McKale Renovations

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:09 pm

People are reacting like the old seats were these huge luxurious 1st class lazy-boy recliners.

They weren't. Get over yourselves.

97cats · Post by **97cats** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:38 pm

I know I will like my seat(s) tomorrow -- they will fit me just fine.

disclaimer: im 6'2 220lbs

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:39 pm

97cats wrote:I know I will like my seat(s) tomorrow -- they will fit me just fine.

disclaimer: im 6'2 220lbs

Would you hurry up and get here already?!!

CBCat · Post by **CBCat** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:04 am

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?

Maybe many of us need to stop with the processed food and sugar and sign up for some yoga?
But having a fat ass section could also work.

Alieberman · Post by **Alieberman** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:39 am

After attending my first game of the year yesterday, here is my official report on the new seats-

They are more comfy then before and it's nice having a drink holder. Yes when you get up out of your seat the cup holder does kind of inhibit you from just jumping out of the seat but you get used to it quickly. Those complaining about how terrible it is probably need to lose a few lbs.

McKale was awesome yesterday!

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 1:22 pm

They did remove every other cup holder arm rest already so I bet thats the last we hear from Byrne on it. The only way they could possible fix it now is by adding some sort of spacer to the arm rest mounts. 20,000+ spacers most likely but then we'll have arm rests sticking out in the aisles. Either that or install a hinge on every arm rest to move them out of the way like they do in rows 1-9

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 9:13 am

MCKALE CENTER AND JASON TERRY UPDATE

As we continue to put the finishing touches on the Phase I renovation of the McKale Center, you may have noticed a few new things around the building. We have installed 32 delay speakers to improve the sound quality and game experience for those of you sitting in the upper sections. Additionally, in the new upper concourse restrooms and on the east side promenade, we have piped in Brian Jefferies’ play-by-play so you won’t miss any of the action when nature calls.

However, the most visible change will be the relocation of the American flag. Next week, we will hang a new, larger flag in the northeast corner of McKale. This new flag will be used for all sports in McKale and is properly sized for our arena. The athletics department worked with Tucson Police Department Officers Charley Foley and Bradley Clark and their organization Flags for the Flagless to hang this new flag in the best location to maximize viewing angles and orientation for McKale events.

With the American flag moving from the southwest corner to the northeast corner, the column behind section eight became available and that’s where we’ve decided to place Jason Terry’s retired jersey.

We hope you’ll be able to make it out to McKale over the next couple of weeks to take advantage of these additions, and especially on Feb. 19 for the men’s basketball game against USC, when we’ll officially retire Jason’s jersey.

http://www.arizonawildcats.com/ViewArti ... M_ID=30700

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:22 am

Lol @ getting invited to attend a game for free and bitching about things. Then pissing everyone else off. What a entitled d head

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:35 pm

Locker Room Entrance

The Film Theater / Meeting Room inside the locker room:

The Lounge area inside of our Locker Room compound:

Training Room/Kitchen inside the Locker Room

According to the UA, the basketball side of the project is done. Did this lounge ever get built?

Project: http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/Project/13-9191

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:53 pm

Oh the joys of being a college athlete. The pampering is real.

AZCatGirl · Post by **AZCatGirl** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 3:16 pm

Wow. That came out even better than I imagined it.

Love that they threw in the cactus logo.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 3:16 pm

Unreal.

3goggles · Post by **3goggles** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 3:38 pm

AZCatGirl wrote:Wow. That came out even better than I imagined it.

Love that they threw in the cactus logo.

I Wish they would put it back where it belongs!

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 3:25 pm

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:26 pm

McKale getting some love

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Mon Aug 29, 2016 8:32 am

Pretty cool, but our fans cant dance that well. Hopefully in NBA 2k18 they can get more grey hair on the fans too.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Mon Aug 29, 2016 9:14 am

and unfortunately that video has the student section being along the sidelines like Michigan state. If only that were the case.

prh · Post by **prh** » Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:12 am

I would guess that all the college arenas are identical in the game, and they just have the court/scorer's table signage customized. Maybe it will be more than that, but I think the idea is more about adding a short college stage to the game than being true to the colleges themselves. Especially since (most of) those schools aren't going to be "changed overnight"

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 3:49 pm

In the Lute statue thread it said they didn't want to put it on the south side of McKale due to future expansion plans. Are they still doing a skybox or expanding?

