McKale Renovations

TFCATFAN · Post by **TFCATFAN** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:20 pm

Chicat wrote:We have awesome alums.

FAMILY

Definitely!

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:21 pm

What happened? Not seeing black lodges post.

AZCatGirl · Post by **AZCatGirl** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:36 pm

CalStateTempe wrote:What happened? Not seeing black lodges post.

Steve & Margot Kerr gave $1 million for the McKale renovations. Pretty sweet.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:36 pm

Little note to this. Steve wanted to give a qualifying gift of life insurance for the endowment fund but GB talked to him about the out right gift and for that a portion of one of the corridors will bear his name

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 3:20 pm

azcat49 wrote:Little note to this. Steve wanted to give a qualifying gift of life insurance for the endowment fund but GB t as liked to him about the out right gift and for that a portion of one of the corridors will bear his name

Can't wait to walk the Kerridor.

http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... =209714942

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 4:14 pm

If I struck it rich I'd totally give a nice chunk of change to the school and the AD.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 4:30 pm

azcat49 wrote:Little note to this. Steve wanted to give a qualifying gift of life insurance for the endowment fund but GB talked to him about the out right gift and for that a portion of one of the corridors will bear his name

GB didnt want to wait 30+ years. Smart man

KaibabKat · Post by **KaibabKat** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:08 pm

So, now the kids can go from the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium to the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court in the McKale Center via the Steve Kerr Hallway?

TFCATFAN · Post by **TFCATFAN** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 7:06 pm

KaibabKat wrote:So, now the kids can go from the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium to the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court in the McKale Center via the Steve Kerr Hallway?

Hopefully someday they will sleep in the Gilbert Arenas Basketball Dorms...he can afford them.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:41 pm

Kerridor, people! Unless you want this to go the way of "The Commissioner", you must repeat it incessantly.

Sheesh.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:41 pm

TFCATFAN wrote:
KaibabKat wrote:So, now the kids can go from the Richard Jefferson Gymnasium to the Lute and Bobbi Olson Court in the McKale Center via the Steve Kerr Hallway?
Hopefully someday they will sleep in the Gilbert Arenas Basketball Dorms...he can afford them.

The Gilbert gun lockers! Walton should donate vending machines filled with candy. Hit Fox up for bagels.

KaibabKat · Post by **KaibabKat** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:35 pm

Well then, Gene Edgerson should donate some punching bags.

Post by **UAdevil** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:13 pm

The Daily Star posted about Kerr's donation on Facebook. Of course, the very first comment, like clockwork, was "this money should go to academics, sports are overfunded!'

UAEebs86 · Post by **UAEebs86** » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:20 pm

KaibabKat wrote:Well then, Gene Edgerson should donate some punching bags.

Rolf Jacobs will be donating elbow pads.

Coop Cat · Post by **Coop Cat** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:55 am

I was listening to NBA Radio a bit yesterday b/c they were doing the Warriors preview. Iguodala was on and they were giving him a hard time about Kerr's donation. He said don't worry, something is in the works and will be announced soon. I guess we will see!

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:08 pm

UAdevil wrote:The Daily Star posted about Kerr's donation on Facebook. Of course, the very first comment, like clockwork, was "this money should go to academics, sports are overfunded!'

I even hear university faculty saying such stupidity. Does anyone who says that realize that university athletics aren't "funded" in this sense at all? Maybe sociology and art history can attract such donations when they earn a devoted following able to propel high-paying careers, and which masses of alumni identify with.

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:56 pm

Coop Cat wrote:I was listening to NBA Radio a bit yesterday b/c they were doing the Warriors preview. Iguodala was on and they were giving him a hard time about Kerr's donation. He said don't worry, something is in the works and will be announced soon. I guess we will see!

Free cell phones.

