cowboysooner
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2008
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On the LNC: I regularly attended games during the Tubbs, Sampson, Capel and Kruger tenures. If any of you think the LNC was ever a good venue, and/or is now a decent venue to watch a basketball gym, fine. People can have different opinions of things. However, facts are facts and don't get to have your own facts. From the time the LNC was built to now, we have never had very good attendance at non conference games, save and except for the occasional top flight non-con opponent when we had a good team. However, we have commonly had decent to good attendance during league play -- always. Have as well during Porter's time, here and there.
Plus, our attendance has always been a little better when we had good teams. I would imagine this is true of every team in the country.
Steve is right again, in his statement that the LNC was not ideal for basketball viewing when built. At the time, there was a design team marketing those stadiums as event stadiums that could hold basketball games and also a variety of other types of events where the floor space needed was much wider. We bought one, Michigan bought one and so did Auburn. All about the same time, and all three fan bases made the same complaints about the arena. All three universities had attendance problems. Auburn and Michigan got rid of their gyms and built new gyms made for basketball. Not coincidentally, both schools attendance has increased.
I still go to a few games at the LNC. But, I would go to more games if we had a better and more comfortable gym. But, people could differ on this issue. This being said, I'm not in favor of a university debt financing athletic facilities. So, if we can't get donors to build a new gym. I say keep the one we have whether I like it nor not. A new gym would have been way more important a few years ago. Now, if you have enough NIL, I would imagine you could buy the players you need to win, and win big, if you have to play with no crowds on an asphalt court at the park. So, if we have to chose between a new gym and upping our NIL game, I am for the latter.
Plus, our attendance has always been a little better when we had good teams. I would imagine this is true of every team in the country.
Steve is right again, in his statement that the LNC was not ideal for basketball viewing when built. At the time, there was a design team marketing those stadiums as event stadiums that could hold basketball games and also a variety of other types of events where the floor space needed was much wider. We bought one, Michigan bought one and so did Auburn. All about the same time, and all three fan bases made the same complaints about the arena. All three universities had attendance problems. Auburn and Michigan got rid of their gyms and built new gyms made for basketball. Not coincidentally, both schools attendance has increased.
I still go to a few games at the LNC. But, I would go to more games if we had a better and more comfortable gym. But, people could differ on this issue. This being said, I'm not in favor of a university debt financing athletic facilities. So, if we can't get donors to build a new gym. I say keep the one we have whether I like it nor not. A new gym would have been way more important a few years ago. Now, if you have enough NIL, I would imagine you could buy the players you need to win, and win big, if you have to play with no crowds on an asphalt court at the park. So, if we have to chose between a new gym and upping our NIL game, I am for the latter.
