Facilities: Competing In The Big East

As we welcome in a new AD, one that we all have high hopes for, I just wanted to give everyone a little perspective on what's happening around the Big East recently. Literally every program outside of us and Hall are making significant moves to their facilities.

If we want to compete in this conference recruiting wise Mike Cragg just has take a glance around the conference while on the road this Winter. 

Let's discuss:

Nova:

Opening Friday night--If you've ever been to the Pavilion- this looks to be beautiful on campus renovation. Something that we can strive towards with appropriate funding:

65M in donor funding, 20 separate people gave 1M or more:

https://villanova.com/news/2018/10/1/mens-basketball-fridays-hoops-mania-to-serve-as-finneran-pavilions-opening-night.aspx

https://twitter.com/zimmerman_56/status/1046791012805484549

http://www.finneranpavilion.com/overview

https://villanova.com/news/2018/10/1/mens-basketball-fridays-hoops-mania-to-serve-as-finneran-pavilions-opening-night.aspx

It's safe to say that within the Big East we are at the very bottom of on campus facilities. In the past two years alone:

DePaul--

Brand new downtown Chicago arena, private locker room:

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20171016/south-loop/depaul-basketball-wintrust-arena-mccormick-place-sky-downtown-south-loop/


Marquette--

Brand new downtown Milwaukee arena opening this Fall. Partnership with the Bucks.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/2018/08/30/marquette-feels-excitement-fiserv-forum/1141165002/

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqgv9Tii8Js

Xavier--

5M spruce to their 10K on campus arena-

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/10/25/xavier-unveils-cintas-center-changes-photos.html

Providence--

Opened up a brand new practice facility last week:

https://vimeo.com/269224356

https://friars.com/news/2018/9/29/mens-basketball-providence-college-dedicates-ruane-friar-development-center.aspx

Georgetown-

Opened the 61M John Thompson Center in 2016:

https://alumni.georgetown.edu/magazine/alumni-stories/slam-dunk-new-thompson-center-opens

https://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/georgetown-cuts-ribbon-on-john-thompson-jr-athletic-center-100616

Butler--

36M renovation to spruce up Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2015:

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2014/10/30/hinkle-fieldhouse-keeps-charm-renovation/18210121/

Creighton--

Their Omaha arena and facilities are also off the charts, recent renovations within the past 5 years:

https://gocreighton.com/news/2014/6/6/209516362.aspx

https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2014/06/07/creighton-opening-new-practice-facility-for-mens-basketball/

St. John’s- worlds most famous arena. Get a coach - who can get win some games and get out of last place. Recruit some decent players- who get better and not leave. Schedule some decent home games that people would be willing to not only go but spend premium money to go.
Plan is simple. Need to stop excuses. Garden was full in late 90’s. Lavin’s teams drew fans.

Get real sponsors no mom and pop bs

Start winning games and win back a following first.  Some consistent winning and fundraising and it can happen in the future.  Right now we need to worry about winning and fundraising first.  Build a great and consistent winning team... the rest will come together. 

I agree Carnesecca Arena is dismal and needs to be pretty much knocked down to the ground and build a more modern, airy setup, much like Hinkle Fieldhouse. It doesn’t need to be much bigger, just with higher ceilings, open feel etc.  We’ve been without a real AD forever.  The facility can eventually be built, but support for the program needs to come first..

Uh brand new court at CA, lest you forget

https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1073278772386910216

16:30 mark Zach claims that Cragg wants to play (2) big time OOC games at The Garden every year, stay tuned.

Liam
@El_Hines
St Johns is in negotiation to move all home Big East games to The Garden, per AD Mike Cragg #SJUBB

Liam
@El_Hines
St Johns is in negotiation to move all home Big East games to The Garden, per AD Mike Cragg #SJUBB

Used to play most at the Garden before, we need to fill the place though like in the 80's

Liam
@El_Hines
St Johns is in negotiation to move all home Big East games to The Garden, per AD Mike Cragg #SJUBB

More Garden games and upgrading Taffner should be the play here

Need to upgrade Carnesseca in terms of concessions and AV. Would love to have on campus facility that did 10k for basketball and had a college hockey team did 8k. That’s a pipe dream!