Found a few projects online but nothing about a skybox

McKale Memorial Center, Locker Room Suite 170 Remodel

PROJECT DETAILS 18-9385
In order to improve student athlete support areas, Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) is remodeling multiple locker rooms and adding a new locker room complete with lounge/team areas, kitchenette, etc.

Current Budget
$300,000
Projected Ultimate Budget
$1,000,000
Construction Schedule
December 2017 - August 2018

McKale Memorial Center Additional Seating

PROJECT DETAILS 93-7219
design and construction for 336 new seats. construction of 174 new telescopic seats.

Current Budget
$667,200
Construction Schedule
TBD

McKale Offices & Concessions

PROJECT DETAILS 94-7347
remodel 122, 225 & 210 to offices and convert 318 into a concessions area.

Current Budget
$157,000
Construction Schedule
TBD

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:54 pm

Luxury boxes would be the smartest thing.

It would be nice if they enclosed the concourse around the bathrooms. Having to go outside to pee is weird. Maybe drop interior luxury boxes in the current interior concourse? This is probably fairly obvious, but I did not major in arena design.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:27 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote:Luxury boxes would be the smartest thing.

It would be nice if they enclosed the concourse around the bathrooms. Having to go outside to pee is weird. Maybe drop interior luxury boxes in the current interior concourse? This is probably fairly obvious, but I did not major in arena design.

Luxury boxes and give the students a side of the court. A boy can dream...

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:54 am

Boxes would be cool but Im not sure I would want to be above the cameras. The view isn't that great from row 25 and up plus the majority of uppers are season ticket holders. It must have been on the old site but I thought there was talk of adding boxes and raising the roof to add more rows behind the baskets up top.

Not sure where they plan to add those 336 new seats and 174 new telescopic seats

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:42 am

Jefe wrote:Boxes would be cool but Im not sure I would want to be above the cameras. The view isn't that great from row 25 and up plus the majority of uppers are season ticket holders. It must have been on the old site but I thought there was talk of adding boxes and raising the roof to add more rows behind the baskets up top.

Not sure where they plan to add those 336 new seats and 174 new telescopic seats

I would never use a luxury box. I only like the idea because it is an untapped revenue stream for the basketball program. It's one area that we could use to keep money into the program expanding without blowing up the cost of normal tickets.

You see programs adding party decks, pro stadiums with pool areas, DJ's, etc. It would be smart to get on the cutting edge of offering options that make the game more of a social event. Hardcore fans can still get their regular experience in McKale, but this would offer an alternative to expand into an area we don't really cover yet.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:20 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:You see programs adding party decks, pro stadiums with pool areas, DJ's, etc. It would be smart to get on the cutting edge of offering options that make the game more of a social event. Hardcore fans can still get their regular experience in McKale, but this would offer an alternative to expand into an area we don't really cover yet.

I've been a longtime advocate of creating a beer garden / outdoor viewing area / watch party for gamedays. Something on the lawn would be a cheap start. That intramural football field on the SW corner of University and Campbell next to the Lynch stairs would work as a single designated area. Throw up some sun shades, roll out some bar carts and big screens, have a PA system and a DJ for commercials. It'd be the coolest place to watch the game outside the game itself (heck some people might prefer it).

Or they could build out over top of the current ticket office on the south side, gobble up that street (Enke Dr) and take a chunk out of the Kindall / Sancet field. That's basically just a practice field for the football team, who is (maybe?) getting their own indoor facility now and could probably hand off some of that land in return. Then you'd have a pavilion on the south end matching the Lynch pavilion on the north, hosting a party deck that integrates into the arena. Maybe even turn the rest of Kindall/Sancet into an area for basketball dorms to compete with UK and KU's new basketball dorms.

