Whenever this new arena is finished and it will get built, do you think there is a chance that UTEP would bolt and play home games at this new arena. Kappy brought this up on sports talk last week for conversation.
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Utep does fill up the Haskins center. Last year the women's team was drawing good crowds.
Would it not help the program if they played in a modern facility? But if that was the case I would imagine the city would ask UTEP to foot some of the bill.
It be nice if el paso had a Comic-Con?
I've heard Teich say that on the radio, and a related anecdote about Haskins asking that question, but I've never seen any independent confirmation of that. Somebody here probably knows: is this truth or is this one of those rumors that just gets perpetuated?What's crazy is that the Don Haskins Center was built in a way in which the top could be removed to add another level and upgrade the arena. They had forward thinking in the 70's that one day El Paso would want something even more grand.
If that arena is built downtown, I think its a foregone conclusion UTEP will move mens games there.
They do. Las Cruces has one as well.
If the arena needs UTEP, and the whole rumor about the Don being designed to take the roof off and expand is true, wouldn't the taxpayers get more bang for their buck to just expand and renovate the Don? I think this is more about concerts and perhaps other sporting events. I agree that NBA D-League is small potatoes and doesn't justify a new arena. The Arena Football League is down to five (FIVE!) teams now; they surely must be looking to expand, right? I don't know what's going on there, but I could see El Paso supporting an Arena Football League team and that's the kind of tenant that could support the arena. But since the AFL is down to 5 teams, I don't know how stable that is; I don't understand what's going on there.If that arena is built downtown, I think its a foregone conclusion UTEP will move mens games there. The problem with the arena is there is no major tenant.The city needs a major tenant for the arena to make money. The city loses 90k a year on the ballpark even with a major tennant. NBDL teams dont draw flies. Most teams are under 3k a game. Thats not fit for El Paso or the new arena. The city actually needs UTEP more than UTEP needs the city. UTEP hoops is the only tenant that makes sense. The city will give UTEP a a deal to good to pass up.
But from the city's perspective, is it cheaper to build a new arena or to outright buy the Don and expand it to 15,000? I'd like to see the numbers for that comparison.If I were UTEP, why try and raise the money to renovate the Don if you can just let the city pay for a new arena and swoop in there? In a perfect world you raze the Don, and build a indoor football facility... and yes I know that is wishful thinking.
UTEP is having a down year and ticket sales are still averaging above 6,000. A comment on here says "having 5000 fans in a 15000 seat venue doesn't bode well." Normally UTEP averages over 8-9k during an average w/l season but that's besides the point.
NBA D-league average is 2,725 per game. With the highest team averaging 5,737 (lower than current UTEP average) and the lowest 389.
So my question is does 2,500-3,000 bode better in a 15,000 seat arena?
The Arena Football League is down to five (FIVE!) teams now; they surely must be looking to expand, right? I don't know what's going on there, but I could see El Paso supporting an Arena Football League team and that's the kind of tenant that could support the arena. But since the AFL is down to 5 teams, I don't know how stable that is; I don't understand what's going on there.
But from the city's perspective, is it cheaper to build a new arena or to outright buy the Don and expand it to 15,000? I'd like to see the numbers for that comparison.
But part of the push for the arena is that it would be built downtown by the hotels and convention center and stuff; it's supposed to help bring business to those businesses. The expanded Don wouldn't quite fulfill that.
I'd still like to see the numbers, though. If the Don can be bought and expanded (assuming UTEP would insist on event priority as part of the deal, and maybe play there rent-free with the city getting a percentage of revenue or something) at half the cost of building a new arena, wouldn't that be worth at least considering? But that's all pure speculation anyway.
Raising the roof and capacity of the Don will not fix or fulfill what the arena is intended to do. What is needed is a floor with flexibility to host a whole variety of events. Media space and media rooms, meeting and dressing rooms, etc. You can't accomplish that with the Don.
Not enough for some of the acts that come and also could be booked here. Acts that bring an entourage of dancers or a large band often have to use their own buses as dressing area's. The green room at the Don is a joke compared to other arenas I've been to. Many arenas have green rooms for event staff, a separate one for media, and another for the acts. Meeting rooms are sorely lacking, which effects tournament type events.The Don doesn't have dressing rooms? I do know they have a huge media space.
It be nice if el paso had a Comic-Con?
Apparently the city council doesn't want an anchor tenant. So there you go, don't expect Indoor Football or the D-League. According to KFOX interviews with city counselors, they think that by having anchor tenants it will limit available dates and therefore losing out on potential acts.
The philosophy behind the arena is a 'build it and they will come' approach.
The AFL is still, in theory, the top tier of indoor football and that's what El Paso should be striving for. The AFL still has a fair amount of nationally televised games and it would be good exposure for El Paso and a showcase for the brand new arena. El Paso might be in the conversation to host more events (such as NCAA Tourney games) if they support a successful top tier indoor football team.El Paso would move likely be playing in the Indoor Football League. That would make the most sense for them and that's where the Arizona Rattlers moved to.
The AFL is still, in theory, the top tier of indoor football and that's what El Paso should be striving for. The AFL still has a fair amount of nationally televised games and it would be good exposure for El Paso and a showcase for the brand new arena. El Paso might be in the conversation to host more events (such as NCAA Tourney games) if they support a successful top tier indoor football team.