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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Dec 4, 2017 16:27:59 GMT -6
The Belmont game was played on their campus, I read a post on another board that GB is averaging 2000 people per game so far and someone on this board recently mentioning that it might be time to make a change. Where does everyone stand on the Resch vs. Kress debate? Is it time to play on campus in the Kress with more control over the dates and money?
I am really torn on this because GB basketball should be able to get more than 4018 people per game even if that doesn't seem like it is going to happen much this year. I don't like the lack of pregame or post game eating/drinking options on campus. Yet watching them struggle to get decent games and decent turnout at the Resch makes me feel like something needs to change. I will be curious to see with the new leadership in charge if they start to evaluate their options. I get the impression that a hybrid of both buildings is ideal to the administration but I wonder how others feel about that.
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Post by Panther on Dec 4, 2017 17:56:15 GMT -6
The Belmont game was played on their campus, I read a post on another board that GB is averaging 2000 people per game so far and someone on this board recently mentioning that it might be time to make a change. Where does everyone stand on the Resch vs. Kress debate? Is it time to play on campus in the Kress with more control over the dates and money? I am really torn on this because GB basketball should be able to get more than 4018 people per game even if that doesn't seem like it is going to happen much this year. I don't like the lack of pregame or post game eating/drinking options on campus. Yet watching them struggle to get decent games and decent turnout at the Resch makes me feel like something needs to change. I will be curious to see with the new leadership in charge if they start to evaluate their options. I get the impression that a hybrid of both buildings is ideal to the administration but I wonder how others feel about that. With limited knowledge, my thoughts and issues is mainly with city being a Packers town and the limited Saturday and Sunday options because of that. No one is bringing a team to GB around a Packer weekend when the hotel prices jump 100% etc... I think, like most, if you winning and have some characters playing well, the community will come out and mainly starts with getting the young kids interested so they bring their parents etc... Look at attendance link across the entire Horizon League and you will see, the better and winning teams, will probably have the higher attendance numbers... Also, who is your Market outside of GB since not many will come from Milwaukee unless they have something at stake since there are other options in Milwaukee or closer? Get local kids involved more so they start to enjoy and like team players and the numbers will increase... Also, students will get behind a winning team too... (It's coming...) Belmont facility was nice but the attendance was a little over 1,000 according to the Box score. I was there and the crowd was not like a game in GB and was a Saturday 1 PM start and they don't have a Football team... www.belmontbruins.com/sports/m-baskbl/2017-18/boxscores/20171202_qfhv.xml?view=boxscore
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Post by bayballer on Dec 6, 2017 12:34:09 GMT -6
I'm all for playing home games at the Kress. Sure the games at the Resch are fun when most of the arena is filled, but how often has the Resch been mostly filled, especially in the past few years. At the Kress, the crowd is much closer to the action, and noise doesn't get lost like it does at the Resch. It would also be nice to see some students at the games, and moving to the Kress is guaranteed to increase their attendance. Its pretty hard to convince students to travel 20+ minutes across town in the middle of winter to watch a mediocre basketball team, so putting games right in the middle of campus is sure to get more students coming to the games. Obviously there are some downsides to moving to the Kress, like not having bars/restaurants next to the arena, and do they sell beer at the Kress? They never used to but did they change that in the past year or two? Also, I'm not sure how the Resch plays into recruiting, so that could be another issue. Overall, I just think the games would be more enjoyable at the Kress, so from a fans perspective, I'd rather them play there.
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Dec 6, 2017 13:36:24 GMT -6
I am pretty sure I saw a Bud Light stand in the Kress the last time I walked by it. I haven't been to a game there in ages though so I can't say for sure.
Does anyone have the details on how revenue is split now between PMI and GB?
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Post by fansincebuss on Dec 6, 2017 23:04:54 GMT -6
The Belmont game was played on their campus, I read a post on another board that GB is averaging 2000 people per game so far and someone on this board recently mentioning that it might be time to make a change. Where does everyone stand on the Resch vs. Kress debate? Is it time to play on campus in the Kress with more control over the dates and money? I am really torn on this because GB basketball should be able to get more than 4018 people per game even if that doesn't seem like it is going to happen much this year. I don't like the lack of pregame or post game eating/drinking options on campus. Yet watching them struggle to get decent games and decent turnout at the Resch makes me feel like something needs to change. I will be curious to see with the new leadership in charge if they start to evaluate their options. I get the impression that a hybrid of both buildings is ideal to the administration but I wonder how others feel about that. I am also torn on this and I live relatively close to the Campus. For many years I lived in Appleton and attended games at the Resch, I probably would not have gone to the Kress. The attendance is hurt buy the lack of big time games like Madison or Marquette and that is not likely to change.