Just some "how I want to spend millions of dollars on Arizona basketball" thoughts.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:23 pm

YoDeFoe wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:You see programs adding party decks, pro stadiums with pool areas, DJ's, etc. It would be smart to get on the cutting edge of offering options that make the game more of a social event. Hardcore fans can still get their regular experience in McKale, but this would offer an alternative to expand into an area we don't really cover yet.
I've been a longtime advocate of creating a beer garden / outdoor viewing area / watch party for gamedays. Something on the lawn would be a cheap start. That intramural football field on the SW corner of University and Campbell next to the Lynch stairs would work as a single designated area. Throw up some sun shades, roll out some bar carts and big screens, have a PA system and a DJ for commercials. It'd be the coolest place to watch the game outside the game itself (heck some people might prefer it).

Or they could build out over top of the current ticket office on the south side, gobble up that street (Enke Dr) and take a chunk out of the Kindall / Sancet field. That's basically just a practice field for the football team, who is (maybe?) getting their own indoor facility now and could probably hand off some of that land in return. Then you'd have a pavilion on the south end matching the Lynch pavilion on the north, hosting a party deck that integrates into the arena. Maybe even turn the rest of Kindall/Sancet into an area for basketball dorms to compete with UK and KU's new basketball dorms.

Just some "how I want to spend millions of dollars on Arizona basketball" thoughts.

I like where your head is at. Live sporting events are increasingly a shrinking market. Enhancing the fan experience and making it appeal to the point people are willing to skip off the couch and to McKale is a big deal. Being proactive in that regard matters.

Larry Scott is doing his part by ensuring no one can watch the Pac 12 network from home, but we can't count on that holding out forever.

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:12 pm

The best part about McKale for the longest time was that it felt like a college atmosphere, not an NBA game. I hate all the pyrotechnics, canned music and pre-produced videos, etc... Give me a raucous student section and an enthusiastic pep band. That is all. The best college basketball atmospheres are nothing like an NBA game. Cameron, Fog Allen, McKale, etc...those are fun places to watch a game. It needs to be spontaneous. It's no fun having marketing gimmicks during every timeout. I know $$ is king and drives the bus, but the best places to watch the game have kept things old school. That's why the atmosphere during the NCAA tourney is poor, especially during the early rounds.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:21 pm

Unfortunately that's not how ticket sales work anymore. And will never be again. Gotta have all the bells and whistles to sell tickets, doesn't matter if it's college basketball, the NFL, or minor league hockey.

zonagrad · Post by **zonagrad** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:39 pm

ASUHATER! wrote:Unfortunately that's not how ticket sales work anymore. And will never be again. Gotta have all the bells and whistles to sell tickets, doesn't matter if it's college basketball, the NFL, or minor league hockey.

I agree. But I won't attend professional events. I used to love going to a major league baseball game. The ambience and attraction was the the down time between innings and even pitches. Nowadays, it's not stop entertainment. Every batter has walkup music and a video intro. I suppose it's for the younger generation that has an attention span of 1.2 seconds. But I hate it. I haven't been to Wrigley Field in six or seven years. But that was one of the last bastions of a real major league experience. Organ music. No video. Usually day baseball. The buzz and hum of the crowd, the atmosphere of a century old stadium in the middle of a busy city made it a great experience. Now they're turning it into every other major league park.

I took in a game at the Tropicana Dome (or whatever the hell they call it in St. Petersburg). I felt like I was at the food court in the mall. It was awful. They even had a rock climbing exhibition area where you pay a few bucks and repel down a climbing wall. How stupid is that? If I wanted to go rock climbing, I'd go rock climbing. It's a friggin' baseball stadium!

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:43 am

zonagrad wrote:The best part about McKale for the longest time was that it felt like a college atmosphere, not an NBA game. I hate all the pyrotechnics, canned music and pre-produced videos, etc... Give me a raucous student section and an enthusiastic pep band. That is all. The best college basketball atmospheres are nothing like an NBA game. Cameron, Fog Allen, McKale, etc...those are fun places to watch a game. It needs to be spontaneous. It's no fun having marketing gimmicks during every timeout. I know $$ is king and drives the bus, but the best places to watch the game have kept things old school. That's why the atmosphere during the NCAA tourney is poor, especially during the early rounds.

