Check out UL new proposed arena

[Guest Red bird]

http://louisville.rivals.com/feature.asp?SID=923&FeKey=8094

[The_Reaper]

My question is... we also have "benefactors" who contribute to the programs here. Why can't we get them on board for new facilities like Louisville? They just put up the Pizza Bowl a cou[ple of years back, and now this? Why are we so backwards in our thinking? Is it a rub off of the D Rays mentality? Answers people! I need feasable answers!    Reaper

[Guest S.  Bien]

My question is... we also have "benefactors" who contribute to the programs here. Why can't we get them on board for new facilities like Louisville? They just put up the Pizza Bowl a cou[ple of years back, and now this? Why are we so backwards in our thinking? Is it a rub off of the D Rays mentality? Answers people! I need feasable answers!    Reaper

Well it's only a matter of time before the Pizza Bowl gets expanded to 70k seats.  Can you believe it that they're also on the way with those plans as well, and the benefactors are stepping up too.  You gotta love Louisville.  That program has so many inherent benefits it's not even funny.  They've got some very, very deep pocketed donors, they live in an enormous city with absolutely NO PRO TEAM within 150miles (cinci's the closest), a long history and solid geographic location.

You also have to expect a program to do just about anything for a hoops program that has been to 6 Final Fours over the past 25 years, and won two National Championships.  That's the same as Kentucky over the same 25 year span, and more than storied programs like Texas, UCLA, and Virginia have achieved in that time span.

[Ricky the Bull]

People want to be a part of a successful athletic program and the rise in their football team's success to match their hoops has gotten a lot of people behind them.

As Steve mentioned, there really isn't much alternative in terms of college and pro sports and they only run the Derby once a year.

Not only that, they have "Louisville" in their name so that it helps people identify with the team even though they didn't go there.

[Jim Johnson]

Not only that, they have "Louisville" in their name so that it helps people identify with the team even though they didn't go there.

Would it be easier for USF if we changed our name to University of Tampa Bay ???

U! T! B!

U! T! B!

;-)  j/k

[Knight_Light]

More info on their Arena

http://louisville.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=424895

[CardHack]

You can't even conceive of the complexities and politics going into this. The mayor has poured millions upon millions of dollars into a downtown renovation called Fourth Street that's intent is to be something of a collection area and entertainment district like Beale Street, and it's exceeded expectations in the year and a half it's been open. Those that are on the City Council and the mayor are killing themselves trying to get the arena built downtown two blocks from that entertainment district. By contrast, Louisville currently plays in Freedom Hall as it has for fifty years, which is a state-owned and managed facility that's part of the State Fairgrounds...subsequently the interests of the "state"--those represented by the Governor and the State House of Representatives--have something of a vested interest in seeing it there. Traditionally in the state of Kentucky there has been a fairly tense relationship between the City of Louisville and the state--like most urban areas, Louisville sends considerably more tax revenue to the state than it gets back in capital projects. Lastly, you have mondo-influential entities like Churchill Downs, which is the Southwestern border of UofL's campus, who have a vested interest in seeing it at the Fairgrounds site, as the Fairgrounds serves as the Eastern-most point of Central Avenue which runs three miles by UofL's football stadium and into the historic site of horse racing for four months a year...and Churchill Downs just finished a $140 million massive renovation in part to be the frontrunner for a casino location attached to the 150 year old facility. Despite the fact Kentucky's horse racing tracks at Keeneland and Churchill Downs are thriving, they both are losing gambling revenue to the riverboats which border the state in Indiana, with one major boat being Caesar's of Indiana no less than twenty-five minutes from Churchill Downs/UofL's campus.

The University of Louisville's major trepidation with the facility is they first and foremost have to have priority on the facility...in part because the City has backed three exploratory and negotiating committees for attracting the NBA when Houston, Vancouver and lastly Charlotte pimped Louisville out to get a more attractive arena or expansion. Should a professional sports franchise be attracted to Louisville--which I think to this point has been a scare tactic more than reality--the incredible corporate support that Louisville enjoys in Jefferson Co. would be glutted. People use the term "Memphis" here alot when talking about the dangers of professional support to a college sports fanbase.

Ultimately my money's on the downtown interests winning out; either way, it will be a dynamite facility. I think the poster who said a big part of that support was "Louisville" had it pretty accurate...there is no true competing interest for the sports entertainment dollar during basketball and football season aside from the University of Kentucky to the East seventy miles, Indianapolis 120 miles north and Cincinnati 100 miles to the Northeast.

Louisville started construction two weeks ago on an indoor practice facility for football that had a $2 million private donation. The football stadium won't be expanded for another three years likely.

[TripleB]

Would it be easier for USF if we changed our name to University of Tampa Bay ???

U! T! B!

U! T! B!

;-)  j/k

I think that's a **** fine idea ........... maybe TBU, though. Put another football team with the name Tampa Bay in front of it and there's no telling how many more football crazed locals we could bring in. Maybe Greg can address that with DW in his next interview.

[The_Reaper]

Looky that! Indoor practice facilities! Shoot, maybe we can rent out the Fruitdome, since it definitely will not be in use by football season.

My point. Do you see what people can do? Man, if I had the $$$ only if. But down here, it's look at how much I've got and screw everyone else! Until then, we will meander in mediocrity. So I guess I'll have to be patient. (rant over!)    Reaper

[BullDoug]

Would it be easier for USF if we changed our name to University of Tampa Bay ???

U! T! B!

U! T! B!

;-)  j/k

Tampa State University - TSU