Schedule Changes

[bball30]

I think in all the hustle and bustle of the MU talks, and new recruits this was kind of lost in the shadows.

uwmpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101806aaa.html

The Pack is out of town on the 10th, so that shouldn't effect anything, and the game moved to Sunday the 21st of Jan. could attract some families bringing kids back for the start of the spring semester. This could be big as it's Wright State.

[milwsport]

Moving two Saturday night games to Sunday afternoons isn't likely to draw more fans. :-(

[PantherLou]

The problem here is that we are considered the #2 tenant in the building (behind the wave).

We need to ALL work on getting more fans to the games. Hopefully, we can change this in a year or two.

[milwsport]

Yes and yes. This is why we need our own arena and we all have to work on bringing a few folks to the games with us.

[PantherU]

And where do you suggest we put this arena?

[teddyp00]

More importantly, how do you suggest paying for this arena?

[bball30]

I still think they belong playing at Klotsche on campus. Student attendance would be significantly higher, and it would be a hell of a lot tougher to come into and win. Not to mention you don't pay the fee for the Cell as well.

[teddyp00]

Except that it is about 4,000 seats to small for what would be needed for the program right now. I agree that it would be the best place, but it wont happen because it fell through with the expansion of the klot.

[bball30]

I'm not saying it will, but just out of curiosity, how is it 4,000 seats to small? UWM doesn't average 9000 per game. I understand the argument of thinking big to become big. It just doesn't make sense to me as to why games aren't still played there.

[dylanrocks]

Bball, there is a lot of sense in terms of what you say about student attendance, homecourt advantage and capacity. It seems to me that the decision has been made that the Cell as a facility is a far better recruiting tool and the team and coaches prefer to play there so that when the postseason arrives, they have a comfort zone with the building. As for Panther Madness, that should certainly be held at the Klotsche (as, perhaps, should the exhibitions).

[BBFran]

There have been very few games in the last two years in which the attendance at the Cell could have fit into the Klotsche. Moreover, the Klotsche is essentially a bigger high school gym. It's just not an appropriate venue for a program that aspires to and has reached post-season play for the last four years.

It's surely true that some students who don't go to the Cell might go to games at the Klotsche, but not for long, because moving back to the Klotsche would signal a program in decline. This is a program moving up very far, very fast.

[Pantherholic]

blackpantheruwm said:

And where do you suggest we put this arena?

either where Downer Woods is or Columbia St. Mary's. neither are realistically obtainable so i'll just keep dreaming.

[PantherU]

Horizon League has a set arena capacity level. The Klotsche does not meet that requirement.

[bball30]

I can buy into the Horizon league capacity thing, but I find it very hard to believe many games would have had a hard time fitting in the Klotsche. And smaller venues do not signal a weak program, that's just irrational. How would you explain a program like Gonzaga then?

[nohopspanther]

Talk about picking a poor example. Gonzaga's Kennel was deemed unusable for the growth of their program. So they opened a brand new arena in 2004 that while it only holds 6000, is designed like a big time arena. gozags.cstv.com/facilities/gonz-mccarthey.html Check out the pics and consider the fact that Gonzaga has a total enrollment of 6500 with 4500 of that being undergraduates.