I understand this perspective, but it's not most fans. I would be fine with just basketball, but I think we lose sense of the fact that most fans aren't that hardcore.

Personal example: during the heat of the Rawle/Trier potentially declaring situation, I was talking to a season ticket holder. When I casually dropped that at least we probably had Brian Bowen as a backup plan, the response was "who's Brian Bowen?" It was a nice reminder that most fans just aren't as obsessive, focused and informed as the composition here.

For most fans, I think the extra stuff matters more for than for the people who aren't big time fans. Hell, there are even people who aren't emotionally crippled when we lose in the NCAA tourney, as hard as that is to imagine.

As much as I get your perspective, keeping a broad appeal is key to a growing brand, and I think that is key to Arizona keeping a strong program.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:19 am

I think it's worth noting: we already sell out every game.

I'm not proposing an outdoor watch-party venue in order to sell more tickets. That's impossible (unless we build more seats). I'm advocating it to get people from watching at home or in small groups to watching in big groups with a taste of the pomp and circumstance that you get from watching inside of McKale. Like Spiff said - get them off their couches, and hopefully help them become better fans.

Here's an example: my wife graduated from Arizona and never attended a game at McKale. I'm not sure she knew it was called McKale. I know - it's hard for me to admit (and no, we didn't know each other at the time).

But you know what she did show up for? Tailgating for football games on Saturday and then yeah sure she'd head inside for a half (or maybe more). Remember - she wasn't a college sports fan. Why did she participate?

That outdoor, group fan experience with beer and a low barrier to entry helps people root for the team together and drives people to the football game. It's a foothold for better fandom to take hold.

Instead of 2,300 direhard students lucky enough to head into the stadium - it's an open invitation for any and all to enjoy themselves and the team. Instead of getting discouraged that you couldn't get tickets and watching from inside a bar or inside your house - you're out on the lawn, arm in arm with your fellow Wildcat.

We've got a million people in Tucson and less than 15,000 seats for the game. Opening it up to families who can't afford to take their kids inside for every game and students who slept through the alarm for tickets but will follow the trail of co-eds and beer... creating a massive atmosphere surrounding the game that is unique (and TV WORTHY!)...

I think it's a unique environment for recruiting, it could drive a little revenue, and most importantly it could help foster a love for the sport and the team among people who might otherwise never make it inside McKale. Like my wife.

------------------------

Inside McKale - I don't need a DJ (like USC has) or a gal on a unicycle juggling plates. We've already got a great atmosphere inside McKale. My only hopeful improvement would be luxury boxes that could hopefully free up some rows for the Zona Zoo on a sideline. Maybe a standing room beer garden / watch deck (like the Jack Daniels Club at the Honda Center in Anaheim).

BTW this isn't some out of left field idea. More than forty teams will have alcohol sales at sporting events this coming season. Colorado (football and basketball) and Oregon State (football) and USC (football) included.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:14 am

YoDeFoe wrote:Something on the lawn would be a cheap start. That intramural football field on the SW corner of University and Campbell next to the Lynch stairs would work as a single designated area. Throw up some sun shades, roll out some bar carts and big screens, have a PA system and a DJ for commercials. It'd be the coolest place to watch the game outside the game itself (heck some people might prefer it)

If they cant put a glass bottom pool above the court then I would be all for this. Some sort of party area outside the stadium and a heated wading pool would make it even better. $5-10 to get in with a cash bar/grill and TVs everywhere. Put a haklf court 10' hoop up next to it. Several hundred people would be begging to get in. I wonder if they could partner with local bar's to run it every game

These ideas need to be emailed into the AD

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:17 am

YoDeFoe, not quoting only bc your post is long. I'm 100% on board with your thinking. Live sporting events are a shrinking market, and being proactive about drawing interest matters. Hooking in more casual fans with a fun experience matters. Also, it's nice if families bring kids. That's your next generation of Wildcat fans getting hooked early.