AZCatGirl · Post by **AZCatGirl** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:23 pm

HiCat · Post by **HiCat** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:44 pm

Thanks ACG for that vid. Exciting to see the new and improved McKale. Coach looks
very happy about how it'll help boost recruiting for Az. Looking forward to hearing some of the board's impressions after the Red and Blue game.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:17 pm

Bummed the webcam is down. I used to go to sleep watching it

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 11:47 am

Fans critiquing the seats and Byrne brushes it off:

http://www.kvoa.com/news/fans-critique- ... ter-seats/

They are narrower and the rows are tighter. Im 6'2" 200 and I was OK with them but my knees were on the seat back in front of me. The seats themselves are comfortable but there are a lot of people who wont fit in them. Someone screwed up

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:58 pm

What he should of said is that you shouldn't be sitting anyway, get on your feet. it's your FF wildcats!!!! I am a season ticket holder and 6'6" so I will let you know how they work at the exhibition game

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:10 pm

I'm 6'2" 235 lbs and I was perfectly comfortable. Some people just have to complain about everything all the time.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:03 pm

azcat49 wrote:I am a season ticket holder and 6'6" so I will let you know how they work at the exhibition game

Exhibition not included in season tickets this year

KaibabKat · Post by **KaibabKat** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:09 pm

The new video board is indeed quite the thing. In fact, I found myself watching it more than the actually game on the floor. Wife asks: why come all the way over here to watch television? Good question.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 3:15 pm

KaibabKat wrote:The new video board is indeed quite the thing. In fact, I found myself watching it more than the actually game on the floor. Wife asks: why come all the way over here to watch television? Good question.

you'll get used to it

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:04 pm

Jefe wrote:
azcat49 wrote:I am a season ticket holder and 6'6" so I will let you know how they work at the exhibition game
Exhibition not included in season tickets this year

Yep but I have tickets to the Cal Poly exhibition. Season ticket holders received first choice at renewal time

azgreg · Post by **azgreg** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 6:10 pm

You don't want to be too tall around basketball.

CBCat · Post by **CBCat** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:42 pm

AZCatGirl wrote:

This was really awesome. Thank you for posting this!!

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:07 pm

So my thoughts on the actual physical building that is McKale now...was there today.

First off, there is alot more to be done to the building. Concessions were minimal for this game, and some were outdoors. The main concession area is yet to be completed, and there are some finishing touches around the arena that need to be completed.

As good as it looks on TV, it looks great in person as well. The lighting and new scoreboard make it feel like a new arena. I was impressed by that, and the new floor looks really good.

The seats look great, but if you are a portly lad, then you are gonna have problems. The seats are narrow, me and the fam fit fine, but I heard some complaints about how the seats are cramped. The padding is nice, but the cupholder location in the armrest makes it hard to sit comfortably if you have a beverage on your armrest (I should note the 2.5 year old in my lap didn't really help).

McKale still feels just like McKale when you walk in...I can't wait to witness a really big game in person there. It will be exciting. I mean today there were probably about 9,000 fans there and my son turned to me and said "Daddy too loud...I have to cover my ears".

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:20 am

Did anyone notice that you can push a button on the back of the cup holder and retract the arm?

Also isn't it the plan to use the outer concourse as the walk around and refreshment area one day? Of course cover it as well

MountainCat · Post by **MountainCat** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:59 am

azcat49 wrote:Did anyone notice that you can push a button on the back of the cup holder and retract the arm?

Also isn't it the plan to use the outer concourse as the walk around and refreshment area one day? Of course cover it as well

Yes - this is just phase I, phase II will enclose the outer (outside) concourse and use that as the main walk around. By then, the outside of McKale will look drastically different. The concourses inside will be filled with seats and increase the capacity to about 16,000.

Once complete, it will compete with any other basketball stadium in the country and we will probably see it used once again as a stopping ground for the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:33 am

That is great MC. I had heard something about Miller not wanting McKale to host as it led to some type of disadvantage for us (past the not being able y o play on your home court).

Can't wait to see McKale once that outer concourse is done and we add seats

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:57 am

Also campus looks amazing. Totally different than when I was a student, but impressive nonetheless.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:12 pm

azcat49 wrote:Did anyone notice that you can push a button on the back of the cup holder and retract the arm?

Whaaaat...no I didnt. Its behind the seat on the arm rest?

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 3:26 pm

Jefe wrote:
azcat49 wrote:Did anyone notice that you can push a button on the back of the cup holder and retract the arm?
Whaaaat...no I didnt. Its behind the seat on the arm rest?

