UAlbany home games at the TU Center?

[MRSGDG]

Interesting... wonder if it might happen if we get a big team to play us home this season...

 

New deal could have UAlbany going downtown

http://blog.timesunion.com/collegesports/n...-downtown/4160/

[bob87]

Interesting... wonder if it might happen if we get a big team to play us home this season...

 

New deal could have UAlbany going downtown

http://blog.timesunion.com/collegesports/n...-downtown/4160/

 

 

I would settle for playing a little team at home there on December 5th. Sell the better seats to UAlbany fans, cover the $iena logos and go from there.

[Clickclack]

Couple of things that came to mind reading the blog entry....granted, these are completely off the cuff and perhaps not even possible.

 

- Any chance that this is UA trying to get their foot in the door and at some point host Siena at the TUC?

- Any chance that if we were to somehow get to the conference finals, we could hold our game at the TUC on ESPN? The one championship game we had at the CUE was packed......could have probably sold a couple more thousand tickets.

 

Just throwing it out there

[UAalum72]

CB's comment on the radio: "Oh, that's kind, isn't it?". He also said he'd rather play all our home games at SEFCU, but I'd wait until they get a chance to actually host a big name.

 

He also said there are a couple of contracts to be returned, but the schedule should be done within two weeks.

[Dane96]

Couple of things that came to mind reading the blog entry....granted, these are completely off the cuff and perhaps not even possible.

 

- Any chance that this is UA trying to get their foot in the door and at some point host Siena at the TUC?

- Any chance that if we were to somehow get to the conference finals, we could hold our game at the TUC on ESPN? The one championship game we had at the CUE was packed......could have probably sold a couple more thousand tickets.

 

Just throwing it out there

 

I dont care WHAT the Siena fans will tell you. I sat there with Bob Belber, Glenn Mazula and a host of others when Siena signing a deal was first talked about. UALBANY's move to DI came up and Bob said he would never ever lock himself out of UA...that is was financial and political suicide for him to do so. Everyone recognized that no matter how long it would take...the financial and general size of UA would make it a very important player locally.

 

Now...he did not say he would boot Siena over Albany...but he realized the importance of both...and the exponential growth potential of one.

 

Personally, I would rather expand the RACC then play permanently at the TU. I wouldnt mind one game against a big-name team down there, however. And yes, I do think this is a way for us to get Siena in the TUC with us getting the proceeds.

[Clickclack]

This provision as currently written into the Siena contract to allow UA to play at the TUC, hanging of banners and signs etc. to cover the Siena stuff was requested by the TUC and NOT UA. At this point we apparently have no designs to play down there.....D96, it appears you are correct!

[Dane96]

Gracias-- I tend to try NOT to speak out of my ass. Certain fans of Siena on the other hand....

 

I will add this: Siena doesnt make HUGE dollars on the game vs. UA. Their deal with the TU, as negotiated, SUCKS! They outlay alot of the costs. Now, maybe that has changed (I sure hope so for their sakes) with the extension.

[bob87]

Gracias-- I tend to try NOT to speak out of my ass. Certain fans of Siena on the other hand....

 

I will add this: Siena doesnt make HUGE dollars on the game vs. UA. Their deal with the TU, as negotiated, SUCKS! They outlay alot of the costs. Now, maybe that has changed (I sure hope so for their sakes) with the extension.

 

Dane96

You know I am very skeptical on that point. I mean how can you not make more money in a 2 year cycle on 2 games when you draw 10K+ each game than on a 2 year series that you draw maybe 6K one year and play on the road the other season.

But, if anyone has the financial ineptness to make that happen, it is Siena.

[Zalman B]

Without knowing the terms of the contract or the expected revenue generation, I shouldn't really comment on whether games at the Knick would be good financially for UAlbany, so I won't.

 

That said, I'd be lying if I said I really like the idea of playing game(s) at the Knick, as a college basketball fan.

 

Maybe it would make sense now for a really big name, where it would be reasonable to assume the place would fill up. And maybe in 20 years it would make sense to play more than the isolated game there, if we continue to grow as a program and fan base and can bring 10k+ plus to every game.

 

Until that point though, I'm wary of playing game(s) down there, because it is simply not a good basketball venue when filled with only 5,000 to 7,000 people. A sell-out in the RACC creates an crowd advantage because of it's size. That same crowd in the Knick and the place feels empty. You lose a lot of the atmosphere of college basketball.