Expanding gameday to an event beyond the arena and gametime is a great idea. You see the hype around tailgating for football. Plenty of people tailgate without the game. Creating a full experience matters so much today. Entertainment options only get more varied and easier to get to.

You saw a little bit of that with the NBA playoffs. The Raptors and Cavs both had outdoor watch party areas for tailgating. Heck, you can even make an offsite event for a watch party if you have the interest.

prh · Post by **prh** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:27 am

I want to expand on something YDF mentioned but didn't dive into: they are almost guaranteed of an initial "customer base" of ZonaZoo kids who failed to get game tickets. (not sure what to call it, but you know they're gonna want definite attendees before trying it.) Those tickets go so fast, there's plenty of kids who miss out. Make it fun, and you'll expand to the group of kids who likes to go to football games for the group party aspect but don't often go to basketball. I don't know the breakdown of basketball/no-basketball ZZ packages (what used to be red/blue), but you can bring in all of those kids too.

If you make it something that kids can come and go from, it makes it so enticing for kids to come, get some food/drinks, whatever there is, and it can be hugely appealing. Maybe have a bunch of TVs so you can still watch other games across the country (for Saturday games), and it's like a super charged sports bar with low cost and no friction for students. I've been to places that have tents or similar, with beer and TVs tuned to other games. It's usually a pregame thing but it can be adapted for our purposes.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:57 am

prh wrote:I want to expand on something YDF mentioned but didn't dive into: they are almost guaranteed of an initial "customer base" of ZonaZoo kids who failed to get game tickets. (not sure what to call it, but you know they're gonna want definite attendees before trying it.) Those tickets go so fast, there's plenty of kids who miss out. Make it fun, and you'll expand to the group of kids who likes to go to football games for the group party aspect but don't often go to basketball. I don't know the breakdown of basketball/no-basketball ZZ packages (what used to be red/blue), but you can bring in all of those kids too.

If you make it something that kids can come and go from, it makes it so enticing for kids to come, get some food/drinks, whatever there is, and it can be hugely appealing. Maybe have a bunch of TVs so you can still watch other games across the country (for Saturday games), and it's like a super charged sports bar with low cost and no friction for students. I've been to places that have tents or similar, with beer and TVs tuned to other games. It's usually a pregame thing but it can be adapted for our purposes.

It crossed my mind that Tucson is trying to promote use of the streetcar to downtown. It would make some sense to create a watch party are downtown and try to get the city to promote it. It helps both the U of A and city draw people downtown on Thurs, Fri, Saturday.

It would be available for road and tourney games too if you had a dedicated space planned for that event.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:10 pm

zonagrad wrote:The best part about McKale for the longest time was that it felt like a college atmosphere, not an NBA game. I hate all the pyrotechnics, canned music and pre-produced videos, etc... Give me a raucous student section and an enthusiastic pep band. That is all. The best college basketball atmospheres are nothing like an NBA game. Cameron, Fog Allen, McKale, etc...those are fun places to watch a game. It needs to be spontaneous. It's no fun having marketing gimmicks during every timeout. I know $$ is king and drives the bus, but the best places to watch the game have kept things old school. That's why the atmosphere during the NCAA tourney is poor, especially during the early rounds.

I get the college atmosphere charm, but I enjoy the "professional/NBA-like" atmosphere that McKale provides. There is enough there to know you are at a college basketball game (rowdy fans, the band still plays quite a bit, etc), but the pregame intros and the music and all that other polish lets it be known that Arizona Basketball and McKale are the cream of the crop and no shortcuts will be made. Any time a friend or family member is in town, I take them to a game and they are always astounded. Someone I encountered in a professional capacity, a New York City attorney who is a HUGE college bball fan and had never been to McKale (but pretty much everywhere else), went to a game when he was in town. The next day he was telling me how amazing the atmosphere was. He had big expectations and a great respect for our program and was still blown away. I thought it was crazy McKale was even on his bucket list.

