New arena for Ohio State?

[MGoBlueHockey]

Besides when they played Michigan how many OSU home games have you attended over the past 4 seasons? And who were the opponents?

Sean

In case you missed it, you can actually see the crowd on TV during games. Them having entire endzones tarped for games isn't because there's a problem with the seats.

[klbaum1077]

Unless it's against Michigan, I've never seen them pull in a big crowd for hockey.

Notre dame has drawn over 10000

[osualum86]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Notre dame has drawn over 10000

I have been to games vs Miami and BG that have drawn 8,000+. The two home games vs Minnesota this season drew 5,000+ for the Friday night game and 6,000+ Saturday. The one home game vs Wisconsin drew more than 5,000+ (the other "home" game was played at MSG). Looking at some more of the numbers, the Michigan State Senior Night game drew 5,000+. Based on the attendance numbers, it would be short-sighted to build an arena that only holds 4,000. I agree that we want sellouts and a better atmosphere, but I think that can be accomplished while still having the foresight to do this right and allow for the bigger crowds against rivals.

[alfablue]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

I am in total agreement with those who believe a new arena for OSU should seat 6,000 minimum. Don't short-change our hockey program with an undersized facility. We averaged more than 5,000 this season, so I am not sure why the university is proposing building a new arena that holds less than that and would be the smallest arena in the league.

+1. Not so big that it looks empty and not so small to let the fans grow with the team.

For those Michigan fans who think Yost has always been as crowded as it is- you haven't been a fan long enough. When I was a student back in 1990, I had tickets just on the inside of the blue line- and it was the edge of the student section. When MSU was in town, we had MSU fans next to us.

Hockey has always been a tough sport to support in Ohio, but its gotten a lot better recently. But I will brag one more time that Woody Hayes sat very near our family when we went to a game in the old arena in the 70's.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Of all the Bi6(7) conference teams, how many can say hockey is their #1 sport on campus? Minnesota and.....? Nobody. That's why you would build a 4k seat arena...they're being realistic. No one in the conference outside MN really cares about hockey. The schools spend their money on football and basketball. I think it is pretty much common knowledge at this point that the formation of the conference was just a way to bring more revenue to the BigTen and help fill their network's weekday overnight time slots.
Ryan J

Hockey isn't MN's number 1 sport, according the administration. Football still wins, and b-ball might be second if it's any good that year. Hockey merely has the tradition and a strong base of fans, but that's not worth enough money to the school or the B1G.

What metric is being used to define the #1 sport on campus?

Sean

[Buckeye22]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

I have been to games vs Miami and BG that have drawn 8,000+. The two home games vs Minnesota this season drew 5,000+ for the Friday night game and 6,000+ Saturday. The one home game vs Wisconsin drew more than 5,000+ (the other "home" game was played at MSG). Looking at some more of the numbers, the Michigan State Senior Night game drew 5,000+. Based on the attendance numbers, it would be short-sighted to build an arena that only holds 4,000. I agree that we want sellouts and a better atmosphere, but I think that can be accomplished while still having the foresight to do this right and allow for the bigger crowds against rivals.

Keep in mind, the Schott will still exist and will presumably still be able to host hockey as necessary. It would certainly be an odd arrangement, having two how arenas, but it would work.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Keep in mind, the Schott will still exist and will presumably still be able to host hockey as necessary. It would certainly be an odd arrangement, having two how arenas, but it would work.

For the 2016-17 season OSU reported attendance below 4,000 for only 3 of 16 home games, so do you schedule 80% of your home games at the Schott, despite most likely practicing at the new hockey arena? That would be a bit of a logistical headache, unless the new arena was next to and connected to the Schott. Or do you schedule most of your home games at the new arena and shutout a a portion of fanbase and possible stunt the growing interest in the team? On the other hand, only 3 of 16 home games in 16-17 had reported attendance above 6,000, which would allow most games to be scheduled at a new arena seating 6,000 without shutting out fans.

Sean

[pgb-ohio]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Another way to look at it is that all 9 of B1G Home games drew over 4,000 -- even allowing for some padding of the attendance numbers. For that reason (among others) I believe 6,000 would be a more appropriate capacity.

That said, I would certainly support the 4,000 seat arena under a number of different circumstances. To name a few:

• If the Powers-That-Be have decided that it's a dichotomous choice between the status quo and a new 4,000 seat rink, I'll take the new rink.
• If the 4,000 seat rink could be built in the short run, but a larger capacity building would push the project out to the distant future, I'll take the smaller rink now. Bird in the hand.
• If the 4,000 seat facility could be designed for easy expansion to a 6,000 seat facility later, the lower initial capacity is much more palatable. For example, the initial seating area could be laid out in a horseshoe, with a lobby area at the open end. From there, extra seats could be added without fundamental structural changes to the building. Or, leave space for a future balcony.
• The new facility should have two ice sheets, but the "practice rink" could have very limited seating. If we can have the practice rink, but the price is a seating cap of 4,000 in the "competition rink," that's a trade I'd be willing to make. Think Goggin @ Miami.

