A few tidbits of new Arena: Less than 5,000 seats for non student seating

[Turk]

I know some have been fancied with the question, how many seats. Well, the answer I got was 'around' 7,000. I asked why the reduction and was told that the whole lower level had arm rest and extra space. I asked how many general seats (non luge or enclosed areas) and was told between 4,500-5,000. Add in the extra physically challenged handicap seats and students and media, etc., and that's the 7,000 number.

Overall, I think they did a great job. Amazing actually.

At any rate, it still leaves the question, 6,700 or 7,200? Hell, we have to have something to talk about, right? lol

 

[NJCat]

At any rate, it still leaves the question, 6,700 or 7,200?

Neither. 6,800.....

 

[Sec.112]

Give me this speech one more time.

Put me in the bitchy group (I could probably stop the sentence here) who still thinks NU really undersold itself on this capacity.

I'm going to love the small arena, but if this program is anywhere near a consistent middle-of-the-B10 program, they're going to regret the 3000-4000 seats a completely new arena could have accommodated.

With 7000 seats, they just aren't leaving themselves much of any room to expand and grow with new fans.

And if times become lean again, you should be able to draw 6000-8000 with a bad team and reasonable marketing department. The Chicago Wolves averaged 7900+ for 30+ games in '16-'17. Hell, the Sky drew 7000+ two years ago. A lousy Sky team averaged 6081 this year.

It's a shame NU only planned for WNBA attendance, but it is what it is.

 

[willycat]

Give me this speech one more time.

Put me in the bitchy group (I could probably stop the sentence here) who still thinks NU really undersold itself on this capacity.

I'm going to love the small arena, but if this program is anywhere near a consistent middle-of-the-B10 program, they're going to regret the 3000-4000 seats a completely new arena could have accommodated.

With 7000 seats, they just aren't leaving themselves much of any room to expand and grow with new fans.

And if times become lean again, you should be able to draw 6000-8000 with a bad team and reasonable marketing department. The Chicago Wolves averaged 7900+ for 30+ games in '16-'17. Hell, the Sky drew 7000+ two years ago. A lousy Sky team averaged 6081 this year.

It's a shame NU only planned for WNBA attendance, but it is what it is.

Exactly. It's a shame that an up and coming program shrinks the seating capacity from an already conference low of 8,000 to less then 7,000. if they continue to improve the product on the court then 10, 000 or more should have been the new norm. If the old arena could only be remodeled to include less then 7,000 seats the a new arena, ala DePaul should have been built. While it looks like CC can work with NU's academic restrictions and dismal history, this ultra small arena may be the thing that draws him away for Evanston when others come calling.

 

[NJCat]

Exactly. It's a shame that an up and coming program shrinks the seating capacity from an already conference low of 8,000 to less then 7,000. if they continue to improve the product on the court then 10, 000 or more should have been the new norm. If the old arena could only be remodeled to include less then 7,000 seats the a new arena, ala DePaul should have been built. While it looks like CC can work with NU's academic restrictions and dismal history, this ultra small arena may be the thing that draws him away for Evanston when others come calling.

I guess that's why he signed a contract extension through 2025 (with penalties for breaking it) after the remodeled WRA was announced......

 

[VirginiaWildcat]

Wow...if our dream of a powerhouse becomes a reality, that's going to be one expensive ticket, and a REALLY loud W/R. I've attended games at Duke, and honestly, the noise alone is something that can't be explained until you've experienced it.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

Give me this speech one more time.

Put me in the bitchy group (I could probably stop the sentence here) who still thinks NU really undersold itself on this capacity.

I'm going to love the small arena, but if this program is anywhere near a consistent middle-of-the-B10 program, they're going to regret the 3000-4000 seats a completely new arena could have accommodated.

With 7000 seats, they just aren't leaving themselves much of any room to expand and grow with new fans.

And if times become lean again, you should be able to draw 6000-8000 with a bad team and reasonable marketing department. The Chicago Wolves averaged 7900+ for 30+ games in '16-'17. Hell, the Sky drew 7000+ two years ago. A lousy Sky team averaged 6081 this year.

It's a shame NU only planned for WNBA attendance, but it is what it is.

It looks like NU put the players and experience first instead of going for size. I think this program can become one of the top 2 or 3 in the bigten moving forward for a really long time.

Part of this experience is keeping opposing fans out.

 

[D_C_B]

...

And if times become lean again, you should be able to draw 6000-8000 with a bad team and reasonable marketing department. The Chicago Wolves averaged 7900+ for 30+ games in '16-'17. Hell, the Sky drew 7000+ two years ago. A lousy Sky team averaged 6081 this year.

