RANDOM ARENA UPDATES

119,960 Views | 640 Replies | Last: 2 mo ago by Yogi
MrGolfguy
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21 official sellouts in FC history; 28 games over 10,000 attendance.
Well I ain't no greenhorn!!
Yogi
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It's a big tiny arena.

Because the skeleton is made of steel, expansion is still possible.

In the future, attendance will be measured by TV audience than actual butts in the seats.

"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Mothballs
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Yogi said:

It's a big tiny arena.

Because the skeleton is made of steel, expansion is stikl possible.

In the future, attendance will be measured by TV audience than actual butts in the seats.



Very good points. I remember when they were building the Ferrel Center that the architects said that venue was also expandable yet we never had the need for expansion.
Yogi
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That would be expensive. But OSU did something similar.

The most this place may ever hold is 8,500 to 9,000.

By comparison, the Brazos Center (the first idea to replace the coliseum) was to seat 12,000.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
CorsicanaBear
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With regard to attendance and speaking only for myself, it's hard to get excited to go to a Monday or Wednesday game with an 8pm tip. I have GA season tickets but go to very few games prior to conference play and usually only the weekend conference games.

I think you have to have many more fans that want to go to games than seats in the arena because, realistically, most fans really don't want to go to that many games. Non-conference attendance likely suffered this year because of the lack of any quality opponents. I'm not getting off the couch to see Norfolk state or Tarleton.

They could probably have built a TV studio with a basketball court and a limited amount of super elite seating for the big money donors, piped in some crowd noise, called it a day and come out ahead (after considering capital costs). Personal attendance at college sporting events is going to continue to decline, except for a few very historically dominant national brands, and will eventually hit them too.

How will programs continue to get people to make the financial, time and hassle sacrifice to see stuff they can see on TV?
Chamberman
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Texas
Basketball

Two mutually exclusive traits. It's not the program, it's the location.
CorsicanaBear
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It's not the program or the quality of the fans. It's the value proposition, in every sport, that people are questioning. Money, a chunk of my life and a hassle factor to watch in person versus TV.
Yogi
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CorsicanaBear said:

With regard to attendance and speaking only for myself, it's hard to get excited to go to a Monday or Wednesday game with an 8pm tip. I have GA season tickets but go to very few games prior to conference play and usually only the weekend conference games.

I think you have to have many more fans that want to go to games than seats in the arena because, realistically, most fans really don't want to go to that many games. Non-conference attendance likely suffered this year because of the lack of any quality opponents. I'm not getting off the couch to see Norfolk state or Tarleton.

They could probably have built a TV studio with a basketball court and a limited amount of super elite seating for the big money donors, piped in some crowd noise, called it a day and come out ahead (after considering capital costs). Personal attendance at college sporting events is going to continue to decline, except for a few very historically dominant national brands, and will eventually hit them too.

How will programs continue to get people to make the financial, time and hassle sacrifice to see stuff they can see on TV?

To a certain extent, you are correct,

Both McLane and Foster were both designed to be fascinatingly beautiful TV sets for sports.

"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Yogi
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historian
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MrGolfguy said:

Because for 90% of the time that Baylor has played at the Ferrell, they fielded crap teams that not even Baylor fans wanted to watch. Now that they are consistently in the top 10 they build a tiny arena. Why? So they can charge premium prices - this ain't rocket science.


Even after winning a natty, Baylor rarely sold out. I had season tickets last year & made it to most games in Waco. The only full houses I remember were Nova & Kansas, the marquee matchups on national TV. Unfortunately, the point is valid.

OTOH, the ticket prices have already jumped dramatically to the point that many of us cannot afford them. I would love to go to the Texas, Arky & Kansas games but it's impossible at the current prices. At least they will be on TV. It will be harder to sell out at those prices unless Baylor plans to run various promos.
Yogi
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Stole this from another thread:

CorsicanaBear
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I'll likely have season tickets, but I am concerned about parking (one of the things that makes me not attend more games at the FC). I won't be donating enough for super elite parking. I don't want to park and walk from a mile away in the middle of winter. I don't want to wait for 20 minutes to be picked up by a bus after the game. I don't want to spend time stuck in a massive parking structure leaving the game.
blackie
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Full disclosure....we no longer attend games for the most part. I'm sure there are a lot like us that have "aged" out (not by choice, of course) of attending games because of health situations or for too many, mobility issues. To a large extent this is the demographic that were the stalwarts of fan attendance during the dark periods of both basketball and especially football. These were the ones that stayed when many left by halftime in football. So any arrows thrown at this demographic for no longer buying tickets by the younger crowd, need to be boomerangs. At this point I would love to be able to spend whatever I would need to spend to be a regular attendee. But that day has passed.