Yup. You can totally collapse it out of the way to give you more room.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:17 pm

or you could weigh less than 300 lbs and fit comfortably...but I know americans aren't really interested in that

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:21 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:or you could weigh less than 300 lbs and fit comfortably...but I know americans aren't really interested in that

But

cats101 · Post by **cats101** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:23 pm

Love the new lighting. Not sure if it's just me but it also sounds louder.

azcat49 · Post by **azcat49** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 4:33 pm

Well it was a tiny lady in front of us that showed the people around her how to do it. Maybe she was expecting George Kalil to plop down next to her.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 5:03 pm

scumdevils86 wrote:or you could weigh less than 300 lbs and fit comfortably...but I know americans aren't really interested in that

Or you could be a real fan and wouldn't have a need for an actual seat because you would be standing the whole time.

Olsondogg · Post by **Olsondogg** » Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:29 pm

cats101 wrote:Love the new lighting. Not sure if it's just me but it also sounds louder.

Actual quote from my 2 year old yesterday "Daddy...too loud. Have to cover my ears".

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Nov 17, 2014 4:09 pm

ESPN box score is claiming 14,655 the last 2 games. Is that our new capacity?

Only row 9 and lower seats have the arm rests that you can move out of the way. Much more room in those seats compared to rows 10-32.

New concessions were open on one side. Notice the glass doors to the left which lead out to the concourse where the new bathrooms are. This is where the lines used to be behind the TV cameras. Huge improvement!

Burgers, brats, bbq sandwiches, beef nachos, $3 refills for those big AZ cups and every line accepts credit cards

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Nov 21, 2014 9:10 am

Wildcat Wednesday:

We appreciate those of you who have shared your feedback on the various items that made up the renovation, including the seating, hand rails, restrooms, concessions and the fans ability to navigate the arena. While the majority of the comments have been positive, we have also received some constructive and helpful criticisms. As with any major construction project, we knew there would be kinks to work out during the first few games and we are pleased to let you know we are already working on some of the concerns that have been brought to our attention. We wanted to use this opportunity to answer some of your questions.

Let’s begin with the new seats. The width of the new seats is either the same or larger than the seats that were previously in McKale. Before the renovation, the seats in McKale were between 16” and 18” in width. The new seats are between 19” and 21” in width. Seat widths are measured from the middle of the arm rests, and not by the base of the seat.

In response to a large number of requests from fans prior to the renovation, we added cup holders to each seat. The new cup holders do create a narrower entry into the seat, thus diminishing the functional seat width by about one inch on either side. In response to this issue, we are replacing one arm rest with no cup holder for all 19” seats.

The new seats also have higher chair backs, which has generated some concerns about leg room. Standing at 6-foot-5, I can certainly understand that leg room is a precious commodity, so I sympathize with those of us that are affected by this change. The new seats are padded “mid-back” chairs, which are built to provide greater support and comfort, in particular, for users who are average or above-average in height. In addition to the added height, these seats rest slightly back in their mounted position. It’s a different feel but we appreciate you adjusting to this change.

We also heard about the aisles narrowing slightly, which occurred for a couple of reasons. First, in an effort to provide the safest environment possible for our fans, we made the decision to add hand rails in the aisles so many aisle widths reduced by at least one foot to allow for the handrail to be used for both ingress and egress simultaneously. Second, we added one seat to some rows that previously had an odd number in order to create pairs and minimize singles using this space. For example, if a row was previously 15 seats across, it now has 16 seats, evening out the seating options for fans.

A number of you have asked about the limited floor access. Most modern facilities limit access to the floor level for a number of reasons with the most important ones being security and safety. The old silver flip down step that was located at the base of the stairs was unsafe and not to code. In addition, the renovation was the right time to add fan amenities upstairs on the concourse, while enhancing locker room space for the student-athletes on the lower level. Access to the arena on the east side will improve once construction of the new elevator and equipment services areas are completed near the end of December. Specifically, additional points of entry and exit will be available through the southeast tunnel to the left of the men’s basketball offices. Currently, these are closed.