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Post by fansincebuss on Dec 6, 2017 23:09:47 GMT -6
I'm all for playing home games at the Kress. Sure the games at the Resch are fun when most of the arena is filled, but how often has the Resch been mostly filled, especially in the past few years. At the Kress, the crowd is much closer to the action, and noise doesn't get lost like it does at the Resch. It would also be nice to see some students at the games, and moving to the Kress is guaranteed to increase their attendance. Its pretty hard to convince students to travel 20+ minutes across town in the middle of winter to watch a mediocre basketball team, so putting games right in the middle of campus is sure to get more students coming to the games. Obviously there are some downsides to moving to the Kress, like not having bars/restaurants next to the arena, and do they sell beer at the Kress? They never used to but did they change that in the past year or two? Also, I'm not sure how the Resch plays into recruiting, so that could be another issue. Overall, I just think the games would be more enjoyable at the Kress, so from a fans perspective, I'd rather them play there. I don't think playing at the Kress will impact student attendance much. I attend the women's games and am continually amazed at how few students come out to see an excellent product. Also if you are not in the lower bowl, you actually feel far from the action at the Kress.
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Dec 7, 2017 8:52:50 GMT -6
I would love to see some sort of hybrid deal worked out with PMI and UWGB. Even though the weekday conference games do not draw all that well, keeping all 10 games in the Horizon at the Resch can be something that PMI would schedule around and allow GB more flexibility with their scheduling before conference play. I like the atmosphere of the Resch with the curtain down and 3500+ fans. Its hard to say that they could get the same turnout from casual fans on campus for Oakland, Milwaukee.
The truth is before Xmas in GB, you could swap out Florida A&M and Stetson with Towson and Louisiana Tech (solid mid majors) and maybe a couple hundred more people show up. The casual fan is only drawn to names. The days of getting names to come to GB or just about any mid major is over.
Sell beer at the Kress and market it well to get the casual fan there for the first time. I just cant see things staying the way they are for very much longer with less than 2000 at some of these games.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Dec 7, 2017 11:27:31 GMT -6
I would love to see some sort of hybrid deal worked out with PMI and UWGB. Even though the weekday conference games do not draw all that well, keeping all 10 games in the Horizon at the Resch can be something that PMI would schedule around and allow GB more flexibility with their scheduling before conference play. I like the atmosphere of the Resch with the curtain down and 3500+ fans. Its hard to say that they could get the same turnout from casual fans on campus for Oakland, Milwaukee. The truth is before Xmas in GB, you could swap out Florida A&M and Stetson with Towson and Louisiana Tech (solid mid majors) and maybe a couple hundred more people show up. The casual fan is only drawn to names. The days of getting names to come to GB or just about any mid major is over. Sell beer at the Kress and market it well to get the casual fan there for the first time. I just cant see things staying the way they are for very much longer with less than 2000 at some of these games. Ah, the annual Resch / Kress debate. I've been an advocate for a Villanova style hybrid schedule for awhile, playing games at the Kress and at the Resch. Last year 'Nova played 11 games on campus and 4 at the Wells Fargo Center where the 76ers play. Obviously I'm not comparing Green Bay to 'Nova but a split can be done. Green Bay already has scheduling priority over the Gamblers but as mentioned before in this thread, teams won't come to Green Bay on a Packers weekend due to the skyrocketing hotel costs. Wisconsin / Virginia / Marquette aren't coming back to the Resch. Darner has talked about scheduling difficulties in the past. With a hybrid model, you could play mid-week non-conference games (like Wednesday night against Eastern Illinois) at the Kress Center since those games are only going to attract the diehards anyway. For whatever reason, the casual fan and local TV stations don't pay attention to GB basketball until after the Packers season. I certainly don't want to completely leave the Resch Center. It's a big selling point for recruits and casual fans that GB plays in the "shadow" of Lambeau Field. There are tons of bars nearby for before and after games, some of them (The Bar) which donate to the program. But games that are going to draw under 2,000 fans anyway should be played at the Kress and hopefully Fox Valley fans will commit to driving the extra 20 minutes each way to the other side of town. Here's how I'd split up this year's schedule: Monday 11/30 - Ripon (ex) - Kress Friday 11/17 - Lakeland - Resch (Friday night, why not) Friday 11/24 - Florida A&M - Resch (Friday night, why not) Monday 11/27 - Stetson - Kress Wednesday 12/6 - Eastern Illinois - Kress Saturday 12/16 - UW-Parkside - Resch (Saturday, would draw a big crowd with a decent opponent) Monday 12/18 - Rockford - Kress Thursday 12/21 - Bowling Green - Resch ("biggest" home non-conference game) I'd play all the Horizon League home games at the Resch with the exception of IUPUI on Tuesday, January 2nd.