That atmosphere can also intimidate and overwhelm opponents, many of whom do not get to play in that atmosphere more than a few times per year at most. Most importantly, it's what recruits like to see and better prepares professional hopefuls (which we recruit in droves) for what they will be seeing in a few years anyhow. Quite honestly though, I have been attending games at McKale since the late 80s and while I cannot pinpoint the exact year, it has been a long while since McKale has felt like a college atmosphere to me. Any time you sellout and pack roughly 14,000 screaming fans into an arena, it goes beyond that. Especially when, for decades, the "elites" of Tucson have been sitting in the lower level. It feels like Lakers game-lite, especially when the Zona Zoo has been pushed behind the basket and not on the sidelines like many student sections.

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:14 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:YoDeFoe, not quoting only bc your post is long.

I swear I tried to tighten it up.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:You saw a little bit of that with the NBA playoffs. The Raptors and Cavs both had outdoor watch party areas for tailgating. Heck, you can even make an offsite event for a watch party if you have the interest.

Those are excellent examples. And we're the kind of market, like Toronto and Cleveland, where we have die-hard fans who would stand outside and watch the game on a big screen with a beer in our hands just to be a part of the experience. There's maybe a dozen home games during the school year - I think people would show up.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:19 pm

Florida 2012 was the last electric game

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:06 pm

rgdeuce wrote:
zonagrad wrote:The best part about McKale for the longest time was that it felt like a college atmosphere, not an NBA game. I hate all the pyrotechnics, canned music and pre-produced videos, etc... Give me a raucous student section and an enthusiastic pep band. That is all. The best college basketball atmospheres are nothing like an NBA game. Cameron, Fog Allen, McKale, etc...those are fun places to watch a game. It needs to be spontaneous. It's no fun having marketing gimmicks during every timeout. I know $$ is king and drives the bus, but the best places to watch the game have kept things old school. That's why the atmosphere during the NCAA tourney is poor, especially during the early rounds.
I get the college atmosphere charm, but I enjoy the "professional/NBA-like" atmosphere that McKale provides. There is enough there to know you are at a college basketball game (rowdy fans, the band still plays quite a bit, etc), but the pregame intros and the music and all that other polish lets it be known that Arizona Basketball and McKale are the cream of the crop and no shortcuts will be made. Any time a friend or family member is in town, I take them to a game and they are always astounded. Someone I encountered in a professional capacity, a New York City attorney who is a HUGE college bball fan and had never been to McKale (but pretty much everywhere else), went to a game when he was in town. The next day he was telling me how amazing the atmosphere was. He had big expectations and a great respect for our program and was still blown away. I thought it was crazy McKale was even on his bucket list.

That atmosphere can also intimidate and overwhelm opponents, many of whom do not get to play in that atmosphere more than a few times per year at most. Most importantly, it's what recruits like to see and better prepares professional hopefuls (which we recruit in droves) for what they will be seeing in a few years anyhow. Quite honestly though, I have been attending games at McKale since the late 80s and while I cannot pinpoint the exact year, it has been a long while since McKale has felt like a college atmosphere to me. Any time you sellout and pack roughly 14,000 screaming fans into an arena, it goes beyond that. Especially when, for decades, the "elites" of Tucson have been sitting in the lower level. It feels like Lakers game-lite, especially when the Zona Zoo has been pushed behind the basket and not on the sidelines like many student sections.

Arizona basketball is Tucson's pro team. I took my sister and her ex in the 15-16 season. Neither had been to an AZ game prior and were used to a midmajor atmosphere. Both were blown away and said it was like a pro atmosphere.

It is the big thing in town. If there's such a thing as Tucson elites, Arizona basketball is the status symbol.

Constantly working to enhance the fan experience is how you keep it that level. Even big time programs see slippage, and the broader the fan base, the better for Arizona. Fans drawn in by basketball will filter down to other sports that could use the fan base.

The first renovation was good and enhanced the fan experience. There's more that can be done, though. Yodefoe, I didn't mean to criticize your post. It was long but good. I like the watch party, etc for big games. I think you can get it for minimal cost if you partner with the city and the demand is there for games like UCLA last year. Yeah, maybe you aren't having a watch party for WSU on a Thursday home game in February, but the crowd is there for big games.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:55 pm

At this rate are phase 2 and 3 of these renovations ever gonna happen? Indoor facility, softball renovations, swimming renovations, and probably AZ stadium renovations seem to be the priority at the moment.

