no plans, but potential interest

ADLER · April 6, 2023

Mayor Hudspeth told me there is interest in the City of Denton further partnering with the university. No set plans, but there is potential interest.

Edited April 20, 2023 by ADLER

meangreenfaninno · April 6, 2023

4 minutes ago, ADLER said:

Mayor Hudspeth told me there is interest in the City of Denton building a large arena attached to the Embassy Suites and Denton Convention Center. The city needs the space to be able to host larger conventions, concerts, circus, rodeos, graduations, TWU Gymnastics championships, and other events, and an arena of that size would not be possible without having the North Texas Mean Green as it's primary tennant.

Gosh, that would be terrific. Hope Jared and Prez Smatty are all over this.

Green Otaku · April 6, 2023

We have been worried about student turnout with just moving across the street. Going completely off campus seems like a big red flag. Plus again you have to share the space and don't have complete control of the facility.

Green Crazy · April 6, 2023

No thanks. The thought of playing in an arena that we don't own doesn't sit right with me. Also, why would we have money in the budget for a new arena if we were considering this?

Plus the student turnout would plummet like @Green Otaku said. Why not have the arena that the rodeos, conventions and events pay us to use?

Edited April 6, 2023 by Green Crazy

dml7007 · April 6, 2023

Build it on campus! and attach a hotel to it or closer too it. Then teams coming into town for games (all sports) can use. Should get back to what the Raddison was back in the late 1980's - 90. The hotel was staffed in part by the school for hotel restaurant management.

UNT Texas Hooligan · April 6, 2023

We clown UTSA for using a stadium off campus that they don't even own and now we are trying to do the same thing? If people complain about student/alumni attendance now, just imagine if this actually goes through...

VideoEagle · April 6, 2023

Certainly, explore it! The City wants to partner with the school and that's exactly what has been needed for years. "Partner" doesn't mean doing it only in a way that best suits UNT only. If you don't want to be a partner, don't expect support!

Green Lantern · April 6, 2023

Nope. On campus. Where currently planned.

cousin oliver · April 6, 2023

Just now, Green Lantern said:

Nope. On campus. Where currently planned.

I tend to agree that it needs to be UNT's property. The City will never support UNT to the level that is required.

NT80 · April 6, 2023

9 hours ago, ADLER said:

Mayor Hudspeth told me there is interest in the City of Denton building a large arena attached to the Embassy Suites and Denton Convention Center. The city needs the space to be able to host larger conventions, concerts, circus, rodeos, graduations, TWU Gymnastics championships, and other events, and an arena of that size would not be possible without having the North Texas Mean Green as it's primary tennant.

A big "NO" to a larger arena off campus for the convenience of Denton and TWU. Attendance would be worse than now. A major reason for moving from the SuperPit is to give Athletics full control on arena use. Having Denton and the hotel host conventions, concerts, graduations, etc is the same problem now with the SuperPit.

Denton had the opportunity, along with Embassy Suites, to partner with UNT and build on the current proposed site next to Apogee. They balked.

MeanGreenTexan · April 6, 2023

The cool thing about this potential "partnership" is that UNT already has an arena like this planned. We have the space for it, and it's in a more prominent placement, closer to the heart of the city, than up at Rayzor Ranch.

So if the City of Denton would like to have a basketball arena double as a space for rodeos, large convention gatherings, concerts, etc... They can jump in on our existing plans and make it work.

NT80 · April 6, 2023

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

The cool thing about this potential "partnership" is that UNT already has an arena like this planned. We have the space for it, and it's in a more prominent placement, closer to the heart of the city, than up at Rayzor Ranch.

So if the City of Denton would like to have a basketball arena double as a space for rodeos, large convention gatherings, concerts, etc... They can jump in on our existing plans and make it work.

I think you missed the part the Mayor wants the new arena by the hotel and convention center… Not at UNT.

