Facilities and Arena discussion

He15man

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If we are, that's great! I'm really not up on the "latest" when it comes to facilities...either at Mason or elsewhere. I'm glad we're keeping pace. Thanks!
The arms race in college facilities is mostly limited to football, at least from what I've seen and heard. There might be some really wiz-bang features at SEC and ACC schools that a basketball team might have ... or have access to. But the truly gaudy stuff, like resort-style pools with lazy rivers, reclineable locker stalls, waterfall feature-laden hot and cold tubs, rooms full of zero gravity chairs for naps, 3D projection training capabilities, recording studios, etc are for the sport that literally rakes in the cash.

It's kind of insane actually....
 

Pikapppatri8

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The arms race in college facilities is mostly limited to football, at least from what I've seen and heard. There might be some really wiz-bang features at SEC and ACC schools that a basketball team might have ... or have access to. But the truly gaudy stuff, like resort-style pools with lazy rivers, reclineable locker stalls, waterfall feature-laden hot and cold tubs, rooms full of zero gravity chairs for naps, 3D projection training capabilities, recording studios, etc are for the sport that literally rakes in the cash.

It's kind of insane actually....
If you go to some big schools like Tech and others that have basketball arenas older than ours --- I would agree. However, I think we should invest in other facilities for baseball, soccer, etc. Mason's campus is really turning into a nice nice place.
 

jessej

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Please pardon my ignorance.
Can someone explain why EBA is an inferior arena?

I understand there are no luxury boxes.
That is a design flaw that is very difficult to fix at this point.

The only bad thing i see is the lack of digital signage
and the side video displays are to small and dont include video,
These could be fixed in the next upgrade

Concessions - both quality, selection, and pricing could be fixed or at least made better without modifying the physical facility
 

He15man

Starter
If you go to some big schools like Tech and others that have basketball arenas older than ours --- I would agree. However, I think we should invest in other facilities for baseball, soccer, etc. Mason's campus is really turning into a nice nice place.
Oh I agree when it comes to game environments. It’s ludicrous that Hap does even have lights still… or even remotely decent stands. But I was mainly talking about the secondary stuff… locker rooms, lounges, etc. you want and need top shelf stuff, but the power conference schools are basically building theme parks
 

GMU79

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The arms race in college facilities is mostly limited to football, at least from what I've seen and heard. There might be some really wiz-bang features at SEC and ACC schools that a basketball team might have ... or have access to. But the truly gaudy stuff, like resort-style pools with lazy rivers, reclineable locker stalls, waterfall feature-laden hot and cold tubs, rooms full of zero gravity chairs for naps, 3D projection training capabilities, recording studios, etc are for the sport that literally rakes in the cash.

It's kind of insane actually....
Insane is right. And I agree, we really don't need all that Jetsons stuff to compete on a facilities basis. Just gotta keep up with the Joneses.
 

The Great PATSby

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Please pardon my ignorance.
Can someone explain why EBA is an inferior arena?

I understand there are no luxury boxes.
That is a design flaw that is very difficult to fix at this point.

I feel like EBA could easily put in box seats at the concourse level pictured below. There's already a voided space under the seats that are currently used as storage rooms. Unless we can't do it becuase it would structurally compromise the upper level seating area, I would think this would be pretty easy to do.

Box-Seats.png
 
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Pikapppatri8

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I feel like EBA could easily put in box seats at the concouse level pictured below. There's already a voided space under the seats that are currently used as storage rooms. Unless we can't do it becuase it would structurally compromise the upper level seating area, I would think this would be pretty easy to do.

Box-Seats.png
At that point it makes more sense to build a new arena -- the new designs would be easier to implement and cost less if we went new.
 

gmujim92

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At that point it makes more sense to build a new arena -- the new designs would be easier to implement and cost less if we went new.
ALWAYS better to build new … once you start renovating/refurbishing you run into so many problems you didn’t know you had and then costs go through the roof. And in the end you still have an old building, just fancied up on the surface.

I continue to maintain if Towson and JMU can afford to build a new arena, Mason should be able to as well. Leave EBA standing for shows and other events, and build a 7,500-seat arena with all the modern amenities elsewhere on campus.
 

mkaufman1

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No disagreement on any of thoughts regarding a new arena. Occasionally I talk to folks and ask what the plan is for EBA and unfortunately nobody really seems to know. I have heard it was going to be part of a new master plan or athletics was, but no idea if that came to fruition or what.

Don't get me wrong, the simplistic modernization upgrades that have occurred (lighting, LCDs with replay) are great and help the gameday experience tremendously. There is not much that can be done with the seating bowl itself unfortunately.

