Pregame: The Assembly Hall Renovation Project

[OnBintheLou]

The glass enclosed concourse will protect people from the sheets of ice sliding off the dome...exiting games on those dates was truly like cattle.

[Dan]

Assembly Hall overhaul will take home experience into consideration

The biggest in-person draws are a winning team and the energy it creates.

"That's 1-A," Thomas said. "The 1-B is all the things we talk about with the remodeled Assembly Hall. You talk about a fan-friendly, customer-friendly facility."

A project estimated in the range of $160 million would update the 50-year-old Assembly Hall. Engineers have made three visits to campus, and AECom Inc. is already producing schematic drawings that will likely be delivered later this summer.

Supinie

[U of I 89-05-10]

Originally Posted by idoc13

I take it back. If they don't put students behind the benches, I don't like it. Looks like total garbage on tv when none of the old folks show up.

Could not agree with you more! Do people really think that Michigan sells out even half of its home Big Ten games?! Because they don't. However, the camera points right at the student section, so it looks like a frenzied atmosphere all game long from TV! Assembly Hall can be nearly packed right up to the last row, but if the TV cameras are pointing at the few losers from A section who didn't feel compelled to get their lazy as*es to the Assembly Hall, then we still look bad on TV.

[IlliniTilDeath]

Originally Posted by U of I 89-05-10

Could not agree with you more! Do people really think that Michigan sells out even half of its home Big Ten games?! Because they don't. However, the camera points right at the student section, so it looks like a frenzied atmosphere all game long from TV! Assembly Hall can be nearly packed right up to the last row, but if the TV cameras are pointing at the few losers from A section who didn't feel compelled to get their lazy as*es to the Assembly Hall, then we still look bad on TV.

Michigan doesn't sell out? How exactly do you think they lead or near lead in football attendance year in and out. Average attendance of 114k+ isn't achieved from not being near sell out every game. Pure ignorance on your part. I've been to loads of games in the big house and everything you said is completely wrong.

[saleen970]

Originally Posted by IlliniTilDeath

Michigan doesn't sell out? How exactly do you think they lead or near lead in football attendance year in and out. Average attendance of 114k+ isn't achieved from not being near sell out every game. Pure ignorance on your part. I've been to loads of games in the big house and everything you said is completely wrong.

This is the basketball forum

[jhayton]

Originally Posted by saleen970

This is the basketball forum

True story.

scUM doesn't sell out their home games for Basketball not Football.

[Thacher_H_Guild]

Originally Posted by U of I 89-05-10

Could not agree with you more! Do people really think that Michigan sells out even half of its home Big Ten games?! Because they don't. However, the camera points right at the student section, so it looks like a frenzied atmosphere all game long from TV! Assembly Hall can be nearly packed right up to the last row, but if the TV cameras are pointing at the few losers from A section who didn't feel compelled to get their lazy as*es to the Assembly Hall, then we still look bad on TV.

In the past couple years, Krush has been loyal and loud, but the number of empty seats in the other student sections has been really large. I don't actually have data, but I would be willing to bet that if you exclude Krush, the percentage of empty seats in the student section has been double that for the rest of the AH. Adding more students near the court is only going to help if the team is good enough that more students show up. By all means, let's ring the court with the Krush Krazies, but there aren't enough of them to carry it all on their own.

And if the team is good enough that all the student seats are filled, it will also be good enough that there are few no-shows elsewhere in the AH. Even a "loser" who doesn't want to go to the game will be able to find a home for the tickets if the team returns to near the top of the B1G every year. (For the record, there have been games where I couldn't go in the past couple years where I couldn't find anybody to take my tickets. For free. That's how soft demand has become.)

[256ILLINI]

Thomas is such a boss

[U of I 89-05-10]

Originally Posted by IlliniTilDeath

Michigan doesn't sell out? How exactly do you think they lead or near lead in football attendance year in and out. Average attendance of 114k+ isn't achieved from not being near sell out every game. Pure ignorance on your part. I've been to loads of games in the big house and everything you said is completely wrong.

WTF are YOU talking about?! Haha, you've wondered onto a discussion of the Assembly Hall, our basketball arena.

[Dan]

The DIA mailed out the following Assembly Hall Renovation Survey to I-Fund members, due back August 17th.

"One of our first steps is to evaluate the level of interest in these luxury opportunites" -Mike Thomas in the survey's introduction.


Highlights-

10-14 Hospitality Suites, each will seat about a dozen fans, located at the top of A Section. Approx $60,000 per year; 5, 7 or 10 year contract.

1,000-1,400 Club Seats, club area located at the top of A Section. "We have not determined a pricing structure, however the price of Club seats at other B1G schools has ranged $2,500-$4,000 per seat annually." 3, 5 or 7 year contract.

Loge Boxes (4 seats), survey didn't say how many boxes would be available, located at the top of A Section. "We have not determined a pricing structure, however the price of a Loge Box (4 seats) at other B1G schools has ranged from $12,000-$16,000 per box annually." 3, 5 or 7 year contract.


Click on a page to enlarge-


Intro


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[TheChiefRises]

This better not make A-Section any quieter. I want cheering, and when I say cheering, I mean LOUD cheering. Students can't do it all.

[CaptainHindsight]

Originally Posted by TheChiefRises

This better not make A-Section any quieter. I want cheering, and when I say cheering, I mean LOUD cheering. Students can't do it all.

its going to put all the well-to-do in suites so they can clap at their TV monitors while enjoying cucumber sandwiches and tea. :laugh:

BUT I think the renovation is going to add more student seating near the floor if i'm not mistaken? so hopefully it will be louder.

