I think a separate press conference would have served them better.

We only raised 44 million so far from the three couples. There is still 13 million to raise if my math is correct. We're going to have to start cutting other things. The 13 million explains the need for the hire last week who will focus on major gifts.

This is the best basketball news since Kaplan was built 49 years ago. I would think every Tribe fan would be pleased with the overall concept that envisions a W&M sports complex including Kaplan Arena, Busch Field, the Millie West Tennis Complex and the Student Athletic Center. And a juiced up construction plan that will see it all done by the 2022 season.

The fact that 41 million has already been raised to fund this is a credit to all those involved in raising this major amount...lost in announcement is the fact that the 41 million puts the "For the Bold" program OVER its billion dollar goal.

At a pre-game event in the Wightman Room at 3 PM yesterday which we attended the full scope of this effort was evident. The presentation at this event by Katherine Rowe surely showed what a great supporter of W&M Athletics she is...obviously she was involved in this from the start. And congrats to Samantha and several others in both the Athletic Department and the "For the Bold" program for getting it all done.

Also glad to see the inclusion of the student body in the plans with a year-round Student Center and enhanced seating for games. An important touch.

And great to see the wonderful Millie West there front and center. Millie is confined to a wheelchair now but continues to overflow with her enthusiasm for Tribe athletics. Perhaps lost in the excitement of the announcement is the fact that the Wets Tennis Complex is a big part of this program with new courts and resurfacing, enhanced lighting and increased seating capacity. Obviously tennis has a bright future at W&M; fitting since our only NCAA National Championships remain the 1947 and 1948 men's tennis teams.

And, of course, a major boost for the Tribe basketball programs.

All in all, a grand day for Tribe Athletics.

(02-02-2020 08:03 AM)bubbadog57 Wrote:  Also glad to see the inclusion of the student body in the plans with a year-round Student Center and enhanced seating for games. An important touch.

I agree with this 100%. This along with the regular student center, and wellness facility gets us on par with other schools much larger in enrollment size.

The new arena and especially the new adjacent performance center will be a huge boost for football and basketball recruiting. Having a dedicated space for practice and workouts free from space sharing conflicts is huge. New and updated locker room space is a plus. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a space planned for film study/scouting. If the renderings hold true, the sports performance space looks every bit as impressive as FBS offerings. While shiny new facilities shouldn't be the reason a 17 year old makes a 40 year decision, shiny new facilities could be the deciding factor for a recruit having a hard time deciding between finalists.
It's already a home run. Get the seating capacity correct, and it's a grand slam.

From the RTD write-up:
"Kaplan’s basketball capacity is currently 8,600. The renovation will reduce capacity, though the school did not specify the building’s future number of seats."

Huge went on to say, they wanted to give the sense of being a hard to get ticket. My take is it being all geared toward driving season ticket sales. We, also, don't know how many the student pavillion will hold, which may be above and beyond seating capacity.

Do anyone know whether the sideline lower bowl seats are moveable? That's my assumption, partly because of the rails pictured on the ends. I count 12 rows on the bench side and 14 rows on the other side. Counting the current, fixed 4 rows (including handicap rows) at the top where I sit, there are 15 total rows now.

It looks like most of the major structural work is on the new entrance side plus the concourse on the now open end. I hope they find a way to have bathrooms on the entrance side since the current ones appear to be slated for removal.

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(02-02-2020 11:50 AM)3xTribe Wrote:  Do anyone know whether the sideline lower bowl seats are moveable? That's my assumption, partly because of the rails pictured on the ends.

I know nothing, but to me it appears that all of the lower level seats are movable. Makes sense for event versatility - concerts, gymnastics, etc.

(02-02-2020 11:26 AM)Tribeheart Wrote:  From the RTD write-up:
"Kaplan’s basketball capacity is currently 8,600. The renovation will reduce capacity, though the school did not specify the building’s future number of seats."

Huge went on to say, they wanted to give the sense of being a hard to get ticket. My take is it being all geared toward driving season ticket sales. We, also, don't know how many the student pavillion will hold, which may be above and beyond seating capacity.

Now you see what's going on. Sell mostly season tickets at an increased price, get big donors to buy into the hospitality area. Sell more things at the event. Very smart in many ways.

The only issue is that full season ticket plans are becoming dinosaurs in most sports. I hope there are packages that appeal to all fans. Maybe Saturday only at an increased price. All OOC games plus selected other games, etc. I probably can't go to all of the games, but would like to try for 5-10 each season. Ability to sell back seats to the ticket office or simply via stubhub could also work if there is enough demand.

Does anyone know how many season tickets are sold now?

(02-02-2020 12:12 PM)mrjoolius Wrote:  

(02-02-2020 11:50 AM)3xTribe Wrote:  Do anyone know whether the sideline lower bowl seats are moveable? That's my assumption, partly because of the rails pictured on the ends.

I know nothing, but to me it appears that all of the lower level seats are movable. Makes sense for event versatility - concerts, gymnastics, etc.

They are moveable ... that’s how they get more baskets for practice there and for gymnastics, etc.... as MJ stated


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