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Correct on all counts. Not to mention that in today's money, SHU's rink is likely approaching $100mil budget. If the fan base isn't there to fill seats, then it makes ZERO sense to build them. Period.
LeChase built it on a design build contract IIRC. They were the also contractor for Gate's '65 rink, but Sasaki was the designer for that.
I strongly encourage you to check out the facility in person and I'd like to hear your thoughts. You seem very passionate about defending this project.
I've been inside and have tickets to the RPI-Union tilt... which were not hard to come by BTW (for those critical of the size of the joint.)
www.timesunion.com
I would have loved a new rink if it was executed properly. I don't believe it was. I'm not going to celebrate something that is not up to the standard of what new rinks should be. And I'm certainly not going to be guilted into it by someone who isn't a fan of the program. Wow! I'm so excited for limited sight lines, tight seats, bad angles, and a sound system that sounds like it's from 1985! I don't understand how you could walk into the rink, see one small wall with any mention of Union, and think that's a good thing. And then walk around see blank, bland walls with poor lighting. It's an absolute disaster that I have to live with. It also appears the cowbells will not be allowed into the arena, which is just another thing to strip away the identity of Union hockey along with everything else they've done over the past few years. We will wait and see on if that is actually the case or not. It's no secret that private liberal arts schools are having a tough time, but I don't believe an off campus rink helps bring ANY students into the college. The already low student turnout will be lower after the initial buzz of "new" wears off. I'm sure all of those students can't wait to be able to not have the ability to sneak in alcohol while sitting on retractable plastic bleachers like we are at a high school basketball game. If RPI built something similar, I highly doubt you would have the same reaction.I've been inside and have tickets to the RPI-Union tilt... which were not hard to come by BTW (for those critical of the size of the joint.)
You don't seem to realize what a miracle Union having a new rink really is. Celebrate it !! Schools like Union are an endangered species in the northeast....the very existence of the institution as a whole is not a given -- with declining enrollment and demographic headwinds. The T/U article discreetly details the challenges Union is facing for its future. Including a hiring freeze, slashed retirement contributions, etc.
"...This year’s admissions results provide an even greater sense of urgency around the need to accelerate the difficult, change-making work needed to secure a strong future for Union,” Harris wrote.
Union College falls short on enrollment with big loss of international students
Union College has fallen short in filling its freshman class for two years, and is now pulling millions of dollars from its endowment to balance its budget, college President David Harris said.
The hockey programs have been, and thanks to the new barn, will continue to be a stellar promotional tool for the school.
I should have mentioned that for those complaining about Union’s building being off-campus, it appears far more accessible to students than Martire. The casino complex isn’t far from the lower end of Union’s campus housing. SHU’s West Campus (old GE HQ) where Matire is located has no housing and connects to the main residential campus by a mile long country street with no sidewalks. Due to parking limitations students are told they cannot drive to games and have to take a shuttle bus. 99% of the off-campus housing is even farther away as it is in neighborhoods and apartment houses on the Bridgeport side. By comparison, if Union students choose not to go it really can’t be blamed on location.
Well said TK....better than I expressed it. The school is fighting for its existence and some folks don't like the wallpaper in the bathroom LOL. I'm excited for the hockey teams and to see live action tonight for the women's home opener at the barn !
Grouping all of my concerns and gripes into "wallpaper in the bathroom" is pretty ridiculous when I've laid out a bunch of other examples of issues. I paid my money for tickets and I'm disappointed. That's the bottom line. There is a lot of coping going on. The end of story is the building is not very good for fans, in my opinion. If others enjoy it, keep lying to yourself or maybe branch out and see some other great rinks in the northeast and see what you are missing. Definitely not the worst rink I've ever been to and not even the worst in the ECAC. Program identity is something that matters to me and should matter to everyone, not sure why it doesn't matter to you Wicked.
As others have said before, on-ice performance is what matters to the programs, the school and should be what matters to the fans. If Union is winning hockey games, the seats will be full and the recruits will be signing up. That's all the identity I would think that matters...
It’s a 30-year trend. Union’s endowment relative to its preferred “peers” (lower end of NESCAC, etc.) has lagged over time due to a mix of weak alumni giving and investment performance. But it’s mostly a function of location - strong/affluent students have become MUCH more location sensitive than they used to be, with a preference for wealthy urban environments or cute small town locations. In the 90s, Union, BC, BU, and Skidmore all had about the same acceptance rates (mid-40s); Union’s remain there, while Skidmore is now at 22%, BC at 16%, and BU at 11%. Most smart rich kids don’t want to have anything to do with Schenectady. It’s sad, because there’s not much Union can do. In reality, their best bet is to become less selective and expand their offerings, with a model closer to Siena or Quinnipiac (both of which are thriving), but the faculty’s ego would never tolerate that.
I appreciate the response. If it's a 30-year trend, it seems like it's been magnified a lot in the past few years. I've been following the program pretty closely for about 15 years now, and concerns about endowment/enrollment seem to have become a lot more prevalent post-COVID. I never heard anything about it during the peak Leaman/Bennett years of the early-mid-2010s. Schenectady is far from a destination city, but I do think the city's fortunes have improved at least somewhat compared to when I was growing up there in the 1990s (just look at downtown now vs then). Still, it can't compete with some of the other places you mentioned.
Can't say it any better S79.... Unless you have a Pegula or Martire family in your pocket, new on-campus rinks at small, private schools are loooooong shot.