[256ILLINI]

Somebody should create a website that serves as a ticket exchange forum so that no ticket goes to waste. There are so many people that don't attend games, I wish they'd leave their tickets at will call for the first student that claims them.

[TheChiefRises]

Originally Posted by CaptainHindsight

its going to put all the well-to-do in suites so they can clap at their TV monitors while enjoying cucumber sandwiches and tea. :laugh:

BUT I think the renovation is going to add more student seating near the floor if i'm not mistaken? so hopefully it will be louder.

Good point. And I laughed hard at that first part hahaha

[jackman404]

Originally Posted by 256ILLINI

Somebody should create a website that serves as a ticket exchange forum so that no ticket goes to waste. There are so many people that don't attend games, I wish they'd leave their tickets at will call for the first student that claims them.

If I recall correctly there were only 2 sellouts last season? Tickets not being available is not the problem.

[illinicb]

Originally Posted by jackman404

If I recall correctly there were only 2 sellouts last season? Tickets not being available is not the problem.

I suspect the he was referring to A section seats, not seats in general.

BTW, if those A section seats are owned by people out of town, they aren't going to be leaving them at will call. OTOH, there must be some way that sports deal with not being dependent on a thin piece of cardboard being transported overnight.

Pardon my stereotyping, but there may be a reluctance by "some" to not have a crazy student taking a seat in A surrounded by the quiet blue hairs.

Anybody I didn't offend?

[bleedsorangenblue]

I am kind of surprised they are at this stage in the planning. Thought these kinds of details would have already been worked out. Aren't we supposed to have a final plan this Summer?

[256ILLINI]

Originally Posted by jackman404

If I recall correctly there were only 2 sellouts last season? Tickets not being available is not the problem.

I should have been more clear. The website wouldn't be as much of a ticket exchange forum as it would be a ticket giveaway forum. Somebody could create an app where all they have to do is click "attending" or "not attending" before every game so that the ticket-holder could give their tickets away to a student for free so that their seats wouldn't be empty.

This is all just a crazy idea though, I doubt anybody cares enough about something like this to do it

[rsbc vet]

Originally Posted by Dan

The DIA mailed out the following Assembly Hall Renovation Survey to I-Fund members, due back August 17th.

"One of our first steps is to evaluate the level of interest in these luxury opportunites" -Mike Thomas in the survey's introduction.


Highlights-

10-14 Hospitality Suites, each will seat about a dozen fans, located at the top of A Section. Approx $60,000 per year; 5, 7 or 10 year contract.

1,000-1,400 Club Seats, club area located at the top of A Section. "We have not determined a pricing structure, however the price of Club seats at other B1G schools has ranged $2,500-$4,000 per seat annually." 3, 5 or 7 year contract.

Loge Boxes (4 seats), survey didn't say how many boxes would be available, located at the top of A Section. "We have not determined a pricing structure, however the price of a Loge Box (4 seats) at other B1G schools has ranged from $12,000-$16,000 per box annually." 3, 5 or 7 year contract.

I'm somewhat intrigued by this survey, because from its design, I can't really tell what it's purpose is. It doesn't seem to be designed as a pricing survey, because the questions don't ask about different pricing points for each of the products (unless different versions of the survey went to other recipients). It almost sounds like they're still working on the design details, how many suites, how many loge boxes, how big to make the club area, etc.

It's frightening to me that something that has been in the works as long as this is still at the stage where they don't really know what they want it to be. Not to mention my primary beef, which is that they're tossing all this money down this 50-year old rat hole with out addressing (IMO) the biggest flaw in the AH design: C-Section.

[DrewD007]

The purpose is getting money up front.

[rsbc vet]

Originally Posted by DrewD007

The purpose is getting money up front.

Well that's pretty strange, since nowhere does it ask people to send in money, it only asks if they want to be sent a form for which they can send in money. And that doesn't require a "survey".

[katu06]

Originally Posted by rsbc vet

I'm somewhat intrigued by this survey, because from its design, I can't really tell what it's purpose is. It doesn't seem to be designed as a pricing survey, because the questions don't ask about different pricing points for each of the products (unless different versions of the survey went to other recipients). It almost sounds like they're still working on the design details, how many suites, how many loge boxes, how big to make the club area, etc.

I think that is exactly what they are doing.

Originally Posted by rsbc vet

It's frightening to me that something that has been in the works as long as this is still at the stage where they don't really know what they want it to be. Not to mention my primary beef, which is that they're tossing all this money down this 50-year old rat hole with out addressing (IMO) the biggest flaw in the AH design: C-Section.

I didn't realize we were that far along. I'm pretty sure they just selected the design company a few months ago.

To me, it is very simple: you can't give the people what they want if you don't know what they want. If it comes back that a lot of people want Hospitality Suites... you can bet there will be a bunch of them built.

[DrewD007]

Originally Posted by rsbc vet

Well that's pretty strange, since nowhere does it ask people to send in money, it only asks if they want to be sent a form for which they can send in money. And that doesn't require a "survey".

It's implied. "Since we think demand will exceed supply" Would you pay money upfront to guarantee a suite, club seat, etc?

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by bleedsorangenblue

I am kind of surprised they are at this stage in the planning. Thought these kinds of details would have already been worked out. Aren't we supposed to have a final plan this Summer?

Supposed to have blue prints available at the end of the summer, I imagine you'd need those done to be able to sell this premium seating.

[DanvIllini]

Originally Posted by DrewD007

It's implied. "Since we think demand will exceed supply" Would you pay money upfront to guarantee a suite, club seat, etc?

The last two years they have been really pushing for higher donations. Its now become an auction where you have to pay even if you dont get the item (in this case a suite)...