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Posted

The Betty is a great gym. Perfect size. Just needs a scoreboard. That's it. Fill it up and would be great environment. Would be nice to have students interested as well. Just win baby!!

 

Love the Betty as well and it's size. Things I think could improve it though and make it a top notch mid major facility would be.

 

Videoboard

Digital Scorers table

More Tradition highlights around the arena like the one in the front lobby

More Club seating options (Maybe a nice endzone bar like REA has on the upper level on both ends)

3-4 luxury suites

attached practice facility with 3 courts (Could do permanent seating on the ends if UND had this)

 

I don't think the price tag to do all that would be that much and I think you would see ROI fairly quick from Suite Sales, Club Season Tickets, Videoboard and scoreboard advertising.

  • Upvote 1
Posted

Love the Betty as well and it's size. Things I think could improve it though and make it a top notch mid major facility would be.

 

Videoboard

Digital Scorers table

More Tradition highlights around the arena like the one in the front lobby

More Club seating options (Maybe a nice endzone bar like REA has on the upper level on both ends)

3-4 luxury suites

attached practice facility with 3 courts (Could do permanent seating on the ends if UND had this)

 

I don't think the price tag to do all that would be that much and I think you would see ROI fairly quick from Suite Sales, Club Season Tickets, Videoboard and scoreboard advertising.

If they could do a basic practice facility that would replace the functionality that the BESC currently has, it is a no brainer.  Doesn't have to be anything fancy at all, just room for a handful of courts that could be utilized in the same way the BESC often is.  I agree that it wouldn't be that hard or probably even that expensive (relatively speaking), it is just replacing the space that has now been lost.

 

Again, that doesn't prevent some of the basic upgrades (scorer's table, videoboard, etc).

Posted

Quite honestly, I don't believe The Betty was ever developed with the idea of being the end all, be all home of UND Basketball.  In fact in the early years basketball was playing many games in The Ralph.   That just didn't make a lot of sense...and thus The Betty is the full time home, which is nice.  That's not to say that I don't see quite of few issues with it.  One thing that does stand out, is that its serves as an outstanding practice venue.  Plenty of hoops and court space to work on shooting...although both our men and women were less than stellar in perimeter shooting this past season.  Contrary to what others say, there isn't a lot of practice court space where the teams have easy and quick access to on campus.  Now, you want to talk about a school that has a ton a of practice courts...Northern Iowa, will blow a persons mind.   The Betty is almost the perfect venue for Volleyball.  Where it is not, is Basketball,  I believe they should have dug it down just like the hockey arena at the Ralph so people could walk around a main concourse and walk down to their seats, but that is not what we got.  The reality is that it also not a UND Athletics Facility as it is an REA facility.  If REA, deems that has the desire and ability  to make improvements  then they will.  Until then, win- put more bodies in the seats, and go from there.

Posted

The Betty is a great gym. Perfect size. Just needs a scoreboard. That's it. Fill it up and would be great environment. Would be nice to have students interested as well. Just win baby!!

 

 

As long as UND averages 1,500-1,800 fans per game, there is no need for additional seating.  With winning will bring more fans.  Need to win first then worry about additional seats.  New scoreboards are a must now though.  I have not liked the current setup since day 1. 

 

 

Quite honestly, I don't believe The Betty was ever developed with the idea of being the end all, be all home of UND Basketball.  In fact in the early years basketball was playing many games in The Ralph.   That just didn't make a lot of sense...and thus The Betty is the full time home, which is nice.  That's not to say that I don't see quite of few issues with it.  One thing that does stand out, is that its serves as an outstanding practice venue.  Plenty of hoops and court space to work on shooting...although both our men and women were less than stellar in perimeter shooting this past season.  Contrary to what others say, there isn't a lot of practice court space where the teams have easy and quick access to on campus.  Now, you want to talk about a school that has a ton a of practice courts...Northern Iowa, will blow a persons mind.   The Betty is almost the perfect venue for Volleyball.  Where it is not, is Basketball,  I believe they should have dug it down just like the hockey arena at the Ralph so people could walk around a main concourse and walk down to their seats, but that is not what we got.  The reality is that it also not a UND Athletics Facility as it is an REA facility.  If REA, deems that has the desire and ability  to make improvements  then they will.  Until then, win- put more bodies in the seats, and go from there.

