As Gophers Struggle, Push To Tear Down Williams Arena Begins (Gaard and Shelman chime in, and agree)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per William:

The Minnesota men's basketball team has all but eliminated themselves from the NCAA tournament. As a result, the conversation around Gophers hoops has turned to another topic: the future of Williams Arena.

KFAN producer Justin Gaard has recently made the bold case for tearing down the "The Barn."

The stadium, built in 1928, is one of the oldest buildings in college sports. Its raised-floor court is one of the most unique features for any stadium in the nation.

However, Gaard argued on his Sunday radio show that "it's gotta go," noting that the Barn offers an antiquated experience.

In an age where every game can be watched from the comfort of your own couch in your own living room, Gaard says the Barn provides few incentives for Minnesotans to buy a ticket and make the effort to go to a game in person.

"It's probably my favorite place in town," Gaard concedes, but states the experience for fans is uncomfortable and underwhelming.

"Williams Arena is tough for people. It's tough to bring kids," he adds. "It's tough to get around."


patch.com

As Gophers Struggle, Push To Tear Down Williams Arena Begins

Should the University of Minnesota tear down and replace Williams Arena?
patch.com patch.com

Go Gophers!!
 



10,000 capacity would be stupid. That's a very low end of attendance for us. At the VERY least, it needs to be between 12-13K.
 

WriterGoph said:
10,000 capacity would be stupid. That's a very low end of attendance for us. At the VERY least, it needs to be between 12-13K.
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Dropping capacity is a growing trend with pretty much every new college arena coming out. Baylor’s new arena will have a capacity of just 7500. We wouldn’t go as small as that, but I’d absolutely expect around 10k if a remodel were to happen. It makes games a hotter ticket, provides a more intimate experience, and makes it far less cavernous when capacity isn’t reached. This is especially important in the competitive market that the U faces.

TCF is pretty small for a P5 school but its considered one of the nicest stadiums out there. We’ve all seen it can provide a fantastic atmosphere regardless of numbers.
 


Someone please tell me what we would get for $125 million that we don’t get by continuing to use Williams arena? if someone says it helps recruiting, please provide examples where this was the case. If someone says it will attract a better coach, convince me a coach wont take the job because of the stadium. Is it better urinals, bigger concourses, what am i missing that adds up to $125 million.
 

BleedGopher said:
per William:

The Minnesota men's basketball team has all but eliminated themselves from the NCAA tournament. As a result, the conversation around Gophers hoops has turned to another topic: the future of Williams Arena.

KFAN producer Justin Gaard has recently made the bold case for tearing down the "The Barn."

The stadium, built in 1928, is one of the oldest buildings in college sports. Its raised-floor court is one of the most unique features for any stadium in the nation.

However, Gaard argued on his Sunday radio show that "it's gotta go," noting that the Barn offers an antiquated experience.

In an age where every game can be watched from the comfort of your own couch in your own living room, Gaard says the Barn provides few incentives for Minnesotans to buy a ticket and make the effort to go to a game in person.

"It's probably my favorite place in town," Gaard concedes, but states the experience for fans is uncomfortable and underwhelming.

"Williams Arena is tough for people. It's tough to bring kids," he adds. "It's tough to get around."


patch.com

As Gophers Struggle, Push To Tear Down Williams Arena Begins

Should the University of Minnesota tear down and replace Williams Arena?
patch.com patch.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
What a load of crap. The guy basically contradicts most of what he says. “The Barn offers an antiquated experience”...”Williams Arena is tough for people. It's tough to bring kids,”...“I love the Barn...love that I take my boys to the same place my dad took me, it’s my favorite place in town.” Make up your mind! BTW...I’ve never considered the Barn itself to be an “underwhelming fan experience”. It’s late season loses to Iowa and Indiana that underwhelm me.
 


I think it's time to change. There's loads of great new arenas that would be perfect like Auburn and Houston. They can make it unique so it's not a cookie cutter arena. But The Barn has had its run.
 



watertown 1987 guy n said:
Someone please tell me what we would get for $125 million that we don’t get by continuing to use Williams arena? if someone says it helps recruiting, please provide examples where this was the case. If someone says it will attract a better coach, convince me a coach wont take the job because of the stadium. Is it better urinals, bigger concourses, what am i missing that adds up to $125 million.
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Did you agree with moving football to TCF over the Metrodome?
 

fat chance of getting the funding ..they still owe a ton of money for the athletic village.
 

theczar said:
fat chance of getting the funding ..they still owe a ton of money for the athletic village.
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Funding will be a challenge and I think there is a bit of stadium fatigue with relatively new Target Field, TCF Bank, and US Bank Stadium
 

GoodasGold said:
What a load of crap. The guy basically contradicts most of what he says. “The Barn offers an antiquated experience”...”Williams Arena is tough for people. It's tough to bring kids,”...“I love the Barn...love that I take my boys to the same place my dad took me, it’s my favorite place in town.” Make up your mind! BTW...I’ve never considered the Barn itself to be an “underwhelming fan experience”. It’s late season loses to Iowa and Indiana that underwhelm me.
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100%. I haven't missed a game this season, not once have I considered the Barn to be "underwhelming".

