The Betty

[Siouxfan69]

Over the past few years Jones has refused to play big games (NDSU) in the Ralph.  The Betty has more "atmosphere", says Coach Jones, makes for a great home court advantage..  Some good that atmosphere did us last year, NDSU laid a 19 point beat down on us.  It's time for the coach to put his big boy pants on, we're a DI program, why are we playing games, especially rivalry games, in a glorified high school gym?  The hockey team is out of town this weekend, the Ralph is wide open.  Both NDSU's men and women bb teams are in-town this Saturday They should have put the games in the Ralph and marketed the heck out of it.   Work darn hard to fill the joint, to include getting a big number to come up from Fargo. With the hockey team out of town, and the games on Saturday, they should have no problem pulling 10,000 fans in, if marketed correctly.  I think the last time they played NDSU in the Ralph the drew 9,000.  Look, 10,000+ fans in the big arena can create an atmosphere that can make the Betty's pale by comparison, just ask the hockey crowd.  Coach Fitch, who had those great Phil Jackson era teams, would never have played those big games in the Betty.  

Now why they built the Betty to hold no more tan 3,000+ is a subject for another day, but was a huge mistake.

[darell1976]

44 minutes ago, Siouxfan69 said:

Over the past few years Jones has refused to play big games (NDSU) in the Ralph.  The Betty has more "atmosphere", says Coach Jones, makes for a great home court advantage..  Some good that atmosphere did us last year, NDSU laid a 19 point beat down on us.  It's time for the coach to put his big boy pants on, we're a DI program, why are we playing games, especially rivalry games, in a glorified high school gym?  The hockey team is out of town this weekend, the Ralph is wide open.  Both NDSU's men and women bb teams are in-town this Saturday They should have put the games in the Ralph and marketed the heck out of it.   Work darn hard to fill the joint, to include getting a big number to come up from Fargo. With the hockey team out of town, and the games on Saturday, they should have no problem pulling 10,000 fans in, if marketed correctly.  I think the last time they played NDSU in the Ralph the drew 9,000.  Look, 10,000+ fans in the big arena can create an atmosphere that can make the Betty's pale by comparison, just ask the hockey crowd.  Coach Fitch, who had those great Phil Jackson era teams, would never have played those big games in the Betty.  

Now why they built the Betty to hold no more tan 3,000+ is a subject for another day, but was a huge mistake.

http://www.undsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205363657&DB_OEM_ID=13500

7169 was the attendance at the REA and that game was the first meeting of the two teams in the DI era in Grand Forks. UND is 4-4 and NDSU is 3-5, I doubt you can get 10,000 people at the Ralph for the game. I would rather the game be played in a smaller arena that’s packed and loud than a big arena that’s almost half empty, that’s why there aren’t games at the Alerus and not many at the Ralph. NDSU had games at the Fargodome against UND it sucked. Pretty empty building and it didn’t have a basketball atmosphere at all. There isn’t much of a need for a bigger arena overall as the Betty doesn’t sellout many games. 

[JohnboyND7]

NDSU has a playoff game this weekend. Doubt you'd get a big contingent from Fargo for this one. 

[darell1976]

1 minute ago, JohnboyND7 said:

NDSU has a playoff game this weekend. Doubt you'd get a big contingent from Fargo for this one. 

Football at 11am, basketball at 7pm. Sober up and make the drive up.

[Big Green]

I crowd will also be a smaller with Hockey on TV.  Many people including me flipping between Hockey and BB on TV at home.  I'll be at the Women's game however.

Would be nice to play all home game in the Ralph.  Should be able block section's off and use curtains to create a better atmosphere.

 

[nodak651]

They Betty has potential.  Double the size of the end bleachers and seating will grow by 500 to 3,800.  UND should be playing their games at they Betty.  If they played only one or two games at the Ralph, those would be the only games casual fans would ever go to, and I think it could actually hurt Betty attendance.

[siouxfan512]

6 hours ago, Siouxfan69 said:

Over the past few years Jones has refused to play big games (NDSU) in the Ralph.  The Betty has more "atmosphere", says Coach Jones, makes for a great home court advantage..  Some good that atmosphere did us last year, NDSU laid a 19 point beat down on us.  It's time for the coach to put his big boy pants on, we're a DI program, why are we playing games, especially rivalry games, in a glorified high school gym?  The hockey team is out of town this weekend, the Ralph is wide open.  Both NDSU's men and women bb teams are in-town this Saturday They should have put the games in the Ralph and marketed the heck out of it.   Work darn hard to fill the joint, to include getting a big number to come up from Fargo. With the hockey team out of town, and the games on Saturday, they should have no problem pulling 10,000 fans in, if marketed correctly.  I think the last time they played NDSU in the Ralph the drew 9,000.  Look, 10,000+ fans in the big arena can create an atmosphere that can make the Betty's pale by comparison, just ask the hockey crowd.  Coach Fitch, who had those great Phil Jackson era teams, would never have played those big games in the Betty.  

Now why they built the Betty to hold no more tan 3,000+ is a subject for another day, but was a huge mistake.

What they need to do is improve the bleacher on the ends of the court. Consider building something bigger and permanent.

[siouxfan512]

1 hour ago, darell1976 said:

Football at 11am, basketball at 7pm. Sober up and make the drive up.

Lets flip that, and say there was a afternoon basketball game in Fargo and an evening hockey game in Grand Forks. Doubt you would get a huge contingent in Fargo either. Not everyone can dedicate there whole day/weekend to sports.

