Uta To Finally Get Off The Stage

[Duck_Mav]

Big news for UTA. Next Wednesday, the new arena is on the agenda of the UT Board of Regents. Among many other things, this could finally mean a potential holiday tournament among the "Big 4" DFW schools. At least TCU and SMU will no longer have an excuse for avoiding coming to Arlington. The planned completion date is in three years for a 6500 seat facility, costing $73 million. Details from the agenda item:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The proposed Special Events Center (SEC) will be a multipurpose, state-of-the-art center with approximately 189,300 gross square feet and will be the home for U. T. Arlington athletics, graduation ceremonies and convocation celebrations, concerts, and distinguished lecture series as well as many community events. The SEC will also include large meeting rooms and suites for hosting special functions, events, and meetings. The SEC will include an athletic floor for both the men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team. There will be practice courts, offices, locker rooms, training facilities, a film and media center, lounge areas, and academic spaces for student athletes. The facility will be located between Pecan and Center Streets and south of West 1st Street.

Not as grand as the SuperPit, but dang! we have waited forever!

Edited February 7, 2009 by Duck_Mav

[SUMG]

Big news for UTA. Next Wednesday, the new arena is on the agenda of the UT Board of Regents. Among many other things, this could finally mean a potential holiday tournament among the "Big 4" DFW schools. At least TCU and SMU will no longer have an excuse for avoiding coming to Arlington. The planned completion date is in three years for a 6500 seat facility, costing $73 million. Details from the agenda item:

Not as grand as the SuperPit, but dang! we have waited forever!

Congrats to the Movin Mav Nation. I'll look forward to watching us play you all there.

If the thing is set for completion in 3 years.....why couldn't the D-FW tournament start way before that? I mean, if the site is to rotate...UTA could be the last site in the rotation.....meaning that it would give time for the completion before you all would even host the tournament.

Edited February 7, 2009 by SUMG

[CMJ]

Congrats to the Mavs!

[oldguystudent]

This is not meant to be a snarky question at all. How is it that a 6,500 seat basketball arena costs more than a 30,000 seat football stadium? Are seat backs and roofs really that expensive?

[Go_UTA]

This is not meant to be a snarky question at all. How is it that a 6,500 seat basketball arena costs more than a 30,000 seat football stadium? Are seat backs and roofs really that expensive?

I know your stadium will be more than simply a football stadium, but, I think the answer to the question is that the SEC (Special Events Center) will be more than an arena. Notice that it will have many desirable support trimmings, large meeting rooms, practice court(s). Those "extras" add a lot to the desirability of the facility but also to cost. Those meeting and conference rooms will host a lot of outside events. Also, being a few blocks away, I anticipate that the SEC will host many events in connection to what the Cowboy Stadium hosts...e.g., practice court for Big 12 Championships, Final Fours and what not. This facility will bring many outside events to campus, and change the public perception of the U for many. It will be a landmark, but, with the location, will be integrated into the campus and still be a part of downtown, which is undergoing exciting developments of its own.

[utamav91]

I can't wait for it to be officially approved. As much as Texas Hall gives us a home-court advantage, I think our recruiting will definitely take another HUGE step forward. All the kids that say they don't want to go UTA because of the facility...now will have a reason to want to go to UTA because of the facility. I think coach Cross's contract runs to the end of the 2011-2012 season--hopefully we'll have another good season or two before the end of that (a nice run deep into the conf. tournament at least) and the school will give him an extension for a season or two into the new building.

[greenjoe]

Here's an idea...Combine a basketball venue and a stage. That way, the building could be used for events other than basketball. In fact, perhaps, the basketball court could be incorporated onto the stage.

[UNTFan23]

Here's an idea...Combine a basketball venue and a stage. That way, the building could be used for events other than basketball. In fact, perhaps, the basketball court could be incorporated onto the stage.

Maybe I'm just spoiled by my childhood experiences of the theatre-in-the-round at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, but I just can't see myself wanting to watch a theatrical production as high as the upper rows of the lower bowl (if not higher) in a basketball facility like the SuperPit. The acoustics would blow huge chunks and the sight lines would just be awful.

[untgeorge]

Big news for UTA. Next Wednesday, the new arena is on the agenda of the UT Board of Regents. Among many other things, this could finally mean a potential holiday tournament among the "Big 4" DFW schools. At least TCU and SMU will no longer have an excuse for avoiding coming to Arlington. The planned completion date is in three years for a 6500 seat facility, costing $73 million. Details from the agenda item:

Not as grand as the SuperPit, but dang! we have waited forever!

Where is the money coming from?

[Quoner]

Where is the money coming from?

They must have a good fundraising guy.

