new stadium in place of the field house?

[Big Old Booger]

also, does the football team have three outdoor practice fields plus the everette center? Couldn't they build a gym in one of those spots and use the football training facilities as well?

The football team has a grass surface, turf surface, and indoor surface. They need all 3 and besides, you can't take away something from the cash cow. If anything, you keep feeding it.

The grass surface is for when they prepare for teams who also play on grass, or if we have a home game. They can't practice every day on Owen Field or it will look like crap on gameday.

The astro-turf or field turf surface is for when they prepare for games vs teams who have a similar surface (KSU, OSU, Tech, Baylor, etc.).

The indoor is for rainy bad weather days.

 

[Big Old Booger]

technically its on campus. but its really not. Fact is the casual fan isnt going to deal with the hassle of driving and parking to watch ou bball. I Just feel like there will be more of a chance that they will decide to go if it is within walking distance from campus corner. Get out of glass, go down some beers and walk to the game. More students, guarenteed. Especially if they are basically courtside. Buzzed kids would also give a more rowdy student section.

I don't disagree you could have more students if the arena is in the middle of campus, but at the same time a large number of students who live on campus or close to campus live on the south end of campus. You have all the greek houses on south campus (most greek houses are on south campus), Post Oak, the university apartments on chautauqau, and all the apartments on hwy 9 (hampton woods, cardinal creek, etc.) and all are much closer to the LNC. So, you could also have less students, especially on the cold nights for those who don't want to walk from campus corner and can't get a parking spot.

In addition, the students only makeup 25% of the tickets, at the most. The draw for the donor's and non-student fans to the LNC is ease of getting out and back on the highway and the large parking lot. If you move the basketball games to McCasland or somewhere close to that, now you have serious traffic issues before/after the games, which we don't have now with the LNC. In the end, I think you lose some of the non-student fans because of the parking situation of a middle campus arena and the traffic, which are both non-issues now.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

The football team has a grass surface, turf surface, and indoor surface. They need all 3 and besides, you can't take away something from the cash cow. If anything, you keep feeding it.

The grass surface is for when they prepare for teams who also play on grass, or if we have a home game. They can't practice every day on Owen Field or it will look like crap on gameday.

The astro-turf or field turf surface is for when they prepare for games vs teams who have a similar surface (KSU, OSU, Tech, Baylor, etc.).

The indoor is for rainy bad weather days.

i'm pretty sure there are 3 outside practice fields. I will ahve to look on google earth

 

[Big Old Booger]

i'm pretty sure there are 3 outside practice fields. I will ahve to look on google earth

They also use the intramural fields at times, maybe you are thinking of those?

 

[coolm]

I don't disagree you could have more students if the arena is in the middle of campus, but at the same time a large number of students who live on campus or close to campus live on the south end of campus. You have all the greek houses on south campus (most greek houses are on south campus), Post Oak, the university apartments on chautauqau, and all the apartments on hwy 9 (hampton woods, cardinal creek, etc.) and all are much closer to the LNC. So, you could also have less students, especially on the cold nights for those who don't want to walk from campus corner and can't get a parking spot.

In addition, the students only makeup 25% of the tickets, at the most. The draw for the donor's and non-student fans to the LNC is ease of getting out and back on the highway and the large parking lot. If you move the basketball games to McCasland or somewhere close to that, now you have serious traffic issues before/after the games, which we don't have now with the LNC. In the end, I think you lose some of the non-student fans because of the parking situation of a middle campus arena and the traffic, which are both non-issues now.

they can park at LNC and be shuttled to McCasland. "problem" solved.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I don't disagree you could have more students if the arena is in the middle of campus, but at the same time a large number of students who live on campus or close to campus live on the south end of campus. You have all the greek houses on south campus (most greek houses are on south campus), Post Oak, the university apartments on chautauqau, and all the apartments on hwy 9 (hampton woods, cardinal creek, etc.) and all are much closer to the LNC. So, you could also have less students, especially on the cold nights for those who don't want to walk from campus corner and can't get a parking spot.

they aren't much closer if closer at all. The dorms are closer to the field house. Most of the streets off chat. are closer to the fieldhouse. Most greek houses would be closer to the field house. Everybody north of boyd is closer to the field house. Onlya few areas would be closer to LNC than campus when considering walking

 

[SoonerBounce13]

They also use the intramural fields at times, maybe you are thinking of those?

idk. There are 3 just south of the stadium

 

[Big Old Booger]

they can park at LNC and be shuttled to McCasland. "problem" solved.

:facepalm

Well, I just don't think that would work. We have so many worthless basketball fans that leave before the game is over, it would get worse with a shuttle. People would leave just to avoid over-crowded shuttles.

I just don't see this as a solution.

They do have the parking garage at Owen Field, but I don't know how big it is. Parking garages bring on other dynamics because you can get stuck in one of those, and I think you have the same problem as you would have with a shuttle.