[WiSioux]

1 hour ago, Big Green said:

I crowd will also be a smaller with Hockey on TV.  Many people including me flipping between Hockey and BB on TV at home.  I'll be at the Women's game however.

Would be nice to play all home game in the Ralph.  Should be able block section's off and use curtains to create a better atmosphere.

 

Curtains and blocked off sections are the definition of lack of atmosphere...

[geaux_sioux]

23 minutes ago, WiSioux said:

Curtains and blocked off sections are the definition of lack of atmosphere...

Can't really get more lame than that.

[Big Green]

1 hour ago, siouxfan512 said:

What they need to do is improve the bleacher on the ends of the court. Consider building something bigger and permanent.

No chance.  The area behind the bleachers have courts behind them used for practice and camps.

 

[Big Green]

26 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

Can't really get more lame than that.

lame is a D1 school playing in a high school arena.

 

[UNDBIZ]

What high school has padded leather seats, a bar area, and 2 big screens?

I agree the bleachers could be doubled in size though. 

[Big Green]

Just now, UNDBIZ said:

What high school has padded leather seats, a bar area, and 2 big screens?

I agree the bleachers could be doubled in size though. 

Fair point on the 2 big Screens.  Nice recent addition.  The Bar and Leather Seats do nothing for me.

 

[Teeder11]

31 minutes ago, Big Green said:

Fair point on the 2 big Screens.  Nice recent addition.  The Bar and Leather Seats do nothing for me.

 

well, crap. You are the one UND was trying to please. Now what?  

[MadScout03]

So if the seats and bar do nothing for you, what exactly makes the Ralph that much better than the Betty?  The fascia ribbon board or the score board in the center of the court?

[UNDBIZ]

24 minutes ago, MadScout03 said:

So if the seats and bar do nothing for you, what exactly makes the Ralph that much better than the Betty?  The fascia ribbon board or the score board in the center of the court?

Well they called it a high school gym on bisonswille, so it must be true. 

[SiouxVolley]

33 minutes ago, MadScout03 said:

So if the seats and bar do nothing for you, what exactly makes the Ralph that much better than the Betty?  The fascia ribbon board or the score board in the center of the court?

The Suites are a major upgrade especially for corporate accounts.

[SiouxVolley]

Is Jones against playing games in the Ralph or is it because changing the Ralph to a basketball setup doesn't generate enough revenue to compensate for that cost?  Maybe Faisson put the kabobs on it.

[bincitysioux]

 I find the Sioux Center highly preferable to the REA for watching basketball.  One was built for basketball, while the other was built for hockey.  Bigger isn't always better.

Although, I'd like to see permanent seating put in the North end of the Betty, and larger portable bleachers put in the south end.  You'd only lose one practice court this way and it wouldn't disturb the overhead doors on the south end.  It could also be possible to put a limited number of suites on the North end if there was permanent seating there.  I've always also thought it could work to have 4 suite/lounge areas in the four corners above the current restrooms.......

[Big Green]

1 hour ago, MadScout03 said:

So if the seats and bar do nothing for you, what exactly makes the Ralph that much better than the Betty?  The fascia ribbon board or the score board in the center of the court?

Are you seriously comparing the Ralph and the Betty?  I don't have the time to go over all the reason to like the Ralph more, but here are 3 off the top of my head

1.  Ralph has a concourse.  Everyone doesn't  need to filter toward the court.

2.  Ralph has concession stands instead of pop-out stands behind temporary bleachers

3. You get the feeling you are at an event when you walk into the Ralph.

[UND92]

CAn anyone find the article from the Herald when the Betty was first announced.  I am sure I remember them saying it would seat 4,200 but now 3,100 is full.  What happened to the additional 1,100 seats?

[nodak651]

2 hours ago, Big Green said:

No chance.  The area behind the bleachers have courts behind them used for practice and camps.

 

It would be really easy to add a basic practice court or two north of the Betty, in the parking lot.

[MadScout03]

15 minutes ago, Big Green said:

Are you seriously comparing the Ralph and the Betty?  I don't have the time to go over all the reason to like the Ralph more, but here are 3 off the top of my head

1.  Ralph has a concourse.  Everyone doesn't  need to filter toward the court.

2.  Ralph has concession stands instead of pop-out stands behind temporary bleachers

3. You get the feeling you are at an event when you walk into the Ralph.

I’m asking what things make the Ralph so much better for basketball. Yes, the concourse is nice, but the Betty does have concessions around one if not both sets of temporary bleachers, which also stands as a concourse. I get the feeling I’m at an event when I walk in and see the action on the court, or the band playing, or the buzzers going off. I’d prefer to go to a packed Betty any day of the week than a half filled Ralph. You might have a true concourse at the Ralph, but half of it isn’t being used because of the lack of attendance. Looking down a dimly lit concourse with metal doors drawn over the unused concession stands doesn’t do much for me. 

[nodak651]

7 minutes ago, MadScout03 said:

I’m asking what things make the Ralph so much better for basketball. Yes, the concourse is nice, but the Betty does have concessions around one if not both sets of temporary bleachers, which also stands as a concourse. I get the feeling I’m at an event when I walk in and see the action on the court, or the band playing, or the buzzers going off. I’d prefer to go to a packed Betty any day of the week than a half filled Ralph. You might have a true concourse at the Ralph, but half of it isn’t being used because of the lack of attendance. Looking down a dimly lit concourse with metal doors drawn over the unused concession stands doesn’t do much for me. 

This.  Not to mention the difference in noise and intensity.  A sold out betty is electric.