This is a dumb conversation and our classic building is the least of the program's problems.
 



salzie said:
Funding will be a challenge and I think there is a bit of stadium fatigue with relatively new Target Field, TCF Bank, and US Bank Stadium
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We'll just get donors to pay for all of it! Easy peasy
 

I hate the barn. My buddy has season tickets, upper level first row, great viewing spot. To get food, go to the bathroom sucks. It's down some rickety old stairs, narrow concourse, dark and crappy. Burn it down and build a modern arena on campus. Play one season at target center if you must use the same space.
 

theczar said:
fat chance of getting the funding ..they still owe a ton of money for the athletic village.
Click to expand...

Um, have you heard about TV money? That number is about to go up exponentially in.a couple years when the Big Ten negotiates a new TV deal
 

Keep the building, turn the floor 90 degrees and renovate the whole thing, make an open concourse between the Pav part and the basketball part.
 

For every force there is an opposite and equal reaction. Thus the arguments over anything seem to go between those who want new and those that cling to the old.
Like most things in this world the money available will make the decision.
 

Shooter says that they are still $44 million short of paying for athletic village. I dont think we'll see much in upgrades to Williams Arena at this point.
 

abrams said:
I hate the barn. My buddy has season tickets, upper level first row, great viewing spot. To get food, go to the bathroom sucks. It's down some rickety old stairs, narrow concourse, dark and crappy. Burn it down and build a modern arena on campus. Play one season at target center if you must use the same space.
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...or maybe play outdoor basketball at TCF.
 


abrams said:
I hate the barn. My buddy has season tickets, upper level first row, great viewing spot. To get food, go to the bathroom sucks. It's down some rickety old stairs, narrow concourse, dark and crappy. Burn it down and build a modern arena on campus. Play one season at target center if you must use the same space.
Click to expand...
No question upgrades should be in order, but in no way should it be torn down. A good architect should be able to work with the space to keep the Barn feel but improve the areas that are lacking.
 

This wouldn't be an issue if they were winning. And outside of the first couple seasons, a new building isn't going to fix attendance issues. That's all about winning and pricing. Gaard is full of crap- he says he doesn't like to bring his kids there. I've brought my 4 year old son to at least a couple games every year, and I love it. You can get the cheap seats and still be right on top of the action. If you don't like the steep bleacher seating, then spend the money and get a chairback in the lower level. Sure it could use some better/more concessions and better/larger bathrooms, but that can be fixed.
 

I'm fine with gutting the entire inside but you need to widen the concourse, install bathrooms in more then a couple places and have food options other than popcorn and diet coke. People who are going to spend money on entertainment want a few luxuries. Sorry this place sucks right now, only the gray hairs like it. I hate it and will never go until it's renovated, the fan experience is pitiful.
 

I think someone put together a list of recent B1G ten arena renovations a few years back; but it's safe to say that Williams Arena and the RAC are the only two of the older facilities not to have gone through extensive and big buck renovations. Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue and I believe Indiana and Iowa have been remodeled.
 

No question the Barn lacks a lot of modern amenities. And there are still some obstructed-view seats.

I'm no engineer. It would be interesting to see if someone could come up with a plan that preserves the shell of the building and re-does the interior to provide the better facilities - bathrooms, concessions, room to move in the concourses - while retaining some of the 'feel' of the barn, with a raised floor.

And then, it would be very interesting to see the potential price tag for that kind of a project.
 

abrams said:
I'm fine with gutting the entire inside but you need to widen the concourse, install bathrooms in more then a couple places and have food options other than popcorn and diet coke. People who are going to spend money on entertainment want a few luxuries. Sorry this place sucks right now, only the gray hairs like it. I hate it and will never go until it's renovated, the fan experience is pitiful.
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What a totally hyperbolic take. I go every year - and amenities be damned - it's still a great time. If we were winning more, the atmosphere would be amazing. I understand some of the gripes, but not going because you "hate the arena" is one of the saddest excuses I've heard.
 

They should leverage the sports pavilion, use that space to put in all of the fancy amenities many of you are looking for.

Problem with Williams Arena is the footprint, or lack thereof.
 

WriterGoph said:
What a totally hyperbolic take. I go every year - and amenities be damned - it's still a great time. If we were winning more, the atmosphere would be amazing. I understand some of the gripes, but not going because you "hate the arena" is one of the saddest excuses I've heard.
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Sorry it sucks. If I'm in the upper levels and need to pee I feel like I have to walk the plank down to a corner bathroom down a concourse the width of my living room. The multitude of obstruction views is also bizarre. I want a legit viewing on site experience and don't want to pretend I'm in hoosiers.
 

The Barn is an original. Renovations, sure that would be fine, but it's already a great place. No comparison between the Barn and sterile places like the Kohl Center in Madison. What's missing is the Saturday afternoon/evening basketball experience at the Barn that the Big Ten Network has taken away.
 

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