UWM men's basketball moving back to Klotsche Center

[milkbone]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/160435095.html#!page=1&pageSize=10&sort=newestfirst

[Gato78]

So they continue to keep pace with Marquette. You can see how many consider UWM to be MU's rival and "Milwaukee's Team".

[TheSultan]

They want to eventually build an arena on campus. This is a logical step toward that.

[Gato78]

They want to eventually build an arena on campus. This is a logical step toward that.

Except it is a downgrade of their program and will probably negatively impact recruiting and it will isolate UWM to the east side which will be less likely to attract the average fan. Other than that, it is the next step toward an on-campus facility. A marvelous blunder by UWM admins in my estimation.

[Goose85]

Instead of putting money into the Arena, put the money saved by playing at the Klotche into the new on campus facility.

I wonder if this means the on campus facility is getting closer to becoming a reality.

[TheSultan]

Exactly Goose. They are able to save the resources. And I really doubt that playing in front of a half full US Cellular, with no atmosphere, really helped recruiting. A full, electric on-campus arena, with plans to build a new one, will create a better basketball atmosphere.

[unclejohn]

What UWM has drawn the last few years is about the capacity of the Klotzke Center. They had a few big games, but not many. It is their apparent intention to play games against the likes of Marquette and UW on campus. We will see how that goes. But as for most of their games, it is hardly going to cost them much in the way of fans. They might be in the unusual situation of having to turn people away at the door for some games. I doubt it does much to hurt their claim to being Milwaukee's team, since it does not seem that Milwaukee was buying that anyway. Still, it does make them look like small time. If there is not a plan for an on-campus arena soon, it does look like a step back.

[TheSultan]

I doubt Marquette ever plays at UWM.

[2012Warrior]

Just curious why you would say that Sultan. I feel Buzz has been interested in giving the UW schools a pretty fair deal, maybe even a little too generous. I wouldn't be surprised to see us play them there. Although, if they could make more money in a buy game situation than they would hosting, I could see that. So that may be your point.

[TheSultan]

Yeah, that is my point - it would be much more lucrative to play this at the BC. The UWM series has already been shelved for this year so I don't know how interested Buzz is in playing UW schools versus some other school anyway.

[Goose85]

Milwaukee should offer MU a 5 or 6 year buy game deal, which should help pay for the new facility. In return, ask that in the first year the new facility is open, MU agrees to play Milwaukee in Milwaukee's new facility.