Matt from A700 · April 6, 2023

Any mention of the size of Rayzor Arena? Are we talking 10,000+ seats?

SUMG · April 6, 2023

What if the seats in Morrison's Pan-Kit Bis-Kit Corn-Kit Arena are black???

TheColonyEagle · April 6, 2023

To say "yeah let's do this" we would have to believe that all the "the city of Denton doesn't care about UNT" is BS.

If it is....

Then we have to decide if moving the basketball team to play off campus is a good thing or not.

If it is....

Then I say sure, go for it.

MeanGreenTexan · April 6, 2023

2 hours ago, NT80 said:

I think you missed the part the Mayor wants the new arena by the hotel and convention center… Not at UNT.

No sir, I didn't miss that.
But I don't believe having a basketball arena that far off campus is a good idea for UNT.

So, Denton can build that arena totally on their own dime, and compete with UNT's new arena (because it's going to happen), or they can partner with UNT to create one that not only serves UNT, but also the Denton Community. Look at Albuquerque's partnership with UNM's Pit.

meangreenbob · April 6, 2023

I heard someone mention that we should raze the PEB and the Men’s Gym and build a new basketball arena right there between the Pohl Rec Center and the Super Pit. Right on campus and next to parking at old Fouts. Makes sense to me.

TIgreen01 · April 6, 2023

The fact that the mayor sat front row yesterday tells you everything you need to know. Apparently this is happening. Gift horse? Not sure. I think we'd be better off with a smaller arena that helped create more of an atmosphere. If that is what the city wants to build, so be it. But I doubt it. I've been to a few of these city based arenas due to doing time with my daughter in competitive cheer. Those are the types of events that Denton wants to compete for...and they generally need more floor space than a basketball only (or basketball first) arena like the Super Pit. So it'll be big and boxy and generic. Pass.

Edited April 6, 2023 by TIgreen01

NorthTexasWeLove · April 6, 2023

No more than 2000 seats and I'm in.

ColoradoEagle · April 6, 2023

No one cares about having a convention in Denton, and this is the first time I've ever heard of the city wanting to work on anything pertaining to UNT athletics. The hardest of passes.

untcampbell · April 6, 2023

ADLER's hypothetical is thought provoking.

It would be interesting to gauge citizen interest to see if they would be any more likely to attend a game at a city-owned arena than they would be an on-campus venue. I suspect it wouldn't make much difference, but I may be wrong.

That said, a city partnership interests me because it hasn't been much of a athletics partner, IMO, over the first 133 or so years.

We currently have a mayor that is NT athletics friendly. We should welcome that and sort out options that may be good for both parties.

GMG

VideoEagle · April 6, 2023

I'm not saying we should just say yes, but to reject the city out of hand doesn't make any sense. I'm sure the NT administration will not do anything that foolish.

And just a glance at the Denton Convention and Visitor's Bureau website shows there are two to three events/meetings/conventions a WEEK in Denton. A facility will increase that exponentially based on what's happened in Frisco.

https://www.discoverdenton.com/?UTM_source=GMB_listing&UTM_medium=organic

tmjerm · April 6, 2023

To consider this I’d first want to know of a well established plan to get students there easily. A quality shuttle program from campus to the arena and back constantly running before/during/after the game. Also to know that we have lots of branding leverage. I don’t love the idea much and would rather build on campus or MGV. I’m sure there are other initiatives out there to cultivate a better relationship to the city with.

meangreenfaninno · April 7, 2023

12 hours ago, dml7007 said:

Build it on campus! and attach a hotel to it or closer too it. Then teams coming into town for games (all sports) can use. Should get back to what the Raddison was back in the late 1980's - 90. The hotel was staffed in part by the school for hotel restaurant management.

We gave try to this and it never worked out. The small motels (and believe me there are many of them in Denton) cried when they were considering a convention center and luxury hotel on the old golf course. There are too many greedy small motel owners in Denton to overcome I’m afraid.