Cintas is great but this makes me jealous

[XUOHTX]

http://www.arenaauthority.com/flyThru.aspx

[Cheesehead]

Holy Crap! That is VERY impressive and easily beats the Cintas Center. The place looks absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, it's also state owned and cost 238 million dollars too. It's run by the Kentucky State Fair Board. 22,000 for basketball. i wouldn't mind a home and away with the Cards and checking that place out.

[Cheesehead]

Just for comparison sake, the Cintas Center cost 46 million to build.

[XUglow]

I wonder how long UK will sit around before they decide they have to one-up that stadium.

[Jumpy]

That place makes me VERY jealous. I can't wait until we are in a position to be able to build an NBA arena for our college team. It might happen in our lifetime.

EDIT: even though it was in a different thread (I'm sure they will eventaully get merged) I like the towels you sold to UL, Glow. Puts a new spin on a tired idea and I bet they look cool as hell waving around when the lights are dim.

[GoMuskies]

How about an A-10 Tournament in Louisville the years the SEC isn't using it?

[XUOWNSUC]

I wonder how long UK will sit around before they decide they have to one-up that stadium.

I thought they are already building a new arena to replace Rupp.

[The_Mack_Pack]

I would love to have an arena like that but would we be able to fill it is the question. BYU has like 22,000 seats in their arena and it's rarely full. I could see Xavier getting away with 12,000-13,000 seats and still be able to sell out every game but the fan support in and around Cincinnati is not the greatest.

[XUglow]

I thought they are already building a new arena to replace Rupp.

I googled it and found this nugget...

In August 2008, the city of Lexington and the University of Kentucky announced a proposal to build a new downtown basketball arena to replace Rupp Arena. The proposal calls for private financing for a new arena as well as new facilities or improvements for other Kentucky facilities. The new arena could open possibilities for luxury boxes and priority seating, and could open by 2015. The new arena will hold between 24,000- 30,000 seats.

[spazzrico]

Wow, this is crazy for me to see as a Louisville native... Cool for the Cardinals and downtown Louisville for sure.

As it reflects on Cintas...I don't think it makes me jealous for some reason. I guess that is because I went to the Clemson-GaTech game last night at the Littlejohn Coliseum and as I was there I realized just how great Cintas truly is. They are about the same capacity, but Cintas is so much nicer (and of course newer) despite the fact that Clemson is a member of the (cue ESPN highlight reel) vaunted ACC. Cintas fits Xavier's size and character very nicely. I think I'd be more jealous if I was UC and had to go to home games at whatever it is they call a basketball facility and then play them every year. Ouch.

[Masterofreality]

If you live in an NBA city like I do, you wouldn't be that impressed.

The Q in Cleveland is better than any big barn I've ever been in, but it is still a big barn. The Q is higher and steeper to get the 20,000 plus in there, and as a result can get very loud on the floor. Louisville's looks more stretched out.

Hey. I'm a Louisville native and it's nice to see a new building in town. Hell, I used to go see the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA in the old Convention Center downtown. Cool little venue. However, I am not jealous of U of L in the sense that I wish XU had a building like that.

College is college and playing in a huge barn just doesn't cut it for me. Wanna be Seton Hall playing in the Meadowlands with 12,000 empty seats? They're playing in Newark now, but still have about 10,000 fans disguised as empty chairs. Nothing like looking up and seeing upholstery.

Maybe add 1,500- 2,000 more seats in Cintas where the conference center banquetroom is now, but no more. Keep it a tough, tight venue, with maybe a few more voices. I want sellouts!

[SixFig]

If you live in an NBA city like I do, you wouldn't be that impressed.

The Q in Cleveland is better than any big barn I've ever been in, but it is still a big barn. The Q is higher and steeper to get the 20,000 plus in there, and as a result can get very loud on the floor. Louisville's looks more stretched out.

Hey. I'm a Louisville native and it's nice to see a new building in town. Hell, I used to go see the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA in the old Convention Center downtown. Cool little venue. However, I am not jealous of U of L in the sense that I wish XU had a building like that.

College is college and playing in a huge barn just doesn't cut it for me. Wanna be Seton Hall playing in the Meadowlands with 12,000 empty seats? They're playing in Newark now, but still have about 10,000 fans disguised as empty chairs. Nothing like looking up and seeing upholstery.

Maybe add 1,500- 2,000 more seats in Cintas where the conference center banquetroom is now, but no more. Keep it a tough, tight venue, with maybe a few more voices. I want sellouts!

Agreed. When I get rich I'll buy XU a few new banquet rooms so they can expand the Cintas. I've always thought some day X would add more seats.

Is SBU a sell out?

[coasterville95]

Intersting that they are moving off the Kentucky State Fairgrounds, but the arena will still be controlled by the Kentucky State Fair Board. There has to be some clause in there to protect the Kentucky Fair since Freedom Hall's primary tenant is leaving. Between that and Six Flags leaving the fairground, that's two major sources of income the fairboard will be missing.

But if its owned by the Kentucly Fair Board, that still makes ita municipal arena, that would be like us beating our chests over using the larger US Bank Arena or even Cincinnati Gardens. Cintas Center is the perfect size for our program, the building fits in to the campus it is built on, no taxpayer dollars were used, and most importantly, it's ours all ours. It's home, not a nice timeshare condo, with the Cyclones, or the Mighty Ducks, or whatever.

