Game 11: GMU (9-1) vs ODU (3-7) on Saturday, December 13, at 12:30 PM.

I think yesterday's total attendance would have looked a lot better if it had come at a time in the academic calendar when more students could attend. I don't know what the student attendance was yesterday, but it looked small. Throw in another 500-800 students and then you have something.

They’re a third our size. We wouldn’t be able to use their arena for convocation (it would have to be held in DC or we’d have to keep and maintain EBA anyway, which makes no financial sense).

I think we should put a bunch of money into EBA and make it the best interior in the A10, focus on making a sustainably successful program and let the chips fall where they will with attendance.

I don’t think being unambitious with our arena is the way to go.

GMUgemini said:

They’re a third our size. We wouldn’t be able to use their arena for convocation (it would have to be held in DC or we’d have to keep and maintain EBA anyway, which makes no financial sense).

I think we should put a bunch of money into EBA and make it the best interior in the A10, focus on making a sustainably successful program and let the chips fall where they will with attendance.

I don’t think being unambitious with our arena is the way to go.

Click to expand...

I do not know the financial numbers nor the management agreement
but EBA has a use and existence outside of GMU M&W BBall

It hosts - and generates revenue from - a variety of year-round events including
concerts, Disney on ICE, WWE, Monster Truck, etc., etc.

Any discussion about the status/future of EBA without considering these revenue effects is missing a key component of the argument and the profits

GMUMiked said:

They had the corner sections above the portals covered for a few seasons, it didn't look much better than empty seats. If we could get 5k to a game the atmosphere would be great as is.

Click to expand...

I would black tarp off the upper bowl and move everyone down. It would look way better on TV. We could also play the supply and demand game, shrink the supply to up the demand. I hate seeing scattered seating with ppl sitting in the nose bleeds for no reason.

Mason2005 said:

I would black tarp off the upper bowl and move everyone down. It would look way better on TV. We could also play the supply and demand game, shrink the supply to up the demand. I hate seeing scattered seating with ppl sitting in the nose bleeds for no reason.

Click to expand...

Gentlemen - we need to rip off the bandaid and start from scratch. Here are my thoughts:

Buy the land that has the cluster of houses across 123 next to current campus land. Build a brand new basketball facility with an integrated parking garage. Decrease the overall seating and add club seating and suites. I was at my son's graduation at JMU this weekend and their new facility has fewer seats but the club seating and suites, had a nice concourse with the Dukes Club room (think a dedicated well done Green and Gold Room with separate bathrooms, bar and service). They had a dedicated spirit store.

Just raise the money and do it. Used the cleared up land on the academic side of the campus for the final build out of that section with a new Quad.

It is a win, win.

Patriot Blue said:

Pathetic.

Click to expand...

Pretty sure classes ended and most students headed home. That leaves a mark.

Masonman said:

Pretty sure classes ended and most students headed home. That leaves a mark.

Click to expand...

Then it was the height of stupidity for the powers that be to schedule the event on that date.