A National Perspective-With 41K UNT enrollment & 300K DFW NT alums—Is it really time to shrink our 🏀 venue? That is...

[greenminer]

Just now, NTXDJ said:

I don't believe the sight line issues thing.  I'd have to see that myself.  I've never sat at the very tip top of the building before, but I've sat in the upper level, and I don't see a problem. 

As for costs, I'm sure Wren would prefer a new facility.  Most executive managers like tearing down the previous guy's stuff and "putting his stamp on the place" with "new and improved" stuff.  It looks good on their resume.

You don't trust Wren. Okay.

[NTXDJ]

I trust my own eyes and experience over someone I've never met before. 

[wardly]

38 minutes ago, tmjerm said:

The new silver facade on the upper portion of the exterior in place of the brown is at least an upgrade.  I think we can work with it but doesn’t sound like we will, which I get.
 

Baseball being non revenue doesn’t mean it isn’t a loss leader in lots of cases.  It can be viewed as an advertising expense for the Mean Green brand, especially if we do well.  It sustains the energy of the end of the basketball season through the rest of the semester which is a great thing.  

 

Texas Tech lost $2 million on baseball. That's a big advertising expense. No way its cost effective to build a new venue and fund a baseball program for a few hundred fans per game.

[wardly]

6 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

Got that backwards, sort of.  They replaced a great venue with a good one, since The Ballpark is still standing.

My bad. Note "Old Man" in my post.

[Green P1]

The Super Pit just feels old.  I love it... but no amount of renovation is ever going to make it feel like a new facility. 

[wardly]

I was freshman in 1961 when we were in the Missouri Valley Conference. The original men's gymnasium [aka The Pit ] could barely hold 2,500 to 3,000 fans, but when it was full the venue really rocked. The Super Pit is too big with too few fans to replicate that experience so I certainly see the value in a smaller venue but not the cost.

[letsgiveacheer]

On 4/8/2021 at 10:52 AM, wardly said:

I was freshman in 1961 when we were in the Missouri Valley Conference. The original men's gymnasium [aka The Pit ] could barely hold 2,500 to 3,000 fans, but when it was full the venue really rocked. The Super Pit is too big with too few fans to replicate that experience so I certainly see the value in a smaller venue but not the cost.

I was a decade after you and saw the transition from the Pit to the Super Pit.  The very first game at the Super Pit was such a let down with none of the excitement of the Pit.   Not to mention those orange seats...

Opera and basketball have little in common but when I was director of a company in NYC, I always careful not to rent a theater that was larger than we needed, even if that meant we had to turn away guests. The cast always performed better to a packed house. I suspect that is the same for any athletics team, including basketball. Who wants to play in a 10,000 seat gym that is only 1/5 full?

[Matt from A700]

On 4/5/2021 at 11:34 PM, UNTLifer said:

yes

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Matt from A700]

On 4/6/2021 at 9:10 AM, DentonLurker said:

I would hope the new basketball arena. The Super Pit served its purpose, but it's time for a major upgrade and a true basketball facility.

I am very torn. I know the Pit would still be there for graduations and whatnot, but like the OP said, it doesn't sit with me well downgrading capacity by 30% for a school with 40k students. And I know we don't fill the current building, I know it looks even worse for women's games, I know live attendance is going down across most sports at both the collegiate and professional levels.

I've never been a collegiate athlete, but if I could imagine putting myself in their shoes, I would think if the locker rooms and training facilities are above par, and there's a good fanbase, then the arena shouldn't matter as much. Especially considering all of the historic (in terms of memories and age) gyms that host your Dukes, and so forth.

I'm not opposed to a new arena if the money's there -- although I do find it kind of funny making a fuss about having private suites to watch unpaid athletes -- but do fear it creating just another excuse for an on-campus student not to go to the game if they have to go across the highway. Of course for football, there's 10 fewer home games creating more urgency, every game's on the same day of the week, and there's tailgating. I know I say all this like they are turning dirt tomorrow morning, but I'd like to see some fuller houses at the Pit as the program continues its success before putting too much energy into a new building.