At the other end of the spectrum, I'd actually be opposed to anything above 8,000. Above that number, and you're right back to the problem of poor atmosphere for way too many games.

[pdt1081]

I have been to games vs Miami and BG that have drawn 8,000+. The two home games vs Minnesota this season drew 5,000+ for the Friday night game and 6,000+ Saturday. The one home game vs Wisconsin drew more than 5,000+ (the other "home" game was played at MSG). Looking at some more of the numbers, the Michigan State Senior Night game drew 5,000+. Based on the attendance numbers, it would be short-sighted to build an arena that only holds 4,000. I agree that we want sellouts and a better atmosphere, but I think that can be accomplished while still having the foresight to do this right and allow for the bigger crowds against rivals.

Are those numbers tickets sold, or actual butts in seats? They 4,000 number could be based on what the school actually sees cone through the gates.

[osualum86]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Are those numbers tickets sold, or actual butts in seats? They 4,000 number could be based on what the school actually sees cone through the gates.

Based on the crowds and what I know the Schott holds, I would say that was actual butts in seats.

[BGDrew]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

I've been to every BG/OSU game in the Schott since realignment, and attendance has been an inflated number each time.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

I've been to every BG/OSU game in the Schott since realignment, and attendance has been an inflated number each time.

I've seen the same for the past few years I've gone to the Schott. What's also interesting is that OSU at BG has been outdrawing BG at OSU. Very sorry to see the Bucks off our schedule this year as they're one of our top revenue games.

[St. Clown]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

What metric is being used to define the #1 sport on campus?

Sean

It's been a while since the report was released, and it would require time for digging it out, which I don't have right now, but it was based upon revenue. Football earns the most, then basketball, and then hockey. The men's basketball team's figure surprised me because they weren't drawing very well with a bad team during the period the report was released.

[Sean Pickett]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

It's been a while since the report was released, and it would require time for digging it out, which I don't have right now, but it was based upon revenue. Football earns the most, then basketball, and then hockey. The men's basketball team's figure surprised me because they weren't drawing very well with a bad team during the period the report was released.

I have just finished compiling the financial data for the 26 public schools that sponsor men's hockey for which I have their NCAA financial information and I can say using overall revenues is really not the best way to determine a sports popularity. Having looked at almost 170 reports from the schools I can state a lot of revenue is not broken down among teams and even when it is, the schools have a lot of input into where money is put. However, one revenue stream schools don't have a say is ticket revenue. Of the 24 schools I have the information for 18 are full DI schools and of those men's hockey is clearly the number 1 sport for six and likely a seventh based on ticket revenue:
school - 7 year average of hockey ticket sales as a % of all sports ticket sales
UML - 97.2%
UND - 84.1%
Maine - 81.2%
UNH - 78.0%
UNO - 77.9%
UVM - 72.5%
Miami - 40.7%
Minnesota is the best B1G school at 22.7% with Wisconsin at 8.4%, Michigan at 4.3%, MSU at 3.8%, PSU at 3.5% (over 4 years) and OSU dead last among full DI schools at just 0.7%.

Of course there are expense categories that can be looked at to see how the athletic departments looks at men's hockey. For example, coaches compensation, where UNO leads the way:
school - 7 year average of hockey coaches compensation as a % of all coaches compensation
UNO - 27.3%
UML - 27.2%
UND - 24.2%
Maine - 17.3%
UVM - 15.3%
Miami - 14.4%
UNH - 14.3%

Sean

[pgb-ohio]

Re: New arena for Ohio State?

Minnesota is the best B1G school at 22.7% with Wisconsin at 8.4%, Michigan at 4.3%, MSU at 3.8%, PSU at 3.5% (over 4 years) and OSU dead last among full DI schools at just 0.7%...

Great job compiling the numbers.

Just one little quibble with the analysis. It's not self evident that great reliance on hockey revenue is a good thing for ticket buyers, among others. I have several MN based friends who complain quite bitterly about the high cost of Gopher Hockey tickets. But down here in the "last" position, the affordability of hockey tickets at OSU something of a selling point -- especially when compared to the NHL prices charged by the CBJ.

All I'm saying that "best" and "last" aren't really the right labels. Being at either end of the spectrum is a mixed blessing.

Connecting this with the original topic: It's not hard to imagine that a new, appropriately sized building at OSU might result in higher ticket prices. Perhaps fewer comp tickets as well. Even with the smaller capacity, OSU might very well move "up" in the rankings. This would be yet another mixed blessing; just a different mix.