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The size of our home basketball stadium

Brangus said:
This is true. The SEC, with the possible exception of Alabama (because there is nothing else to do in Alabama) is having a hard time selling out football games, even for good matchups. People have more going on with kids (more organized activities because you can't turn kids loose on a bike anymore due to all the pedos out there), more work and hellaciously better televisions.

As for the "classic LOWF right there" comment...how? LJVM has great bones, good parking and the University now owns it and is going to renovate it. It will be one of the ACC's best venues when they finish. How is that LOWF? We are lucky to have it...before the Joel the team played in Greensboro after it outgrew the little Reynolds gym.
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We played in Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum (not Reynolds Gym). It opened in 1955 and sat where the Joel is now. We started playing an increasing number of games in Greensboro, though, because the coliseum in Winston was antiquated, hurt recruiting, and was too small for many of our games at only 8,200 seats. Then they tore it down to build the Joel in the late 1980s, so we had to play in Greensboro while that was going on.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston-Salem_Memorial_Coliseum)
 
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8,000+ was too small for many of our games that many years ago? What are people thinking is our optimal size right now?
 
DinDC said:
We played in Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum (not Reynolds Gym). It opened in 1955 and sat where the Joel is now. We started playing an increasing number of games in Greensboro, though, because the coliseum in Winston was antiquated, hurt recruiting, and was too small for many of our games at only 8,200 seats. Then they tore it down to build the Joel in the late 1980s, so we had to play in Greensboro while that was going on.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston-Salem_Memorial_Coliseum)
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That place was a gem.
 
Half as many seats as advertised. People in the upper deck couldn't see the court because of all the cigarette smoke.
 
donaldross said:
No kidding, Sherlock, since you'd be jumping on my already full back. Too bad you defense lawyers keep beating us up all over the state. With our present legislature, this seems about as likely as Buzz getting fired.
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Haha. Life would be good for the BSDs. Well, even better. We'll vote the bums out soon enough.
 
bym051d said:
Half as many seats as advertised. People in the upper deck couldn't see the court because of all the cigarette smoke.
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That's true about the cigarette smoke, but there was no separate upper deck level like we have at the Joel or in Greensboro. You entered the seating area about midway up on a concourse that ran around the place and then you went either up or down to your seat. Sort of like the Greensboro Coliseum was until their first expansion in 1972, when they took the roof off and added a second level.

(By the way, it was about 8,200 seats. I know that's about right because I knew how many tickets there were to sell for Three Dog Night when they played a concert there for the WF student union.)
 
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DinDC said:
We played in Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum (not Reynolds Gym). It opened in 1955 and sat where the Joel is now. We started playing an increasing number of games in Greensboro, though, because the coliseum in Winston was antiquated, hurt recruiting, and was too small for many of our games at only 8,200 seats. Then they tore it down to build the Joel in the late 1980s, so we had to play in Greensboro while that was going on.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston-Salem_Memorial_Coliseum)
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My bad. Forgot about the WSMC. I've heard the stories but it was way before my time.
 
most of administrators have told me 11500-12500 seats would create more demand for tickets which is what they want. I have always countered that 14500 is not a problem when the product is good on the court.
 
bcobbdeacs said:
most of administrators have told me 11500-12500 seats would create more demand for tickets thus justifying increases in ticket prices and spurring donations which is what they want. I have always countered that 14500 is not a problem when the product is good on the court.
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Addendum.
 
bcobbdeacs said:
most of administrators have told me 11500-12500 seats would create more demand for tickets which is what they want. I have always countered that 14500 is not a problem when the product is good on the court.
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I really think 14,500 is way too many. Worthen Arena seats 11,500 in Muncie, IN. I'd love for Wake to essentially build this:

Relay%2Bfor%2Blife%2Band%2Btennis%2B038.JPG


It cost $8MM to build in 1992. I have no idea how much it would cost now.
 
Ball State Deac said:
I really think 14,500 is way too many. Worthen Arena seats 11,500 in Muncie, IN. I'd love for Wake to essentially build this:

It cost $8MM to build in 1992. I have no idea how much it would cost now.
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I believe that translates to a little under $13M in today's dollars. Obviously, other factors that would increase cost like scoreboards/sound systems, etc.
 
CumberlandDeac said:
I believe that translates to a little under $13M in today's dollars. Obviously, other factors that would increase cost like scoreboards/sound systems, etc.
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Without knowing much of anything, I would think $15MM would be doable for WFU. Regardless though, we're stuck with Joel, as we now own it. I'd love to get that sucker retrofitted so the top deck was gone.
 
In good times, the Joel is rocking. In bad times it's a tomb.

If there's a pragmatic way to reduce seating inside, I don't see why we shouldn't do it.

Clearly "knock the thing down and build a new one" or "let's spend $75 million to retrofit" isn't pragmatic.
 
GA Tech seems like a good model. They gutted Alexander Memorial Coliseum, reduced seating to 8,600, and ditched suites for a huge club level. Got a $15 million gift to help with the $45 million price tag.

Might have to spend next season playing somewhere else though.
 
DinDC said:
That's true about the cigarette smoke, but there was no separate upper deck level like we have at the Joel or in Greensboro. You entered the seating area about midway up on a concourse that ran around the place and then you went either up or down to your seat. Sort of like the Greensboro Coliseum was until their first expansion in 1972, when they took the roof off and added a second level.

(By the way, it was about 8,200 seats. I know that's about right because I knew how many tickets there were to sell for Three Dog Night when they played a concert there for the WF student union.)
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I was at the Three Dog Night concert (it wasn't very good) and the entire floor was filled with chairs.
 
sailordeac said:
I was at the Three Dog Night concert (it wasn't very good) and the entire floor was filled with chairs.
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That's right, but we knew how many tickets we could sell in the permanent seats. I agree that the show wasn't very good. For one thing, the Coliseum staff didn't lower the house lighting.
 
DinDC said:
That's right, but we knew how many tickets we could sell in the permanent seats. I agree that the show wasn't very good. For one thing, the Coliseum staff didn't lower the house lighting.
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That's absolutely right. You were there. I now have a confession to make. I was there but I didn't buy a ticket. I sneaked in through an open side door along with a former Deac, who is now a prominent businessman in Winston-Salem, and so I wont mention his name.
 
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