A Sea Of Red

Like all of you, I am SUPER pumped Liberty will be hosting the ASUN Tournament. This is beneficial to Liberty and Lynchburg in so many ways! A few questions for you veteran fans...

#1 - what kind of attendance can we expect at the games?
#2 - TV exposure, who has details about this? Will be nice to see games on the LU court - great awareness for our program!
#3 - Economic impact to Liberty and Lynchburg

• Hotel revenue
  Restaurant revenue
  Airport flights
  Ticket sales @ Vines Center

I am very curious to know how much additional revenue is created at the Vines by hosting this Tournament. I have no idea what ticket prices are or what kind of attendance to expect. I very much wish I was local and not in the Chicago suburbs so I could be part of the action!

The entire tournament will not be played in Lynchburg. Every game is played at the higher seeded team. So, best case scenario 3 games are played in Lynchburg. And I can't imagine many NJIT fans will be making the trip Tuesday. Same can be said for whoever we play Thursday, certainly not enough to make a huge economic impact. Sunday is a different story.

All games are on ESPN+ except for championship game which is on ESPN.

When is spring break at Liberty? That could potentially effect attendance.

I wish I could somehow make the drive down but I don't see that happening but if/when we make the championship I've got to find a way to make it down there.

If all or even semis and final were at Vines Center, economic impact would be greater. Just playing single game, each night of tournament, will not move needle very much. I have never liked higher seed host at numerous sites. Doesn't have full tournament feel to it.

Spring break was pushed back a week so students will be here through tourney

In conferences like the ASun/Big South it makes sense for attendance purposes but I do like the host site model better but I totally get why the ASun doesn't do their tournament like that.

A Sea of Red wrote:Spring break was pushed back a week so students will be here through tourney

Great idea. That is always how it worked out when I was a student as well, it seems like at some point Spring Break got moved up a week.

I wanted to come up for Championship Sunday but I'm out of town the entire week before. Don't think my marriage would last if I came home only to ask to leave to go to a basketball game.

The last game ever in Vines being a conference championship game is going to be incredible with the students there.

That would be an amazing way to close the place out. I don't know why I was even thinking I could go. I am on call that week for work. Now I am sad.

As I have made a point of saying more than once in our discussions about the new arena, in 30 years we have never had an actual capacity crowd at the Vines Center. Wouldn't it be cool/ironic if it happened in the very last game?

That WILL NOT be LAST game in Vines Center.

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 7:55 pm That WILL NOT be LAST game in Vines Center.

Thank you Nostradamus. None of us know if or when another game may be played there. There are currently no plans for it. None.

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 7:55 pm That WILL NOT be LAST game in Vines Center.

Unless you know something that Ian does not, the ASUN tournament should close out the Vines Center as a basketball arena.

thepostman wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 3:52 pm That would be an amazing way to close the place out. I don't know why I was even thinking I could go. I am on call that week for work. Now I am sad.

Really? I should get tickets

Cider Jim wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 9:07 pm

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 7:55 pm That WILL NOT be LAST game in Vines Center.

Unless you know something that Ian does not, the ASUN tournament should close out the Vines Center as a basketball arena.

If you know anything about LU, you know that no plan is ever really set in stone. Although Jr. has been more resolute than Doc, and there's more financial stability now, our plans are still very fluid. I suspect MBB will probably return to the Vines more often than most expect or has been announced. Just a hunch on my part.

LUOrange wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 11:54 pm

Cider Jim wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 9:07 pm

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑February 28th, 2020, 7:55 pm That WILL NOT be LAST game in Vines Center.

Unless you know something that Ian does not, the ASUN tournament should close out the Vines Center as a basketball arena.

If you know anything about LU, you know that no plan is ever really set in stone. Although Jr. has been more resolute than Doc, and there's more financial stability now, our plans are still very fluid. I suspect MBB will probably return to the Vines more often than most expect or has been announced. Just a hunch on my part.

"More often than has been announced" = once.

Ritchie is is dead set against playing the occasional "big game" in the Vines, and he has good reasons. His job as a coach is to win games, and playing now and then (especially against opponents of the caliber that would potentially draw a huge crowd) in a venue where they do not play or practice on a regular basis, is not conducive to that goal. JR and Ian value his judgement enough to have signed him to a multi-million dollar contract. It's not going to happen. Instead, I predict we will adopt the Trump rally model and have overflow with big screen in the Vines when demand indicates it.

There is a scenario, which myself and others have speculated on in the new arena thread, where at some future point men's basketball could return to a renovated Vines Center on a full time basis. A lot of things would have to take place, including the construction of a new convocation center, for that to ever happen.

Some have a vision that doesn't extend pass their nose.
When we went independent in football, I posted something about playing SEC schools. The pundits and the naysayers got so upset, I considered hiring a bodyguard.

Hab. 2:2-3

Nobody got upset at that. Go back and read those discussions to refresh your memory @ballcoach15 .

I wish every thread didn't turn into a debate on the new arena. We have never sold out the Vines. This is the first time in program history we have had this kind of sustained success. Could we someday move back to the Vines? Of course. Will it happen anytime soon? If you have paid attention you would know the answer to that question is a resounding "NO". I am looking forward to having a real home court feel as opposed to an arena where more people sit on their hands than engage in the game.

Regardless, the ASun Tourny could be a very special way to close out this current version of the Vines Center era.

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑February 29th, 2020, 7:13 am Some have a vision that doesn't extend pass their nose.
When we went independent in football, I posted something about playing SEC schools. The pundits and the naysayers got so upset, I considered hiring a bodyguard.

Hab. 2:2-3

A number is not a vision.

I have a vision (which our coach shares) of an arena packed to the gills for every game with fans who are totally engaged and cheering like crazy in support of our team. That vision also includes multiple conference championships and tournament wins and a reputation for being one of the hardest places in the country for opponents to play and the most exciting and fun for fans to attend. .

You can’t sell premium seats and amenities for season ticket holders and then switch the best games to a different facility that has a degraded experience.

SumItUp wrote: ↑February 29th, 2020, 11:19 am You can’t sell premium seats and amenities for season ticket holders and then switch the best games to a different facility that has a degraded experience.

Thank you.

SumItUp wrote: ↑February 29th, 2020, 11:19 am You can’t sell premium seats and amenities for season ticket holders and then switch the best games to a different facility that has a degraded experience.

#POTY Nominee.

For those wanting economic impact via LU athletics, the ASUN softball tournament in May will bring more $$$$$ into Lynchburg than the basketball tournament will.

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑March 1st, 2020, 7:08 am For those wanting economic impact via LU athletics, the ASUN softball tournament in May will bring more $$$$$ into Lynchburg than the basketball tournament will.

Thank you for citing your sources and providing links.

Common sense has no internet link. Bringing in all ASUN softball teams to one site, is a no brainers, compared to bringing in 1 basketball team, with no road following.

ballcoach15 wrote: ↑March 1st, 2020, 10:57 am Common sense has no internet link. Bringing in all ASUN softball teams to one site, is a no brainers, compared to bringing in 1 basketball team, with no road following.

Because the footprint of the ASUN is spread over such a vast distance, there will not be a lot of fans traveling to Lynchburg for either. Having all the softball teams with their support staff there will probably be a bit better for local hotels and restaurants, but it's not going to make much of an "impact". Compare it with something like graduation and it will barely register a blip on the economic radar screen