The rush to get out of the game before it's over would be magnified with a shuttle or parking garages.

 

[Big Old Booger]

they aren't much closer if closer at all. The dorms are closer to the field house. Most of the streets off chat. are closer to the fieldhouse. Most greek houses would be closer to the field house. Everybody north of boyd is closer to the field house. Onlya few areas would be closer to LNC than campus when considering walking

I think you are confused. I've walked from south campus to both the LNC and to Owen Field and walking to Owen Field seemed further to me.

 

[WTSooner]

I absolutely disagree that having a more central gym would increase attendance enough to matter. It might bring a few hundred more students, best case IMO, but you would probably lose some off-campus fans as well. LNC is great for anybody that doesn't live on campus.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I think you are confused. I've walked from south campus to both the LNC and to Owen Field and walking to Owen Field seemed further to me.

I lived on Hardin st. I just mapped it on google and it was closer to the fieldhouse.

From the middle of the dorms it is .6 miles to the fieldhouse and over a mile to the LNC

 

[CzechM8]

idk. There are 3 just south of the stadium

There are 2 natural grass fields and 1 turf field just south of the stadium. The majority of our games are played on natural grass so the majority of our practicing takes place on the 2 natural fields...

For the weeks we need to prepare for games on the fake stuff, there is one field turf field outdoors and one indoors...

 

[Big Old Booger]

I lived on Hardin st. I just mapped it on google and it was closer to the fieldhouse.

From the middle of the dorms it is .6 miles to the fieldhouse and over a mile to the LNC

I wasn't arguing the dorms are closer to the fieldhouse. They aren't right next door as .6 miles is a long way to walk in snow/ice or rain or extreme cold. No parking would mean less cars, which would mean less fans on some nights.

 

[coolm]

The rush to get out of the game before it's over would be magnified with a shuttle or parking garages.

...OR they wouldn't leave before the game is over because the shuttles "wouldn't be ready yet".

WOOT! TWO problems solved. This idea just keeps getting better.

 

[Big Old Booger]

...OR they wouldn't leave before the game is over because the shuttles "wouldn't be ready yet".

WOOT! TWO problems solved. This idea just keeps getting better.

I agree, that could solve the problem. However, if/when we get a big monday game, or any weeknight games, I could see this keeping fans from attending.

IMO, the best option is the one with the most parking that is most easily accessible to 75% of the fans. That is the LNC.

Again, I'm not against playing games at McCasland if they re-work it, but I don't see the advantage it would bring us. I think it would make our attendance problems worse for the reasons I've outlined.

Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[colston15]

85,000 people find a place to park six or seven Saturday's in the fall to go to a stadium right next door. You're telling me 10-12 thousand couldn't park without issue for 15 or 16 home games? You have to be kidding.

 

[CzechM8]

First off, let's get the information right on this argument... who cares how far either venue is from where students live? How far are they from campus corner? That's the main issue... How soon can I be drinking beer before and/or after the games? The LNC requires a long walk to the car, time stuck in traffic, then finding somewhere to park on campus corner...

If the fieldhouse site were used, the students would park near campus corner (like they do almost every day already) hit up the drinking spots... walk to the game, then be able to walk straight back to the drinking spots... can't do that from LNC.

And while some of you may try to say the proximity of the arena to drinking SHOULDN'T be the main concern.... save it.... whether it SHOULD or SHOULDN'T be the main concern is moot... because I can promise you that to the students, it IS the main consideration.

If there were 10 bars across the street from the LNC, we'd be discussing how to move Owen Field... it's just the reality of it all.

End of discussion

 

[WTSooner]

85,000 people find a place to park six or seven Saturday's in the fall to go to a stadium right next door. You're telling me 10-12 thousand couldn't park without issue for 15 or 16 home games? You have to be kidding.

It's a lot easier to justify parking a mile away when you are going to be on campus, tailgating and stuff, for what, 5+ hours on a Saturday?

That is a lot different then rushing after work on a Monday night, barely making it the game, and wanting to get home ASAP b/c you have to work the next day.

 

[coolm]

Again, I'm not against playing games at McCasland if they re-work it, but I don't see the advantage it would bring us. I think it would make our attendance problems worse for the reasons I've outlined.

Maybe I'm wrong.

...and in all of your arguing you never considered what might happen if the atmosphere is improved...if the games are louder, more vibrant, and more of an exciting "event".

It's an IDEA. I didn't interpret what Joe said to mean it was gonna happen. I just contended it would possibly be good ... you contend otherwise. There really is no "wrong".

 

[colston15]

It's a lot easier to justify parking a mile away when you are going to be on campus, tailgating and stuff, for what, 5+ hours on a Saturday?

That is a lot different then rushing after work on a Monday night, barely making it the game, and wanting to get home ASAP b/c you have to work the next day.

Of course, with the much smaller attendance you probably wouldn't have to park a mile away. 10-12K < 85K