...and on a host of other issues (including the state of the football program and the infamous flight to Tulsa): http://www.hookem.com/story/one-year-later-fenves-now-speed-texas-athletics/
His views differ a bit from the recommendations in the UT Athletics Master Plan, which calls for a much larger multi-purpose arena. Here's hoping Fenves's preferences win out.
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Fenves envisions a true basketball arena, one that has 10,000 to 12,000 seats and might cost $250 million.
“Absent any other options, I want to build a basketball arena on that site south of Mike Myers Stadium,” Fenves said. “We can turn Texas into a basketball powerhouse with these two teams.
“Before we start tearing up the concrete, we’ve got a lot of steps,” Fenves said. “We’ve got to put the funding in place. That’s (in the) early stages. We’ve got some rough estimates about what a basketball arena is. But I’m very familiar with how you do these big capital projects.”
Former men’s coach Rick Barnes always lamented how the Erwin Center’s massive lower bowl hinders the fan experience. To crank up the fan volume, it truly must be at or near its 16,540-seat capacity.
Fenves, who was a regular attendee at men’s and women’s games, said he wants a building that is “sold out, tight, loud and exciting.”
“If you’ve been in a sold-out arena where it’s really thumping, you don’t quite get that in the Erwin Center,” he said. “So if we are going to build an arena, my preference is it be designed to be a premier venue for basketball.”
His views differ a bit from the recommendations in the UT Athletics Master Plan, which calls for a much larger multi-purpose arena. Here's hoping Fenves's preferences win out.
_________________________________________________
Fenves envisions a true basketball arena, one that has 10,000 to 12,000 seats and might cost $250 million.
“Absent any other options, I want to build a basketball arena on that site south of Mike Myers Stadium,” Fenves said. “We can turn Texas into a basketball powerhouse with these two teams.
“Before we start tearing up the concrete, we’ve got a lot of steps,” Fenves said. “We’ve got to put the funding in place. That’s (in the) early stages. We’ve got some rough estimates about what a basketball arena is. But I’m very familiar with how you do these big capital projects.”
Former men’s coach Rick Barnes always lamented how the Erwin Center’s massive lower bowl hinders the fan experience. To crank up the fan volume, it truly must be at or near its 16,540-seat capacity.
Fenves, who was a regular attendee at men’s and women’s games, said he wants a building that is “sold out, tight, loud and exciting.”
“If you’ve been in a sold-out arena where it’s really thumping, you don’t quite get that in the Erwin Center,” he said. “So if we are going to build an arena, my preference is it be designed to be a premier venue for basketball.”