At some point, even Mason is going to have to make a decision on what to do. I will have to ask around at some point when I feel like bothering someone.
 

JimP

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Any possible billionaire donors for Mason? It's been discussed previously, but Binghamton University baseball received an anonymous donation of $60 million for a new baseball stadium.

Rumor is that freshman on last spring's roster has a billionaire dad who is the donor. The purported donor is a BU grad himself. If true, it might help explain why the donation is anonymous.

So there you go Mason. Maybe go after Lebron's son. Just need to bring in a kid with a billionaire parent.
 

Pikapppatri8

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ALWAYS better to build new … once you start renovating/refurbishing you run into so many problems you didn’t know you had and then costs go through the roof. And in the end you still have an old building, just fancied up on the surface.

I continue to maintain if Towson and JMU can afford to build a new arena, Mason should be able to as well. Leave EBA standing for shows and other events, and build a 7,500-seat arena with all the modern amenities elsewhere on campus.
Interesting thing about JMU's arena is there is less there than you would expect with the footprint of the building. The bowl is smaller and is pretty open to the concourse area There are some suites but a lot of it is the lobby/concourse arena. So cost should not be prohibitive to do something a cut above that since basketball is our main sport. Question - what do we do with our games while we tear down EBA and build a new one?
 

gmujim92

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Interesting thing about JMU's arena is there is less there than you would expect with the footprint of the building. The bowl is smaller and is pretty open to the concourse area There are some suites but a lot of it is the lobby/concourse arena. So cost should not be prohibitive to do something a cut above that since basketball is our main sport. Question - what do we do with our games while we tear down EBA and build a new one?
No need to tear down EBA, problem solved
 

GMUgemini

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Interesting thing about JMU's arena is there is less there than you would expect with the footprint of the building. The bowl is smaller and is pretty open to the concourse area There are some suites but a lot of it is the lobby/concourse arena. So cost should not be prohibitive to do something a cut above that since basketball is our main sport. Question - what do we do with our games while we tear down EBA and build a new one?

Should be able to get a world class level facility considering how much revenue flows through EBA. A JMU comparison shouldn’t even be in our rear view mirror.
 

Five Two

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Interesting thing about JMU's arena is there is less there than you would expect with the footprint of the building. The bowl is smaller and is pretty open to the concourse area There are some suites but a lot of it is the lobby/concourse arena. So cost should not be prohibitive to do something a cut above that since basketball is our main sport. Question - what do we do with our games while we tear down EBA and build a new one?
Build the new one next door to EBA. Then tear down EBA when the new one is ready
 

Pikapppatri8

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ALWAYS better to build new … once you start renovating/refurbishing you run into so many problems you didn’t know you had and then costs go through the roof. And in the end you still have an old building, just fancied up on the surface.

I continue to maintain if Towson and JMU can afford to build a new arena, Mason should be able to as well. Leave EBA standing for shows and other events, and build a 7,500-seat arena with all the modern amenities elsewhere on campus.

Leaving EBA there just takes up land space the new facility could replace EBA as a venue for non-basketball activities. I think an 7500 seat arena would be perfect for basketball and then with floor space you could have a 9000 seat capacity for concerts or other events.
 
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sleeperpick

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Leaving EBA there just takes up land space the new facility could replace EBA as a venue for non-basketball activities. I think an 7500 seat arena would be perfect for basketball and then with floor space you could have a 9000 seat capacity for concerts or other events.
what everyone seems to be forgetting is EBA routinely sells out the arena for concerts/monster trucks/formerly circus'. It is not in their best interest to tear EBA down when it makes more money for the university off non basketball related shows than the basketball team. If we build a new smaller stadium EBA is still going to stay for a while until it is not nice enough to continue being a venue for large audiences
 

Pikapppatri8

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what everyone seems to be forgetting is EBA routinely sells out the arena for concerts/monster trucks/formerly circus'. It is not in their best interest to tear EBA down when it makes more money for the university off non basketball related shows than the basketball team. If we build a new smaller stadium EBA is still going to stay for a while until it is not nice enough to continue being a venue for large audiences
what everyone seems to be forgetting is EBA routinely sells out the arena for concerts/monster trucks/formerly circus'. It is not in their best interest to tear EBA down when it makes more money for the university off non basketball related shows than the basketball team. If we build a new smaller stadium EBA is still going to stay for a while until it is not nice enough to continue being a venue for large audiences
A new arena that is modern can still support this. They are not mutually exclusive - the biggest issue with the events you discussed is floor space. Interestingly enough EBA's floor space was built too small to host a regulation hockey rink. you can fix that in a new arena, accommodate those events, and tear down EBA.
 
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