The addition of new restrooms was an important part of the renovation, and tripling the number of toilets is a significant improvement. Adding this number of restrooms was not possible on the interior of the upper concourse. In order to achieve this increase, we needed to locate the new restrooms on the exterior concourse. This decision was also made as part of the plan for enhancements in a future phase of renovations to McKale – enclosing the outer concourse.

Lastly, we were happy to have most of our new concession stands up and running for the first two games. As you may have noticed, the stand in the northeast section of McKale wasn’t quite ready for the weekend, but we do anticipate all of the concession stands being available for tonight’s game. TVs will also be installed in these areas so you don’t miss any of the action while you pick up your food and drinks.

We know many of you have been attending games at McKale for a very long time, and these renovations have introduced a number of changes. We tried to make every decision involved in the renovation with the student-athletes and fans’ best interest at the forefront. We appreciate everything that our fans do for the athletics department and we hope to see you enjoying events in McKale for a long time to come.

Byrne for President

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 2:23 pm

http://www.kvoa.com/news/ua-basketball- ... ht-s-game/

UA Basketball fan says his size made him a target at Tuesday night's game

TUCSON - Now six home games into this basketball season, fans are starting to get a feel for the newly renovated McKale Center. "I love the lighting I love what they've done with the facility in terms of making it sleeker," said UA basketball fan, Will Green.

But responses about the seats have been mixed. "I took my seat and I noticed it was a little cramped," said Green. "I quickly realized that there was nowhere for my legs to go." Last night's Wildcat basketball game against Gardner-Webb resulted in a win for the University of Arizona. But after being invited to the game by a season ticket holder, Green is having a hard time celebrating.

Measuring 6-feet-4-inches, the UA graduate student is as tall as some of the players he came to watch. "I'm a big guy," he said. "And I realize that it's always going to be a little less comfortable for me." So he chose to stand instead.That's when fans behind him started complaining, then bullying him and calling names. Security was called to find Green a different seat. He protested.

"I also felt that I had paid for my ticket and I deserved to see the game like everybody else, and I wasn't really being given any alternative," he said. "I never thought I would be in a situation where I was literally and metaphorically standing up for my rights."

Green wasn't the only one standing. Just a few rows over, half a dozen fans were on their feet too. The University of Arizona Police Department said there's no specific rule about standing at a game but it encourages fans to sit and stand to the flow of the game.

Green eventually gave in and was relocated to the student section."My last intent was to upset any of the fans or obstruct their view of the game, but I didn't really feel like I was treated with respect," said Green.

We made calls to University Athletics, but they were not returned.

The owner of those season tickets, the woman who invited Green to last night's game with her, said UA Athletics have contacted her, asking her to move to new seats for future games.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 2:31 pm

I read that article last night and the comments are worth reading as well. A lot of unhappy fans to say the least.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 2:31 pm

He sounds like a whiny and entitled bitch. You're 6'4" dude, not 7 feet. I'm 6'2" and chubby and I fit just fine.

AZCatGirl · Post by **AZCatGirl** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:31 pm

84Cat wrote:I read that article last night and the comments are worth reading as well. A lot of unhappy fans to say the least.

I'm really surprised that many are unhappy about them to the point of not even wanting to go to games. Yeah it's cramped depending on your size, but once the game starts I focus more on that and don't even notice how much space I have.

Bosy Billups · Post by **Bosy Billups** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:50 pm

The real question is, how does it get fixed?

Is there a fix? Or would they have to rip every seat and replant them, maybe taking out a row?

Or get entirely new seats?

Enough with the bitching, how does it get fixed?

Maybe there can be a designated fat ass section?

3goggles · Post by **3goggles** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:00 pm

Bosy Billups wrote:The real question is, how does it get fixed?

Is there a fix? Or would they have to rip every seat and replant them, maybe taking out a row?

Or get entirely new seats?

Enough with the bitching, how does it get fixed?

Maybe there can be a designated fat ass section?

Im 6'3 290 and I can fit. Its not like the lazy boy at the crib but for a sporting event where you shouldn't even be seating people are making a stink about nothing. Suck it the FUCK UP!

Login • Register