Reply With QuoteI should note that if I were Athletic Director, the first thing on my list would be to secure the U.S. Cellular Arena under university ownership through action of state legislature.
Sources have confirmed to PantherU that the Horizon League is unlikely to renew the facility waiver for the Milwaukee Panthers to play men's basketball in the Klotsche Center following this year.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, one source told PantherU that the conference granted the waiver on the condition that plans move forward to secure a new on-campus arena for men's basketball. With recent comments made by athletic director that the new arena has been moved to the back-burner, the Horizon League brass' stance has changed and they would prefer one of their flagship programs to be playing in a better facility than the Klotsche Center, which is "an adequate D-III arena but does not fit Division I by any stretch of the imagination."
The Horizon League has a bylaw in place that does not allow any conference member to play in a facility under 5,000. The bylaw was put in place after Milwaukee left the Klotsche Center for the U.S. Cellular Arena in 2003. Milwaukee's move back to the Klotsche Center was billed as a cost-cutting measure that would help the program as it prepared to build a brand new facility or renovate the Klotsche Center into an adequate home for its program.
The Panthers were granted the waiver in June, shortly after Geiger's arrival on campus. Geiger himself reported to the university that he would be stepping down from the athletic director's chair earlier than the planned summer 2013 end date, so he could focus on fundraising and assisting the new athletic director search and hire as well as supporting the new AD.
Milwaukee reportedly lost between 800 and 1,000 season-ticket holders this season, although how many of those lost due to the move to Klotsche Center may never be known. Heading into the 2011-12 season, Milwaukee had home games with Butler and Wisconsin on the schedule, as well as the fact that the team was coming off a Horizon League Championship.
I should note that if I were Athletic Director, the first thing on my list would be to secure the U.S. Cellular Arena under university ownership through action of state legislature.
Sorry Jimmy....I didn't scroll down far enough. I totally agree. So far, the move back to the KC has done nothing to really increase student attendance. I"m tired of listening to the few season ticket holders we have left bitch about the KC. I understand the reasons for the move, and I'm trying to make the best of it....but so far....it just sucks. I hate the Coming Home intro......it just adds more pain to the frickin' move.
It was an obvious choice, although we should be clear that the Cell - where we spent the past 9 season, 6 in the 90's, most of the 70s - is just as much of a "home" as the Klotsche Center.
It wasn't that long ago that I was the champion of an on-campus arena. That likely will not happen, but even so I've seen what the move has done to us - a lot of it can be attributed to the lack of BU/UW and the season we're coming off of, but the truth is I think we lost a significant number due to the move.
A lot of the problem for students was that they didn't like waiting for the bus in the cold after games. If we took ownership of the Cell, we'd be able to do something better than just throw them out. Maybe a post-game party with food, etc. while they wait.
I wonder what the rent will be in 2013-14 season back at the Cell.
With a small amount of luck, perhaps we will be making money off the Cell in 2013-2014.
Bud Haidet in a December 13, 1996 JS article on moving back to the Klotsche: "Klotsche was built for participation and physical education. Not for athletics." Also added regarding the Cell: "Plus, there's a recruiting angle. That's still a pretty impressive facility to show a recruit." Still true in 2012..
I honestly think they should find out a way to convince the state that transferring ownership of the building to the university would be more beneficial. The way it is now it is just taking money from one state institution and transferring it to another. If we were the owners we could rent the space out. Or maybe we can become partial owners and the WCD could still be in charge of renting it out to others. I don't understand how a state institution renting fron another state instituiton makes any sense. There has to be a way to fix the rental issue.
School of Architecture - Class of 2016
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Mayor and I are working on that as we speak. State congress doesn't reconvene until January, so we're organizing ourselves and getting ready.
What happened to the revenue from the student fees? If nothing about the WCD has changed, I'd rather revamp the K a la Gentile then go back. Disney. On. Ice.
@KyRawling
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