OU Projects

[BoulderSooner]

Hopefully that dies like it did last time they floated it. I can’t even believe that is still being considered.

it is a good solution to the issue that OU doesn't have the funds to build a new stadium ....

[Plutonic Panda]

it is a good solution to the issue that OU doesn't have the funds to build a new stadium ....

It’s a horrible solution. OU can get the funds if they tried. They don’t want to try.

[chssooner]

It’s a horrible solution. OU can get the funds if they tried. They don’t want to try.

I don't normally agree with Boulder, but in this, I do. He is heavily involved in the OUHoops website. He knows people who would know whether OU donors care about basketball. Basketball is almost below softball in terms of relevance to donors, so a new arena would be hard to accomplish. Donors would rather donate to football projects or softball projects. Their is apathy in the basketball program.

[BoulderSooner]

I don't normally agree with Boulder, but in this, I do. He is heavily involved in the OUHoops website. He knows people who would know whether OU donors care about basketball. Basketball is almost below softball in terms of relevance to donors, so a new arena would be hard to accomplish. Donors would rather donate to football projects or softball projects. Their is apathy in the basketball program.

it is also very much the scale of the project .. softball wins (they are the best team in the nation) and still it really took multi national titles and an over 10mil gift from tom and judy love to just start that 40mil project ..

a new basketball arena is more like 3 or 4 hundred million ... or more ... (texas new arena 375 mil)

there was a LNC renovation plan about 10-12 years ago that would have been 150 mil +/- but those funds were going to be hard to raise ..

football still have 300+ left of the stadium master plan and the current push is for the new 175 mil football ops building ...

one of the big reasons the UNP stadium was great (location travel restaurants bars aside) is that OU was not going to have to pay for it ...

(just as a note i own/operate ouhoops.com ) ..

[BG918]

it is also very much the scale of the project .. softball wins (they are the best team in the nation) and still it really took multi national titles and an over 10mil gift from tom and judy love to just start that 40mil project ..

a new basketball arena is more like 3 or 4 hundred million ... or more ... (texas new arena 375 mil)

there was a LNC renovation plan about 10-12 years ago that would have been 150 mil +/- but those funds were going to be hard to raise ..

football still have 300+ left of the stadium master plan and the current push is for the new 175 mil football ops building ...

one of the big reasons the UNP stadium was great (location travel restaurants bars aside) is that OU was not going to have to pay for it ...

(just as a note i own/operate ouhoops.com ) ..

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4. Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

[BoulderSooner]

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4. Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

OU needs more than 7k seats ... they have had 9k+ season ticket holders most of the last 25 years and have over 6k currently

[GoGators]

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4.Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

OU needs to either wait until they can raise the funds for a new on campus arena or wait to make a deal with a developer that will build an arena near downtown/campus and wont relegate basketball to the middle of nowhere. The UNP location is so bad that staying in LNC until one of these two options comes around is the best move.

[Plutonic Panda]

OU needs to either wait until they can raise the funds for a new on campus arena or wait to make a deal with a developer that will build an arena near downtown/campus and wont relegate basketball to the middle of nowhere. The UNP location is so bad that staying in LNC until one of these two options comes around is the best move.

Yep. This +1000