What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Long awaited UNO arena announcement

R

Red Cows

Jesus saves! UNO shoots! They score
http://www.omaha.com/article/201210...na-hat-trick-hockey-home-ice-volleyball-hoops

It's where it needs to be, it's just too small.

UNO sold out every game they ever played in the Omaha Civic Auditorium, prior to moving the Qwest Center, now Centurylink Center.

Why would you build a 7,500 seat rink when you sold out 131 games in a row in an arena that seats 8,314? This is a program that has had no trouble putting 5 figures in the stands at the Clink for meaningful games against marquee teams and has drawn more than 15,000 on a couple occasions. They need to build something that, size-wise, is more along the lines of the Ralph. I think we are leaving money on the table here. UNO averaged more than 7,500 last season, and, has for 9 seasons out of the 15 years of the program's existence.

I realize they'd own the building and reap all the rewards that go with that. That said, this is foolhardy.

I'm happy and bummed, all at the same time.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

What is the point of building a 10,000 seat arena when you have to give away tickets? IMO, 8,000 seats would be a great starting point.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

Red Cows said:
http://www.omaha.com/article/201210...na-hat-trick-hockey-home-ice-volleyball-hoops

It's where it needs to be, it's just too small.

UNO sold out every game they ever played in the Omaha Civic Auditorium, prior to moving the Qwest Center, now Centurylink Center.

Why would you build a 7,500 seat rink when you sold out 131 games in a row in an arena that seats 8,314? This is a program that has had no trouble putting 5 figures in the stands at the Clink for meaningful games against marquee teams and has drawn more than 15,000 on a couple occasions. They need to build something that, size-wise, is more along the lines of the Ralph. I think we are leaving money on the table here. UNO averaged more than 7,500 last season, and, has for 9 seasons out of the 15 years of the program's existence.

I realize they'd own the building and reap all the rewards that go with that. That said, this is foolhardy.

I'm happy and bummed, all at the same time.
Click to expand...

Really highlights an awesome success story. Many probably would have thought a college program in Nebraska would have had no chance. I spose it struggles in other B10 states because there is so much pro competition. Regardless congrats on what has become a great program success story.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

I think you answered your own question when you said that the old Omaha Civic Auditorium sold out every night. Not so much at the Qwest.
UNO fans definitely support their program, but not in a 8,000+ arena every game. You said "marquee" games. So, how many games does that make per season?
I think it was prudent to have a facility that can fit the typical attendance all of the time and not have capital sunk into a half empty palace.
As much as your fanbase wants to believe it, you are not UND, Wisconsin or Minnesota. Congratulations, anyway.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

Figuring 18 home games a year the UNO hockey program will produce income at a home arena for about 72 hours - 3 days - a year. Arena operating and maintenance expenses accrue 365 days a year. Operating a successful arena depends upon what goes on in the arena those other 362 days.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

Red Cows said:
http://www.omaha.com/article/201210...na-hat-trick-hockey-home-ice-volleyball-hoops
It's where it needs to be, it's just too small.
Click to expand...

One look at attendance for the Ice Breaker championship game this weekend (which inlcuded UNO) would be justification enough to not build a bigger rink. More open seats than filled seats for that "meaningful" game.

Also keep in mind who you'll be playing starting next season:
Colorado College - Fans don't travel
Western MI - Too far to drive
Miami - Too far to drive
Duluth - Too far to drive
SCSU - Too far to drive

I could see UND bring a fair number of people down to UNO and Denver maybe just because they're close but other than that if you can't fill it with the locals, the seats will be empty.

Ryan J
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

Anyone in sports management will tell you its better to have too small an arena/stadium than too big. The most important thing is to maximize revenue.
 
Last edited:
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

Arena news in Omaha by the boatload. In case you didn't know, another arena (Ralston Arena) opened here this week:

http://www.omaha.com/article/201210...85#ralston-shows-off-its-new-36-million-arena

Article about both UNO's proposed new arena and the new Ralston Arena:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20121021/NEWS/710219934/1685#ralston-uno-arenas-mean-others-must-adapt

How financing is being done for UNO's new arena (creatively, I might add):

http://www.omaha.com/article/201210...million-from-city-others-toward-cost-of-arena
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

7,500 should be fine. Lets realize that UNO was giving away a ton of tickets even against the big name opponents. Plenty of schools with more history and hardware do fine in similarly or smaller arenas.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

dggoddard said:
Anyone in sports management will tell you its better to have too small arena or stadium than too big. The most important thing to maximize revenue.
Click to expand...
Fewer seats combined with popularity creates high demand meaning you can charge more for the seats you have.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

too small. It needs to seat at least 8000 at the start with an expandable end like the Clink had. If it was expandable from 8300 to 9k it would get the job done. Trev should also have turned the old football field into a nice baseball stadium instead of a soccer field. The only people who give a rip about soccer in this town are the bluejay catholics.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

"Attendance" is not the key number, it is "Paid Attendance." Why build a big palace, if it is filled with free seats? With all the seats they give away, why does anybody pay for their seat at all? Why not just go get a free one? Giving away seats is not a long-term solution, it merely provides some short-term window dressing. If you're only actually selling 5K now, I wouldn't expect you to fill 7500 with paid attendance. Going to a smaller arena will probably increase your paid attendance as people who were on the fence before but knew they could get a seat might now go ahead and buy that seat to be sure. But to build a 10,000 seat arena to give away 5,000 tickets is not fiscally responsible.
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

If you build a smaller arena, you can have more of a demand for a ticket, with that you get higher ticket prices, then you can increase revenue.

Also, it's not a hockey only building, what do the basketball and volleyball teams draw?
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

I agree with those that say that you build this for the fanbase that is currently there, and create the demand. And we don't know yet whether it's expandable or not. That level of detail hasn't even been released, and some are complaining about 'too small'. If we've only got 5K paid right now, let's get to 7500 paid before we start saying it's too small. I've made many other comments in the thread over on mavpuck, you can read several of my thoughts there, but I think this can only be seen as a huge victory for the University and the athletic department, which, for the first time in eleven years, actually finished in the black. Says a lot about the vision they had in moving the rest of athletics into DI, and says a lot about solidifying the athletic department for the future!

And as far as the comment on the soccer field? You're not putting a baseball field in that space. No way it would fit. A soccer field was the perfect reuse for that once football was disbanded.

Can't wait to see more details come out after the University of Nebraska system Board of Regents okay the project at their meeting on Friday!
 
Re: Long awaited UNO arena announcement

So undersized it will seat 50% more people than tickets they are currently selling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top