UNDBIZ Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 All I know is the Betty scoreboards aren't the easiest to read right now. Quote
bincitysioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Between the Hyslop, Wellness Center, and the Betty I'm sure they could find a couple hoops to shoot at. This is true, but I've been told for years that the biggest need of the athletic department is for a practice facility for the football players. If practice facilities are so important, I'm not sure how beneficial it would be to effectively downgrade the Sioux Center's practice capabilities, when it is considered an elite practice facility for basketball and volleyball as far as the Big Sky goes. Quote
bincitysioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 They could just put video boards on the ends. BOOM! Problem solved. That sounds fine to me. Quote
The Sicatoka Posted February 12, 2013 Author Posted February 12, 2013 Allow me to say this ... (again) ... Fill The Betty for a few years and then make the decision to move BB to (a) Alerus Center, or (b) The Ralph The Betty is too valuable as a four-court practice facility to start making changes that would affect that. Quote
Teeder11 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I understand that people like me cannot attend every game but when students can show up at hockey games and not football games there is a problem. Our fan base for football is finally moving back in the right direction thanks to being in the Big Sky. I hope it continues. Your post got me thinking, so I crunched some numbers: Alerus Center Total home attendance: 2011-12 2012-13 49,169 53,770 Diff. = 4,601 Avg. game attendance: 2011-12 2012-13 8,194.83 8961.6 True, there was an increase, but I was hoping for a bit steeper incline on the upward trajectory given we had something to play for in a real conference against solid competition, for the most part. Quote
UNDBIZ Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I guess I don't understand why we don't use the Hyslop as the practice facility and make the Betty a more viable arena for game use. When it comes to having an elite game facility vs. an elite practice facility, I choose the elite game facility. Is the problem just that the Hyslop is on the wrong side of campus? Quote
darell1976 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Your post got me thinking, so I crunched some numbers: Alerus Center Total home attendance: 2011-12 2012-13 49,169 53,770 Diff. = 4,601 Avg. game attendance: 2011-12 2012-13 8,194.83 8961.6 True, there was an increase, but I was hoping for a bit steeper incline on the upward trajectory given we had something to play for in a real conference against solid competition, for the most part. If UND was in a playoff hunt and not get blow out against EWU and MSU more people would have shown up. Transition killed attendance and its going to take a bit including a winning season to get the fans back to the Al. Quote
UNDBIZ Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 True, there was an increase, but I was hoping for a bit steeper incline on the upward trajectory given we had something to play for in a real conference against solid competition, for the most part. The team has to regain the community's trust before they'll buy the tickets. That takes time and winning. 5-6 won't cut it. Quote
Teeder11 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 If UND was in a playoff hunt and not get blow out against EWU and MSU more people would have shown up. Transition killed attendance and its going to take a bit including a winning season to get the fans back to the Al. I hear you, and tend to agree, somewhat, but we got more than 10,600 for our first game of the year in 2011,in our last year of transition, against Drake. Our first real home game of 2012 (against Portland, following a 66-0 drubbing of Mines) drew 9,200. WTF? 1 Quote
SiouxVolley Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 In the Betty, two video screens behInd each basket that swing down from the rafters for the games, including volleyball. For practice, they swing back up with the non-video side padded and facing the floor. Would have no effect on practIce. 1 Quote
darell1976 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I hear you, and tend to agree, somewhat, but we got more than 10,600 for our first game of the year in 2011,in our last year of transition, against Drake. Our first real home game of 2012 (against Portland, following a 66-0 drubbing of Mines) drew 9,200. WTF? Its because no one cares about SDSoM. Now this year with 7 home games all DI and all count towards the playoffs we SHOULD see an increase even more than last year, but winning will be the key. UND had big attendance at a game here or a game there but it hasn't been consistent since our DII days. Quote
Teeder11 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 The team has to regain the community's trust before they'll buy the tickets. That takes time and winning. 5-6 won't cut it. True. I don't disagree, but the modest gains in attendance were evident throughout the year --from beginning to end -- even when we were 3-1 going into our home game with NAU and playoffs were still a distinct possibility. We drew less for that NAU game than we did the year before against Poly when we were in transition in the Great West. Just saying. I hope we can turn it around quickly. Quote
Teeder11 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Its because no one cares about SDSoM. Now this year with 7 home games all DI and all count towards the playoffs we SHOULD see an increase even more than last year, but winning will be the key. UND had big attendance at a game here or a game there but it hasn't been consistent since our DII days. I know no one cared about Mines, but Portland only got 9,200 early in the year when hopes were still high. That PSU-UND game would have been good for only the third most attended in our last year of transition. Montana drew about the same number this past year (9,296). I mean it's Montana for crying out loud, c'mon. Yes, winning will be the key. I'm just looking at the numbers and they surprised me. Quote
bincitysioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 When it comes to having an elite game facility vs. an elite practice facility, I choose the elite game facility. I don't disagree. But honestly, I feel that the Sioux Center is not far off from being an elite game facility. Small upgrades like video boards, sound system, lighting, electronic scorers table, and some sort of solution to the ugly bleachers at at least one end would go along way IMO. I have been to sold out games at the Sioux Center, and the atmosphere is magnificent when it is full. When one flips through the player bios in the media guides, when players were asked why they chose to come to UND, a common response is the facilities, and I'd assume that means both game and practice. Quote
WeAreNorthDakota Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I've always thought you could video boards on the walls above the permanent seating facing the opposite side. Right now they are just blank walls so putting up video boards on them wouldn't obstruct anything currently being used at the Betty. Quote
UNDBIZ Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I don't disagree. But honestly, I feel that the Sioux Center is not far off from being an elite game facility. Small upgrades like video boards, sound system, lighting, electronic scorers table, and some sort of solution to the ugly bleachers at at least one end would go along way IMO. I have been to sold out games at the Sioux Center, and the atmosphere is magnificent when it is full. When one flips through the player bios in the media guides, when players were asked why they chose to come to UND, a common response is the facilities, and I'd assume that means both game and practice. I don't think we disagree on anything regarding the Betty then. Be both dislike the bleachers and the lack of electronics. Quote
The Sicatoka Posted February 12, 2013 Author Posted February 12, 2013 I guess I don't understand why we don't use the Hyslop as the practice facility ... Because all of the other sports at UND that we don't think of at first thought use the Hyslop for practice. Quote
bincitysioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Allow me to say this ... (again) ... Fill The Betty for a few years and then make the decision to move BB to (a) Alerus Center, or (b) The Ralph Personally, I'd only support that if the Sioux Center were sold out for 6 to 8 years straight, and there was a hockey-like waiting list for season tickets. The REA is only good for basketball when there is at least 7,000 in there. However, I admit I've never been to basketball at the Alerus so I can't comment. I'll take 3,000 in the Sioux Center vs. 5,000 in the Ralph every time though. From an atmosphere standpoint that is. I understand there would financial aspects to consider if demand ever got to that point. But there would have to be a major surge in interest in basketball from where it is at now. EDIT: I do recall dakotadan having an intriguing idea about placing the basketball court at one of the ends of REA to make it more conducive to preserving high energy atmosphere with smaller crowds. If I remember right it had some merits. Quote
darell1976 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 I know no one cared about Mines, but Portland only got 9,200 early in the year when hopes were still high. That PSU-UND game would have been good for only the third most attended in our last year of transition. Montana drew about the same number this past year (9,296). I mean it's Montana for crying out loud, c'mon. Yes, winning will be the key. I'm just looking at the numbers and they surprised me. I was at the Montana game and I couldn't believe that more people didnt show up. Maybe it was the record or that football won't be big at UND until we are in the playoffs(still no excuse). I used to sit at a pretty empty Memorial Stadium in the mid to late 80's and I don't want the Al to turn into that. Quote
geaux_sioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 The Ralph is not good for basketball. Having the court in one end would be better but not as good as an upgraded Betty. Maybe in 25 years the basketball team will be a different animal and sell out the Ralph. The alerus is god awful for basketball. Worst place I've ever played in. Nothing good about it. Get a scoreboard in the Betty somehow and eventually upgrade the seating and that place could be as formidable to opponents as a packed Huslop once was. They need to win some games first though and get more butts in seats before the seating would need to be addressed. Quote
Cratter Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Basketball just suffers from being on weekdays and isn't it usually random days. It just doesn't get the casual fan. Need to hand out free tix to elementary school kids, who would bring a parent. Quote
Cratter Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks in part to a bunch of free tickets, a bunch of local school kids and the Jazz Bear, Weber recorded thier largest crowd of the year last night, 8,758 Schools are doing this all over the country. Is ours? The Shrine Circus does it too. Quote
SIOUXFAN97 Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Schools are doing this all over the country. Is ours? The Shrine Circus does it too. the bowling green game was a game where free tix were redeemed for little kids for what i heard....good game too yet with a really good crowd for non-conference...need to do that more!! Quote
bincitysioux Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 Basketball just suffers from being on weekdays and isn't it usually random days. It just doesn't get the casual fan. Need to hand out free tix to elementary school kids, who would bring a parent. Yeah, games can be sporadic in the non conference season, but now with conference affiliaton, almost all games starting in mid December are Thursdays and Saturdays. Quote
gfhockey Posted February 12, 2013 Posted February 12, 2013 this town loves winners and all of our programs stink except for hockey tehy put more w's in teh collom more nice butts will be put in seats Quote
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