It's a shame NU only planned for WNBA attendance, but it is what it is.

The Sky gave away 6050 and sold 31

 

[willycat]

It looks like NU put the players and experience first instead of going for size. I think this program can become one of the top 2 or 3 in the bigten moving forward for a really long time.

Part of this experience is keeping opposing fans out.

Guess they can move the really popular games to their second home in Rosemont, so the newer NU fans can attend. Does the rest of the Big ten teams think that way when they play in their large arenas?

 

[JournCat]

Exactly. It's a shame that an up and coming program shrinks the seating capacity from an already conference low of 8,000 to less then 7,000. if they continue to improve the product on the court then 10, 000 or more should have been the new norm. If the old arena could only be remodeled to include less then 7,000 seats the a new arena, ala DePaul should have been built. While it looks like CC can work with NU's academic restrictions and dismal history, this ultra small arena may be the thing that draws him away for Evanston when others come calling.

Cameron Indoor has 9,000 seats. And that's in a part of the country where college basketball is king.

 

[willycat]

Cameron Indoor has 9,000 seats. And that's in a part of the country where college basketball is king.

OK, but that's over 2,000 more then the new W-R. Just saying that NU is locking out the new fans brought in by the success of CC and the team.

 

[Sec.112]

The Sky gave away 6050 and sold 31

I don't disagree with that.

And let's make sure to criticize them for it and not say a word about NU who killed both the men's and women's program for decades without giving away jack.

 

[VBCat97]

Exactly. It's a shame that an up and coming program shrinks the seating capacity from an already conference low of 8,000 to less then 7,000. if they continue to improve the product on the court then 10, 000 or more should have been the new norm. If the old arena could only be remodeled to include less then 7,000 seats the a new arena, ala DePaul should have been built. While it looks like CC can work with NU's academic restrictions and dismal history, this ultra small arena may be the thing that draws him away for Evanston when others come calling.

I can't fathom why Jay Wright hasn't left Villanova after 16 years of playing in a 6,500 capacity arena. Or why Mark Few hasn't left Gonzaga after 18 years of being subjected to playing in a 6,000 capacity arena. What's even more baffling is that somehow these coaches were able to get their teams to win the title 2 years ago and play for the title last year, respectively.

 

[JournCat]

OK, but that's over 2,000 more then the new W-R. Just saying that NU is locking out the new fans brought in by the success of CC and the team.

Arenas these days are being built smaller and with more expensive seats to maximize fan experience. The newer NBA arenas (notably the Warriors' new one in SF) are all around 18,000 seats, well short of the 23,000 (with standing room) that fit into the United Center. The worst tickets at Welsh-Ryan will feel like courtside compared to many seats at the UC, in a great college environment, and will therefore sell at a premium. It's the opposite marketing strategy of football, where we've tried to sell cheap multigame packages and market ourselves as a Big Ten alumnus' second team. I think it's a good, counterintuitive gamble by NU against the market. It will work if we can consistently achieve 80 to 85 percent purple for Big Ten games.

The flip side is the average fan may end up paying $100 to see us play Rutgers. But all successful teams screw the average fan anyway.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Aren't they also adding luxury boxes? Those are supposedly pretty lucrative, to make up for any reduced capacity.

 

[Sec.112]

VBCat, you make a good point about Villanova and Gonzaga.

Outside the job security topic, I'd love to know why Nova played five games in the 76ers' Wells Fargo Center last year while they're planning to play 12 games there this year.

The UC and a certain Rosemont arena suck to watch basketball. I'd hate to see those buildings become any regular part of the NU rotation.

 

[NJCat]

The UC and a certain Rosemont arena suck to watch basketball. I'd hate to see those buildings become any regular part of the NU rotation.

I'd be shocked if NU played any game outside of the New WRA in the foreseeable future. I don't think the donor plopped down $110 Large only to have NU play their highest profile games elsewhere......

 

[VBCat97]

VBCat, you make a good point about Villanova and Gonzaga.

Outside the job security topic, I'd love to know why Nova played five games in the 76ers' Wells Fargo Center last year while they're planning to play 12 games there this year.

The UC and a certain Rosemont arena suck to watch basketball. I'd hate to see those buildings become any regular part of the NU rotation.

112, see link below:

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/02/16/villanova-pavilion-renovation-basketball-gym/

 

[NJCat]

112, see link below:

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/02/16/villanova-pavilion-renovation-basketball-gym/

"plus the wine-and-brie season ticket-holding fan base don’t exactly add up to an intimidating atmosphere"

Sounds familiar....