There has been a great job done in getting recruits to come here in the last couple years.  I would put money down that the winning will start to happen this year.  Say it does, and it continues getting better next year, and we get some more highly prized recruits to come here.  Then does the argument become;  we don't need upgrades, we are doing fine without.  Because you will eventually lose recruits and players.  If it hasn't been addressed yet, I am worried of staying status quo. I hope I am right with the winning part, and wrong on no upgrades needed end.  Recruits like to see flashy new things.  You can only sell "building something" for so long.

Posted

I am just wondering do we know that there won't be a video board in the near future? I don't recall ever hearing anything about a new sound system and we got that. Don't recall anything about a court restoration and that's happening. Maybe the next step is a video board.

Posted

Any video screens would have to be paid be the REA trust, or donated to it. UND athletics having more money doesn't enter into the equation.

Right, but the athletic department can certainly donate money to the trust for the purpose of buying a scoreboard.

Posted

Right, but the athletic department can certainly donate money to the trust for the purpose of buying a scoreboard.

 

As a state entity, I don't believe they can make donations.

Posted

As a state entity, I don't believe they can make donations.

 

Didn't UND contribute towards the costs of replacing the turf in the Alerus? I don't recall for certain, but if so I imagine it could similarly contribute towards the costs of improvements to the Betty.

Posted

Didn't UND contribute towards the costs of replacing the turf in the Alerus? I don't recall for certain, but if so I imagine it could similarly contribute towards the costs of improvements to the Betty.

 

Yes, that should be possible.  But they can't actually make a donation to the REA Foundation.

Posted

Didn't UND contribute towards the costs of replacing the turf in the Alerus? I don't recall for certain, but if so I imagine it could similarly contribute towards the costs of improvements to the Betty.

 

Contribute is the wrong word. 

 

UND paid part of the cost and retains partial ownership of the turf. 

Posted

Contribute is the wrong word. 

 

UND paid part of the cost and retains partial ownership of the turf. 

 

I believe the wording was that the Alerus Center was going to pay for new turf, but UND wanted something beyond that so they offered to share in the cost.  I assume that they would be able to help pay for the cost of any improvements at the BESC if they wanted to.

Posted

What if they updated the Ralph with the new Pepsi Center style scoreboard and moved part or all of the "old" scoreboard over to the Betty? I have only been in the Betty once or twice so I'm not sure what kind of space constraints would have to be taken into account. This would allow the Ralph to keep up with the current arena trends while providing some much needed technology to the Betty.

Posted

Here is a pic of the Pepsi Center setup. I know the Tampa Bay Lightening have a similar setup as do several other NHL clubs.

post-8253-0-16449200-1433181237_thumb.jp

Posted

I think it looks fine but I'm not sure why they wouldn't do something more with the arena name on the floor. Why not center Betty Engelstad over Sioux Center? Or better yet, use her signature instead the block lettering. I think it would be a pretty cool design, something similar to the Summitt at Tennessee.

The arena name isn't even on both sides of the court either, but maybe that's just me wanting things to look symmetrical. It just seems like a lot of work not to make a few alterations. Just my opinion.

Posted

I think it looks fine but I'm not sure why they wouldn't do something more with the arena name on the floor. Why not center Betty Engelstad over Sioux Center? Or better yet, use her signature instead the block lettering. I think it would be a pretty cool design, something similar to the Summitt at Tennessee.

The arena name isn't even on both sides of the court either, but maybe that's just me wanting things to look symmetrical. It just seems like a lot of work not to make a few alterations. Just my opinion.

 

Totally worth it to get the new Big Sky logos on the court!! :)

Posted

I think it looks fine but I'm not sure why they wouldn't do something more with the arena name on the floor. Why not center Betty Engelstad over Sioux Center? Or better yet, use her signature instead the block lettering. I think it would be a pretty cool design, something similar to the Summitt at Tennessee.

The arena name isn't even on both sides of the court either, but maybe that's just me wanting things to look symmetrical. It just seems like a lot of work not to make a few alterations. Just my opinion.

The arena name is on both sides of the court....

Hard to satisfy people these days...

Enough with the floor; time and money needs to be spent on video boards now.

Posted

Here is a pic of the Pepsi Center setup. I know the Tampa Bay Lightening have a similar setup as do several other NHL clubs.

Those scoreboards are fugly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I hope the ralph keeps theirs.

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