But I wanted to address the comments about raising prices. Does Baylor even end up with any net dollars concerning tickets sold? I mean if you have an arena of 7,500 vs 10,000. To even get the same dollars in ticket sales, the small arena will need a 33% increase in ticket prices for a sold out 7,500 to get the same as a 10,000 sellout at the lower price. Now, I have no idea as to the new prices, so it is certainly possible that the increase goes beyond 33%.

We have had decades to show everyone we can fill a 10,000 seat arena without a third or more being cows or other critters from the conference. We have never done so except on rare occurrences, and even then there were still empty seats to be seen. Fortunately the powers that be ignored the complaints of not making McLane bigger. I suspect there are many schools that would benefit from a smaller arena in basketball. Even UT went smaller, I believe.

PartyBear
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Does Baylor not have two different forms of season tickets one level for all home games and one level for those who just want weekend home games?
historian
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This year they have mini packages with 2-3 games. I'm unsure if they are weekend only.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Yogi
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Second yellow crane added last week. Columns similar to McLane now being installed.
Method Man
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MrGolfguy said:

Because for 90% of the time that Baylor has played at the Ferrell, they fielded crap teams that not even Baylor fans wanted to watch. Now that they are consistently in the top 10 they build a tiny arena. Why? So they can charge premium prices - this ain't rocket science.
UT and Houston have done the exact same things.

Downsized from monstrous arenas to more personable venues.

Bigger aint always better. Some of yall sound aggy.
Method Man
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What season will the arena be available?

Is this the last season of the Ferrell Center?
EatMoreSalmon
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One was too big

One was too small

One was juuuuust right!
Big12Bear
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Method Man said:

What season will the arena be available?

Is this the last season of the Ferrell Center?
Target opening date is conference play a year from now.
Yogi
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Method Man said:

What season will the arena be available?

Is this the last season of the Ferrell Center?
Shooting for 01/01/2024 for the opening of the arena portion.

They will play all 2024 conference home games at the Pavilion.

The facility itself, however, will not be completed as work will continue on the practice facilities and finishing touches continue in all areas.

"Smarter than the Average Bear."
EatMoreSalmon
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Yogi said:

Method Man said:

What season will the arena be available?

Is this the last season of the Ferrell Center?
Shooting for 01/01/2024 for the opening of the arena portion.

They will play all 2024 conference home games at the Pavilion.

The facility itself, however, will not be completed as work will continue on the practice facilities and finishing touches continue in all areas.


John Morris calling a game: "Why did play stop? Was there a foul?"

Referee: "Play will resume with an inbound pass. That was the construction workers' break whistle, not mine!"

Yogi
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Christmas Eve Updates
Concrete decking going in and architectural appointments now going in.










MrGolfguy
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tiny arena is still tiny
Well I ain't no greenhorn!!
historian
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I'm surprised by how close it is to the Robinson Tower.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Yogi
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In the new era of college athletics, smaller is about right for us.

I still wish it was bigger for concerts, though it's not like we ever use the Ferrell Center for them.
atomicblast
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What will happen to the Ferrell Center?
CTbruin
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atomicblast said:

What will happen to the Ferrell Center?


It will remain a special events venue. For which it is well suited.
Mitch Blood Green
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CTbruin said:

atomicblast said:

What will happen to the Ferrell Center?


It will remain a special events venue. For which it is well suited.
Needs an updating. New roof? Or paint job?
Yogi
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atomicblast said:

What will happen to the Ferrell Center?


I think it's becoming Scruff's II.
historian
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atomicblast said:

What will happen to the Ferrell Center?

VB & AT
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Yogi
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Mitch Blood Green said:

CTbruin said:

atomicblast said:

What will happen to the Ferrell Center?


It will remain a special events venue. For which it is well suited.
Needs an updating. New roof? Or paint job?


It will go through a renovation to include locker and practice facility improvements for A&T and Volleyball. Those should come after the 2023-2024 basketball season ends, as the basketball practice facilities at the Pavilion won't become available until the summer of 2024.
historian
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The Pavilion is scheduled to be open in January 2024.
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!”
Psalm 119:36
Yogi
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01/08/2023 One year until occupancy.


Yogi
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