 

[freewillie07]

It looks like NU put the players and experience first instead of going for size. I think this program can become one of the top 2 or 3 in the bigten moving forward for a really long time.

Part of this experience is keeping opposing fans out.

Let's walk before we run.

IF this program becomes one of the top 2 or 3 in the Big Ten for a long stretch (akin to Duke in the ACC), and IF tickets become such a hot commodity that fans can't get in for a reasonable price, then I'm near certain NU will raise the funds to finance an expansion.

For now, let's cheer for this group of guys to make a second-straight (!!) NCAA Tournament and for CCC to keep the recruiting momentum going.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

I can't fathom why Jay Wright hasn't left Villanova after 16 years of playing in a 6,500 capacity arena. Or why Mark Few hasn't left Gonzaga after 18 years of being subjected to playing in a 6,000 capacity arena. What's even more baffling is that somehow these coaches were able to get their teams to win the title 2 years ago and play for the title last year, respectively.

About a year or so ago I listed a bunch of college arenas of successful programs that have under 10k seats- both of these programs included.

To me, this is a microcosm of people in general. People bitch about our arena forever. We finally get a brand new arena...and people immediately want to find something about it that they're unhappy about and would rather focus on that than all the great things that are going to come with it.

"Daddy, I wanted a pony, but not a white one!"

 

[TheC]

Well, if they had left the roof off we could build up in the future.

 

[Sec.112]

"Daddy, I wanted a pony, but not a white one!"

You'll have to excuse me if I dare to question why Daddy gave me the pony with the killer stable and diamond-studded saddle that can't support more than 25 pounds.

 

[cockydevil06]

Cameron Indoor has 9,000 seats. And that's in a part of the country where college basketball is king.

duke fan here. Cameron has 9314, and even though they are officially all sellouts, there are often plenty of empty seats, especially for no-conference games.

Duke also opened its slightly expanded, renovated football stadium, and has a ton of empty seats.

I think 7000 is on the low end for what northwestern should consider ideal, but as long as the student section is big enough, it definitely isn't too small, imo. it just means it will be easier to provide a good atmosphere for less important games, and that the big games will become premium events.

 

[Mossreportdos]

112, see link below:

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/02/16/villanova-pavilion-renovation-basketball-gym/

Good points about Villanova. I am a double Wildcat alum, NU'94, Villanova Law '97 but I bleed purple. The old Nova Pavillion was a dump. Most of the seats were roll out style bleachers and it had some weird sight lines due to the tent like design. It was well over due for a renovation after 30 years.

Villanova also has had a history going back to more then 50 years of playing bigger games off campus at places like the Palestra on Penn's Campus, the Spectrum and the Wells Fargo Center. If we could only be so lucky to develop such a rabid fan base that we are able to draw well this year out in Rosemont and fill up the United Center or other such arena for a game or two a year down the road, I would be very happy for the Wildcat Basketball program.

Philadelphia is a much better college basketball city then Chicago where we still have the Big 5 City Series each year with a mini-league of games between Penn, Temple, Nova, La Salle and St. Joes. All of these teams have at least made the NCAA tourney twice in the last 20 years and all have great basketball histories. Unfortunately the other Chicagoland basketball schools don't have the pedigree or history of success, but at least Northwestern has continued to try to play DePaul and Butler. (By the way, just pointing it out and not making a real argument here.)

Go Cats!

 

[NJCat]

but at least Northwestern has continued to try to play DePaul and Butler.
Go Cats!

Butler?

 

[Mossreportdos]

Butler?

Indy is basically just a loser 'burb of Chicago.

But I think it is good to find other regional rivals and schedule them annually, unfortunately Northwestern has to look to Indianapolis to find a worth opponent.

 

[NJCat]

Indy is basically just a loser 'burb of Chicago.

But I think it is good to find other regional rivals and schedule them annually, unfortunately Northwestern has to look to Indianapolis to find a worth opponent.

Not criticizing playing Butler which I think is the kind of program NU aspires to be. Would add Marquette to the list.

 

[Mr Wickerpark]

VBCat, you make a good point about Villanova and Gonzaga.

Outside the job security topic, I'd love to know why Nova played five games in the 76ers' Wells Fargo Center last year while they're planning to play 12 games there this year.

The UC and a certain Rosemont arena suck to watch basketball. I'd hate to see those buildings become any regular part of the NU rotation.

I seriously doubt we are putting yearly psl on most seats and suites and luges just to play the best games at some shit place. We havent done that before with indy or msu under Collins, why start now?