That said, everything I have seen about that new arena indicated it will be a first class venue in just about every respect. IF you need more, just think of all the Bearcats losses the building will host!

As an aside: I recall NKU got Lousiville to help open their new Bank of Kentucky Center, I wonder if they will now be expected to return that game to help Lousville open their new arena.

[Xman95]

Any truth to the rumor that this will be the first event held in the new arena?

http://theaestheticelevator.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/milking-a-cow-past.jpg

[Tardy Turtle]

I recall NKU got Lousiville to help open their new Bank of Kentucky Center, I wonder if they will now be expected to return that game to help Lousville open their new arena.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1951/picardfacepalmio3.jpg

[smileyy]

Of course, it's also state owned and cost 238 million dollars too.

The fact that XU owns Cintas means that XU makes a ton of money off of Cintas.

[drudy23]

I'm sure Slick Rick is salivating at this thinking about the recruits that will want to play there.

[GoMuskies]

I'm sure Slick Rick is salivating at this thinking about the recruits that will want to play there.

And the skanks that will want to bang there...

[AdamtheFlyer]

I googled it and found this nugget...

In August 2008, the city of Lexington and the University of Kentucky announced a proposal to build a new downtown basketball arena to replace Rupp Arena. The proposal calls for private financing for a new arena as well as new facilities or improvements for other Kentucky facilities. The new arena could open possibilities for luxury boxes and priority seating, and could open by 2015. The new arena will hold between 24,000- 30,000 seats.

Word from a UK friend of mine is that they won't build the arena with a capacity of fewer than 32,000 seats. They want to be able to beat Syracuse's on campus record, and could do it with a few thousand standing room only tickets.

[GoMuskies]

Can't see UK building anything that big. I wouldn't really expect it to be on campus, either, so there's no record for them to get.

[XUOHTX]

If you live in an NBA city like I do, you wouldn't be that impressed.

The Q in Cleveland is better than any big barn I've ever been in, but it is still a big barn. The Q is higher and steeper to get the 20,000 plus in there, and as a result can get very loud on the floor. Louisville's looks more stretched out.



What? I live in Dallas and am at the American Airlines Center many times per year, I also go to the FedEX Forum (where Memphis plays) a couple times each year. Those are both top notch facilities and this looks like it will be right up there with them. Seeing a sell-out crowd for a Memphis game in the FedEX forum is impressive. Not sure The Q really is on the same level as either of these arenas.

[golfitup]

My dad has had season tickets to Louisville games since the mid-1970's so I'm really looking forward to watching a game at that arena next year. Looks really impressive driving by it even now.

I also hope it can lure an NBA team to Louisville some day.

[pizza delivery]

Recently attended a U Washington game and their place SUCKS compared to Cintas. The floor is truely scuffed up worse than a HS gym and there are pillars in the way everywhere. It's loud though. Cintas is nice, man, really one of the very best.

[mr. zimpher]

"Yeah, that place is nice but nothing like UD arena. This new arena doesn't have that quaint feeling, parking lot full of el caminos, and that raw sewage smell."
-Any Dayton fan

[GuyFawkes38]

So it's not an on campus arena? That seems like a big drawback.

[GoMuskies]

So it's not an on campus arena? That seems like a big drawback.


They've never had an on-campus arena. Hasn't really seemed to hinder them.

[An X Fan]

I like that the escalators in the main entrance form a giant X. Everyone's always trying to be like us. ;)

[SlimKibbles]

I always liked Conseco Fieldhouse, which is kind of what the new Louisville Arena reminded me of after going through the front doors. Big plaza area. But, Conseco Fieldhouse has more of an old style design with lots of red bricks and such. The Louisville Arena looks to be more of a modern design. Very impressive facility. Hope I get to check it out someday.

By the way, I did hear that UK can't play in that new building for a certain number of years, or something along those lines. UofL fan friend of mine told me that. I wish I could remember the exact details...

[GuyFawkes38]

They've never had an on-campus arena. Hasn't really seemed to hinder them.

yeah, just thinking about it, Rupp isn't really on the UK campus either.

College basketball is a strange beast in the state of Kentucky.

[X-band '01]

I wonder if Louisville is still hoping to draw an NBA team in the future. They did make a run at either the Grizzlies or the Hornets a few years ago (can't remember which one, though). Maybe that's one reason that UofL's arena will be off-campus.

[GoMuskies]

UofL's deal with the Arena Authority is that they have to be the primary tenant. I don't think there are many NBA teams that are going to want to come in and be a second class citizen in their own arena (except the Clippers as they're used to it).

[golfitup]

yeah, just thinking about it, Rupp isn't really on the UK campus either.

College basketball is a strange beast in the state of Kentucky.

It's by far the number 1 sport in the state. Prolly bigger than Indiana quite honestly. The biggest local talk sports radio show here in Louisville does nothing but talk about college basketball all year. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the point remains, it's all anyone cares about.

[CincyPass]

Cintas is perfect for XU, so I am not jealous. With the huge revenues Xavier is getting, it is on campus and it is a fairly tough ticket to obtain............perfect.