Great idea.  Many will hate it but the school has no football so they have to get revenue somewhere.  Plus the recruits love playing at MSG and recruiting is always paramount.  Good move.

Great idea.  Many will hate it but the school has no football so they have to get revenue somewhere.  Plus the recruits love playing at MSG and recruiting is always paramount.  Good move.

I believe that unless we draw 10k fans there is no revenue

I believe that unless we draw 10k fans there is no revenue

It begins with a commitment to putting a good product on the floor. Thought the University was going away from playing games at MSG, glad that’s not the case. Although some may believe otherwise, MSG is still a recruiting tool.

Here's the solution, yall may not like it. For one year move all games to MSG. Demolish and COMPLETELY rebuild Carnesecca. 10k seats, state of the art amenities, all seat backs, modern lockerrooms etc.

Here's the solution, yall may not like it. For one year move all games to MSG. Demolish and COMPLETELY rebuild Carnesecca. 10k seats, state of the art amenities, all seat backs, modern lockerrooms etc.

It's a great wish, but where is the funding coming from?

It's a great wish, but where is the funding coming from?

Or the real estate. No way you can put a 10,000 seat arena in the current footprint of Carnesecca Arena. Or fit the extra 1,500-2,000 cars that would result. Or get them on/off campus. But you dont need to. Villanova just re-did their on campus arena, capacity 6,500. We dont need a bigger venue, we need a better one that's a similar size. (Oh, btw...that Nova facility upgrade? $65 million.)

I'm not against the "demolish CA and start from scratch" part of the plan. But thats 5 years away, minimum. And even then, the only way its happening is with consistent trips to the dance (and the increase in revenue that results from sustained success), then using the excitement about the program to do major alumni outreach and fundraising.

Having every BE game at MSG sounds wonderful in theory. But the fact is, a major reason why we could do that in the old days was because there were plenty of local Syracuse and UConn fans to help fill the building. Playing Xavier, DePaul or Creighton in front of 6,500 isnt exactly a magical MSG experience. I'd much rather play them on campus in a brand new cozy 6,500 seat arena that has actual seats and concessions that dont look like my kid's CYO games.

I believe that unless we draw 10k fans there is no revenue

I don't think that is accurate.  I feel like that is just something that was posted once and perpetuated for years.  Perhaps it's true for prime time, but not on weekend noon starts or weekday night games.

Other than the dog show and the circus, I don't remember anything happening during 12-3 hours on weekend outside of an occasional hockey or NBA game--and those schedules are set well in advance.  The garden doesn't have a lot options for that slate January-March. 

Weekend nights are obviously easier to fill with concerts and events.

Plus, the more you rent the garden the more prices are discounted.  I 'd like to see us play 6-7 conference games and 2-3 out of conference games a year.  There is no reason to play Depaul or Butler in the Garden.

Problem is that I don't see us drawing against most Midwest teams at the Garden, even when we are good.  Marquette is maybe the only one because they have a downstate contingent.  And then you lose a home court advantage that we have in Carnesecca.  If the place isn't going to fill up, I'd rather play a weaker program in the Garden where the home court influence may not mean as much. 

Problem is that I don't see us drawing against most Midwest teams at the Garden, even when we are good.  Marquette is maybe the only one because they have a downstate contingent.  And then you lose a home court advantage that we have in Carnesecca.  If the place isn't going to fill up, I'd rather play a weaker program in the Garden where the home court influence may not mean as much. 

Xavier and especially Creighton travel well and have good alumni bases in NYC.  They are both almost always good as well so we should draw when winning. 

What about building on the old football arena Dangelo over looks it