 

[willycat]

I seriously doubt we are putting yearly psl on most seats and suites and luges just to play the best games at some shit place. We havent done that before with indy or msu under Collins, why start now?

True but NU did play games at the old Chicago Stadium back in the 60's. They drew large crowds , while playing against, schools like West Virginia and UCLA and others.

 

[pschatz25]

This is going to be great. Probably. The crowds last season were amazing (I've been going to NU games for ~25 years, so I have some context for that claim). But still, how many visiting fans were there? 2k? More? The Purdue game that CBS raved about? Tons of PU people there. The difference last season, what made the crowds so great, is NU fans showed up too. If the capacity decrease is mostly in visiting fans then it's going to be a great home court advantage.

 

[willycat]

This is going to be great. Probably. The crowds last season were amazing (I've been going to NU games for ~25 years, so I have some context for that claim). But still, how many visiting fans were there? 2k? More? The Purdue game that CBS raved about? Tons of PU people there. The difference last season, what made the crowds so great, is NU fans showed up too. If the capacity decrease is mostly in visiting fans then it's going to be a great home court advantage.

Why do you think that's it's only the visiting fans that will get shut out. If NU has another winning season and goes to the "Dance" quite a few new fans will jump on board. Then when the 2018/19' season opens they will not be able to get in on a game by game basis. Also still think that a lot of the so called NU fans will continue sell to anyone, including the enemy.

 

[CMcCat]

I'm not sure I'm following this. My 25-year history attending WR taught me that the priciest, purplest seats (the best seats in the house) are frequently boldly purple because they are empty or sound sucking because they contain "fans" who don't leap to their feet in support of the team and, frankly, may be physically incapable of doing so.

Meanwhile, most of the occasionally raucous nature of the arena is generated by people sitting on bleacher seats, frequently up in the rafters.

So let's create more pricey plush seating and eliminate the ability for non-plush-seat-affording fans to attend due to cost and capacity?

I don't think Cameron Indoor Stadium is the likely result. Probably more like Conway Farms Golf Club. Can we get FootJoy to sponsor our sneakers?

 

[FeralFelidae]

"plus the wine-and-brie season ticket-holding fan base don’t exactly add up to an intimidating atmosphere"

Sounds familiar....

Similar, but we all know that at Northwestern, we roll with bon mots and brie, instead.

 

[willycat]

I'm not sure I'm following this. My 25-year history attending WR taught me that the priciest, purplest seats (the best seats in the house) are frequently boldly purple because they are empty or sound sucking because they contain "fans" who don't leap to their feet in support of the team and, frankly, may be physically incapable of doing so.

Meanwhile, most of the occasionally raucous nature of the arena is generated by people sitting on bleacher seats, frequently up in the rafters.

So let's create more pricey plush seating and eliminate the ability for non-plush-seat-affording fans to attend due to cost and capacity?

I don't think Cameron Indoor Stadium is the likely result. Probably more like Conway Farms Golf Club. Can we get FootJoy to sponsor our sneakers?

Yep, this is marketing to those with the deepest pockets mirrors the parking pass situation for the football games. If you have more cash your in and to hell with the loyal fans who have coming to games for years and years. To bad.

 

[NJCat]

Yep, this is marketing to those with the deepest pockets mirrors the parking pass situation for the football games. If you have more cash your in and to hell with the loyal fans who have coming to games for years and years. To bad.

Welcome to capitalism Willy. Someone has to pay for the kick-backs to recruits

 

[Turk]

This is going to be great. Probably. The crowds last season were amazing (I've been going to NU games for ~25 years, so I have some context for that claim). But still, how many visiting fans were there? 2k? More? The Purdue game that CBS raved about? Tons of PU people there. The difference last season, what made the crowds so great, is NU fans showed up too. If the capacity decrease is mostly in visiting fans then it's going to be a great home court advantage.

There will not be any seats left. Sorry

I was notified that the demand is substantial and that contributions are already being made to secure a place in line. Those that want to complain but not "Man Up" with the wallet simply will have to watch the game on TV or if you really insist on coming to the game then there is a slightly less well known path, i.e., put in a application at one of the following: Host; Acme Security; Evanston Police/Fire department; Janitorial services (But hide in a stall until game time) or change your last name to Ryan and claim to be his long lost son. Folks, it's time to "Man Up". This is a once in a lifetime grab. You can be one of the 4,762 non students there in mad hysteria. You have heard of March Madness? This will be December Madness, January Madness, February Madness.