PHXCATS · Post by **PHXCATS** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:59 pm

ChooChooCat wrote:At this rate are phase 2 and 3 of these renovations ever gonna happen? Indoor facility, softball renovations, swimming renovations, and probably AZ stadium renovations seem to be the priority at the moment.

Eventually yes but all those items are of far more importance right now to Arizona as a whole

prh · Post by **prh** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 2:10 pm

So I live in SLC now and have gone to a few Jazz games, including a playoff game last year. The Jazz are one of the best in-arena experiences in the NBA, pretty "rabid" fanbase for someone besides the Warriors/Raptors. I've had so many people say about the great atmosphere, I've experienced it a few times, etc.

My UofA tenure was from 2007-2013. I'm not sure what the "best" game I went to was, possibly the UW D-Will block white-out (on Christmas break vs Florida sadly). But I went to most games and have a good feel for the atmosphere.

Home playoff game this year was probably the best atmosphere at a Jazz game I've seen, and yet it would probably rank around 50 or lower out the ~100 games I've been to at McKale. And yes, there is a huge difference in feel between McKale and a pro game. The band and the crowd really make a huge difference. We the production quality of a pro game with the feel of a college game.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 11:30 am

Fuck this turd.

prh · Post by **prh** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 11:34 am

Merkin wrote:Fuck this turd.

Local resident James Bly said in a letter to the board he was concerned that selling beer and wine would lead to more crime on campus and DUI cases.
...
Bly is a former administrative law judge with the Arizona Department of Transportation and said in his complaint that he had presided over thousands of driver license cases with the Motor Vehicle Division that involved DUIs.

He declined comment about his complaint when contacted by the Star.

asu fan maybe? I would have expected asu to file complaints, just like how a Tempe shuttle ruined the football shuttle service.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:52 am

What a twat. He deeded his house in his personal name too. I mistakenly bought some single ply TP and now I have a use for it

:mod edit:

let's not put up that person's personal information/picture here. thanks.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:58 am

Jefe wrote:What a twat. He deeded his house in his personal name too. I mistakenly bought some single ply TP and now I have a use for it

I find it amazing that everything in Pima County is online.

:mod edit:

let's not put up that person's personal information/picture here. thanks.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:34 am

Problem with alcohol on campus, yet he lives 150 yards from 10 bars

PieceOfMeat · Post by **PieceOfMeat** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:01 pm

I made some edits to a couple posts above.

Let's not be that community of people who posts someones personal information online simply because we have a disagreement with their view on a particular subject.

This includes the types of information posted by Jefe and Merkin. I don't care if it's already available online if people go looking for it. It's not cool to be posting his information here in a hateful way that is only going to encourage morons out there (and there's far too many of them) to go and do something to the guy for having an opinion and voicing it.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:14 pm

PieceOfMeat wrote:I made some edits to a couple posts above.

Let's not be that community of people who posts someones personal information online simply because we have a disagreement with their view on a particular subject.

This includes the types of information posted by Jefe and Merkin. I don't care if it's already available online if people go looking for it. It's not cool to be posting his information here in a hateful way that is only going to encourage morons out there (and there's far too many of them) to go and do something to the guy for having an opinion and voicing it.

Lord knows, I don't want anyone digging into my personal info. I want a mysterious alter ego, like a really crappy message board version of Batman.

Chicat · Post by **Chicat** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:15 pm

Agreed POM. Our community shouldn't be the source of that kind of info.

As for Johnny No-Fun, uh . . . . more violence? Are the blue hairs suddenly getting all hopped up on Cialis and doing wheelchair jousting? FOH

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Tue Jan 09, 2018 1:20 pm

Chicat wrote:Agreed POM. Our community shouldn't be the source of that kind of info.

As for Johnny No-Fun, uh . . . . more violence? Are the blue hairs suddenly getting all hopped up on Cialis and doing wheelchair jousting? FOH

Alcohol won't increase fan involved fights at McKale unless Bobby Hurley starts hitting the bottle.

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