TCU announced that they were going to pour $50 million into Daniel-Meyer. Both renovations are top-notch. UNT could do the same with The Pit. For $30 million or $40 million or less, you could wipe out most of that upper deck that nobody uses anyway and make it suites and meeting spaces for season ticket holders and donors. If you tried to build that from scratch on the other side of the highway, it would cost you $90 million. Or more. And quite honestly, it wouldn't even be that nice. Baylor is going from the Ferrell Center at 10,00 seats to a new $400 million arena on campus that will seat 7,000. Smaller is better today. And it's not just what you see. It's offices, athletic training facilities, meeting rooms, places to play ping pong, etc.. As I stated, The Pit is fine. But the bottom line is, it's the fourth-best arena in DFW right now. It wouldn't take that much money to change that if you just spend some cash on The Pit. If you wanted to do that across the highway, it would cost a tremendous amount of money.

[Eagle71]

Right after we get a baseball team.

[MDH]

7 hours ago, DWayne47 said:

I follow this online community regularly and find it extremely entertaining because I love DFW sports discussion and everybody seems to be super smart. When something falls into my wheelbarrow like college basketball arenas, I lend my expertise. You're welcome. I've probably seen 100-plus games at The Pit, and it's fine. But think about what has happened over the past...I don't know...eight years? Arlington spends $80 million on a new arena. It wasn't long after that when SMU announced a $42 million renovation to Moody, which turned out to be amazing. They went from 8,600 seats or so to 7,000 with luxury suites and better locker rooms and more space for concessions and such. It was extremely well done. Shortly after that, TCU announced that they were going to pour $50 million into Daniel-Meyer. Both renovations are top-notch. UNT could do the same with The Pit. For $30 million or $40 million or less, you could wipe out most of that upper deck that nobody uses anyway and make it suites and meeting spaces for season ticket holders and donors. If you tried to build that from scratch on the other side of the highway, it would cost you $90 million. Or more. And quite honestly, it wouldn't even be that nice. Baylor is going from the Ferrell Center at 10,00 seats to a new $400 million arena on campus that will seat 7,000. Smaller is better today. And it's not just what you see. It's offices, athletic training facilities, meeting rooms, places to play ping pong, etc.. As I stated, The Pit is fine. But the bottom line is, it's the fourth-best arena in DFW right now. It wouldn't take that much money to change that if you just spend some cash on The Pit. If you wanted to do that across the highway, it would cost a tremendous amount of money.

While I agree with removing seats for basketball, we need the Pit for graduations, which take that capacity. I'd be in for spending $10m in it where we can.

[UNTLifer]

The biggest issue with the Super Pit that many outside of the diehards don't realize is that the university owns the Super Pit.  It is not an athletic's venue so that creates scheduling issues, etc...  I am all for renovating, but I also realize that doing so doesn't eliminate the scheduling problems and other issues that arise due to the university's ownership.

Edited September 25, 2020 by UNTLifer

[PlummMeanGreen]

Not Super Pit related but rather Coach Guy V. Lewis/UH basketball.  
I remember when our Danbury HS football & basketball coaches took us kids to Houston ISD’s Delmar Field House to watch the UH freshmen team composed of: Elvin Hayes, Theodus Lee, Don Chaney, Ken Spain & (I think) George Reynolds play a game.  They were phenomenal.  Little did we know then what we would later with those guys. Many times thru the decades I thought UH & UNT had such similarities that we might could emulate some of UH’s athletic successes & (to a degree)—we still can.

•••What UH had because of their Bates Law School UNT didn’t & that was more political pull in Austin. That has improved for UNT & I think Al Hurley (albeit a nominal supporter of athletics)  began that focus with his appointment of Walt Parker who spent many hours on UNT’s behalf in the Texas legislature. 

••• In 1956 UH beat Baylor in football & H.R. Cullen gave UH $1 million. Later heard that UH athletics didn’t get much from that gift. ••• Fort Worth’s T. Cullen Davis was named after the Houston oilman.

Edited September 25, 2020 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNTLifer]

3 hours ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

Fort Worth’s T. Cullen Davis was named after the Houston oilman.

Now there's a story.  What ever happened to him?

[PlummMeanGreen]

15 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Now there's a story.  What ever happened to him?

✝️Jesus.   He got  the religion, though.  Happy for him. 

 Last I heard he was living out at former Dallas Cowboy-turned-home builder Larry Cole’s Tara Plantation in HEB (Fort Worth). 
 

GMG!

Edited September 26, 2020 by PlummMeanGreen

[Salsa_Verde]

I would love for North Texas to renovate the Super Pit. I personally like it where it is. They could make it to where the volleyball team plays there too but that a pipe dream since it seems that it is already a hassle to play basketball games there. I would really like some structural renovations not just superficial ones.  

[UNT86]

Again, the problem with the Pit is that the academic side owns it.

They have been almost completely uncooperative when it comes to updating.

When the academic side kicked the women's team out of a home game and we had to play at TWU, enough was enough.

We need a new arena across the highway ASAP.

 

[greenminer]

28 minutes ago, UNT86 said:

Again, the problem with the Pit is that the academic side owns it.

They have been almost completely uncooperative when it comes to updating.

When the academic side kicked the women's team out of a home game and we had to play at TWU, enough was enough.

We need a new arena across the highway ASAP.

 

Frustrating.  If only there was a way for athletics to acquire it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

33 minutes ago, UNT86 said:

Again, the problem with the Pit is that the academic side owns it.

They have been almost completely uncooperative when it comes to updating.

When the academic side kicked the women's team out of a home game and we had to play at TWU, enough was enough.

We need a new arena across the highway ASAP.

 

When was this?

Smatresk made Baker a University Vice President, which allows him a place at the table in making those kinds of decisions.   RV didn't have that kind of heightened position.
I think Smatresk has a great understanding of Athletics' place at a University and wouldn't let that kind of scenario unfold again.

[UNT86]

The game was March 7, 2015 against UTSA.

[Matt from A700]

I don't think a new arena should be a high priority for the university or the athletic department right now. As mentioned earlier, other area schools are building new arenas or renovating theirs, but all the program needed was a new coach to be rejuvenated. The team could have probably beaten any of the other D1 teams in the Metroplex last year. As long as you are keeping the players happy with a respectable locker room, weight room, training technology, etc., I think the program off the court will stay solid.

Don't get me wrong, I agree 5,000 in a 7,000-seat arena looks better than 5,000 in a 10,000-seat arena, but I also agree with the OP's sentiment that a venue in the Super Pit's location will fare better for attendance than across the Interstate. Plus, there's still only one concourse -- it's not like you're paying for multiple levels worth of maintenance employees, concession workers, electric/plumbing bills... that upper tier of seating is just kind of... there?

The building does get full for graduations, orientations, and other community events though.

[GrandGreen]

On 9/29/2020 at 3:17 PM, UNT86 said:

Again, the problem with the Pit is that the academic side owns it.

They have been almost completely uncooperative when it comes to updating.

When the academic side kicked the women's team out of a home game and we had to play at TWU, enough was enough.

We need a new arena across the highway ASAP.

 

I don't get it.  Why does anyone think that the technical ownership of the SPit makes one iota of difference?  The same people are going to make the decisions concerning its use.  

My guess is that the same process is used at the SPit as Apogee relative to their use.   

As far as scheduling one women exhibition game, so what.  I recall that robotics event, was actually scheduled before the game was.  Given the choice of making a little money and moving a women's game that was attended by less than a hundred was not a big deal.