[GrandGreen]

I hope the arena happens,but it seems I have heard this stories many times before. I actually don't mind UTA's current gym/auditorium, but I do think it gives them a big home court advantage. NT can't beat them now, I hate to think of future games if their recruiting improves.

[stebo]

UTA students voted for an increase in athletics fees years ago in hopes of starting a football team. That fee has been in place and building up... Also, since the building will be used for graduation and classroom space, it can be paid for with state funds (unlike a football stadium). I believe that the UTA students voted for the fee increase about 3 or 4 years ago... but the President had other things in mind for that money. It was a crappy thing to do because the vote was primarily to get football going again there but the vote did not mandate that the fees could only be used for that purpose.

[oldguystudent]

UTA students voted for an increase in athletics fees years ago in hopes of starting a football team. That fee has been in place and building up... Also, since the building will be used for graduation and classroom space, it can be paid for with state funds (unlike a football stadium). I believe that the UTA students voted for the fee increase about 3 or 4 years ago... but the President had other things in mind for that money. It was a crappy thing to do because the vote was primarily to get football going again there but the vote did not mandate that the fees could only be used for that purpose.

That's a pretty crappy bait and switch if you ask me.

[Go_UTA]

UTA students voted for an increase in athletics fees years ago in hopes of starting a football team. That fee has been in place and building up... Also, since the building will be used for graduation and classroom space, it can be paid for with state funds (unlike a football stadium). I believe that the UTA students voted for the fee increase about 3 or 4 years ago... but the President had other things in mind for that money. It was a crappy thing to do because the vote was primarily to get football going again there but the vote did not mandate that the fees could only be used for that purpose.

There are little bits of truth mingled with a lot of misinformation here.

The proposed fee with that f-ball vote has not been collected, and, thus, has not been building up. Again, let me repeat, that fee was NOT inacted.

One may agree or disagree with the decision to not pursue f-ball, but, there was no deception with money or voting for one thing and getting another. Fees are very straightfoward and honest.

[Quoner]

They must have a good fundraising guy.

Seriously - did they hire anyone good lately?

[Go_UTA]

Seriously - did they hire anyone good lately?

Well, yes, they did.

Hired a VP from Austin College in Sherman last year. Definitely a different kind of institution from UT Arlington, but privates have been running successful fund raising programs for decades...including little, distinguished Austin College.

http://www.uta.edu/giving/contactus.php

[utamav91]

utamavs.com has a few more illustrations...looks like a standard lower bowl with about 20 rows or so, then luxury boxes, then above that an upper deck on 3 sides. I can't imagine there being a bad seat in the house.

[ADLER]

That's a great facility, not as nice as the Super Pit, but far superior to to the outdated facilities utilized by the tiny privates in the metroplex.

I hope that North Texas signs a contract with UTA like UTEP and NMSU have where they play at each others home court every year (play each other twice every year). This series could easily become a rivalry for the two schools. I'd like to see the two schools schedule the games only on Saturday nights, make the tickets free with student ID's for each school, and include away game tickets to this series with season ticket purchases. Soon you will have pregame socials develop that will build alumni support for both programs.

[SUMG]

utamavs.com has a few more illustrations...looks like a standard lower bowl with about 20 rows or so, then luxury boxes, then above that an upper deck on 3 sides. I can't imagine there being a bad seat in the house.

No offense, but the new facility looks like a horrible facility for plays.

[TheTastyGreek]

No offense, but the new facility looks like a horrible facility for plays.

Minus the scoreboard, it's almost a dead ringer for the arena in Hot Springs that's hosting the SBC Tournament. Agree?

[SUMG]

Minus the scoreboard, it's almost a dead ringer for the arena in Hot Springs that's hosting the SBC Tournament. Agree?

Agreed.

[UNTflyer]

I don't know, but isn't it time the Super Pit hosted more events? Pearl Jam played there in 1993.

[NT80]

utamavs.com has a few more illustrations...looks like a standard lower bowl with about 20 rows or so, then luxury boxes, then above that an upper deck

Humm....luxury boxes. Could we, would we??

The suites look nice from the posted pic, but in the way on some of the other renderings. For more drawings click the "special event center renderings" line on this article....

http://www.utamavs.com/genrel/073009aaa.html

I have to admit, I'll miss "The Stage" about as much as Fouts, not much at all.

Edited August 3, 2009 by NT80

[UNTflyer]

Humm....luxury boxes. Could we, would we??

We are. Once the stadium project is started, you'll start hearing talk about upgrades to The Pit including luxury suites and an overhead scoreboard.

[CMJ]

I hope we can get a few more really big crowds in the SuperPit before the luxury boxes are added. Those would probably take out at least acouple thousand of seats.