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on Dec 7, 2017 21:14:40 GMT -6
With the contract set to expire this year and with a new athletic director I think this will be interesting to watch. From what I understand Linc is interested in a hybrid. Going from memory I think St. John's, Fort Wayne and Seattle use hybrid models in addition to Villanova. I think Seton Hall is playing in their gym a few times as well but that might not be normal. UConn plays in two different buildings it two different cities (Hartford and Storrs). I found these articles talking about the past contracts with PMI. www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/inthenewsarchive/2008/mensbasketball4-08.htmwww.wrn.com/2013/09/green-bay-and-pmi-announce-resch-center-extension/www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/sports/college/uwgb/2015/05/19/board-vote-determine-uwgb-stays-resch-center/27601191/Based on past view points a move to the Kress may not be in the cards. For historical reference Green Bay has played 18 non conference games in the Resch Center era that would have exceeded the Kress Center capacity. Wisconsin x 3, Michigan State, Marquette, Virginia, Kansas State, Bracket Buster (N. Iowa, Illinois State & Farleigh Dickinson) 03-04 (Western Illinois), 04-05 (IUPI, SEMO, Weber State, NDSU, Hartford), 08-09 (UMass) and 14-15 (Georgia State). Based on that information GB needs high major games, bracket buster games, a very excited 04-05 crowd or more recently generally recognized mid major teams to come to GB to make the Kress not suitable for non conference play. I have ideas on the high major side but I don't think it is likely. Bracket Buster is unfortunately dead. I think with a small amount of money they could get decent mid majors here but I am not sure that is in the cards. So to keep it clean, in the hybrid model go all non conference home games at the Kress and all conference games at the Resch. Also of note this year there were 7 weekends from the start of the season until conference play when the Packers played. The Packers were home 3 of those weekends. The 4 open weekends yielded no home game or game at all, FAMU/Stetson, @mizzou and Parkside/Rockford. I included the two Monday games since those teams might be traveling on Sunday and face hotel increases. Also, the Packers schedule was released on 4/20/17, still time to book games. So I won't say that it isn't a factor but with GB having priority in the building and the Packers not being a huge factor this year it seems to me there were other unknown issues with scheduling.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Feb 12, 2018 9:44:04 GMT -6
With UIC coming to campus this week for the first ever Horizon League men's game at the Kress Center, I've added a poll to this topic in the original post. I'm interested to see what the results looks like.
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Feb 12, 2018 12:04:33 GMT -6
I just received the email details to the "Krash the Kress" event. Does anyone know if they serve beer all of the time for the GB Women's games? It appears that beer stations will be up and running for Friday night. I haven't been to a women's game in years but just assumed no.
I have a feeling Friday will help the department feel that a hybrid idea could work.
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Post by fansincebuss on Feb 12, 2018 15:00:50 GMT -6
I just received the email details to the "Krash the Kress" event. Does anyone know if they serve beer all of the time for the GB Women's games? It appears that beer stations will be up and running for Friday night. I haven't been to a women's game in years but just assumed no. I have a feeling Friday will help the department feel that a hybrid idea could work. Yes they do serve beer for the women's games.
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Post by phearthephoenix on Feb 14, 2018 19:20:21 GMT -6
Scott Venci has a good article in the Press Gazette about this topic. t.co/JvlX9BITgr
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Post by phoenixphan87 on Feb 14, 2018 19:50:40 GMT -6
Scott mentions the rental fee along with rebates for hitting attendance marks. Does GB get any percentage of concession sales?
Just reading thru the article it seems that Guthrie is aware of the changing landscape, but isnt ready to make such a big change so early in his tenure.
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Post by uscg2012 on Feb 14, 2018 21:19:50 GMT -6
6 thousand per game??? Damn! That’s a lot of money we could be putting towards recruiting.
I do agree it’s fun having a downtown arena with all of the local establishments but is that really what’s best for the program?
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