Hammersmith Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 If any of you have traveled to Fargo for a basketball game, you know our arena(the BSA) is a dump. Built in 1967, it's only had some minor upgrades since then, and it's a multi-purpose facility to boot. A year ago, it was looking good that we were going to get a $32 million basketball addition to the Fargodome(<100 yards from the BSA). About half the money was going to come from excess funds generated by the sales tax that built the Fargodome. The other half was going to come from naming rights to the facility(NDSU was responsible for securing them). Any remaining funds were going to come directly from NDSU. Well, the economy tanked, the escrow fund with the excess sales tax money took a $4 million hit in the fourth quarter of 2008, and no one will touch the naming rights with a 10 meter cattle prod. We were going to remodel the BSA anyway, but now basketball games will have to stay in there for the next several years. It's the definition of lipstick on a pig, but what can you do in these times? Here's the article from our local paper(includes a photo of what might have been): Dome arena addition hits snag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 ORU's Mabee Center opened in 1974, so it's nearly as old at the BSA. While it has a few shortcomings compared to more modern facilities, I think most fans love the place - lots of memories there. Last year the sound system was updated and a video scoreboard was added to modernize a bit. I think Mabee Center could use some other upgrades, but overall I'd hate to see us move to a new facility. After thirty five years of service, the "Magnificent Mabee Center" is STILL magnificent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 ORU's Mabee Center opened in 1974, so it's nearly as old at the BSA. While it has a few shortcomings compared to more modern facilities, I think most fans love the place - lots of memories there. Last year the sound system was updated and a video scoreboard was added to modernize a bit. I think Mabee Center could use some other upgrades, but overall I'd hate to see us move to a new facility. After thirty five years of service, the "Magnificent Mabee Center" is STILL magnificent! If they would simply refurbish the seats in the lower bowl of the Mabee Center, along with Sections AA-DD in the upper level, the place would be great. Can you say "cup holders"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeflip1 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Cup holders are for Kids, but airline seats are for Men. Why don't we just mimic the aviation industry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 If any of you have traveled to Fargo for a basketball game, you know our arena(the BSA) is a dump. Built in 1967, it's only had some minor upgrades since then, and it's a multi-purpose facility to boot. A year ago, it was looking good that we were going to get a $32 million basketball addition to the Fargodome(<100 yards from the BSA). About half the money was going to come from excess funds generated by the sales tax that built the Fargodome. The other half was going to come from naming rights to the facility(NDSU was responsible for securing them). Any remaining funds were going to come directly from NDSU. Well, the economy tanked, the escrow fund with the excess sales tax money took a $4 million hit in the fourth quarter of 2008, and no one will touch the naming rights with a 10 meter cattle prod. We were going to remodel the BSA anyway, but now basketball games will have to stay in there for the next several years. It's the definition of lipstick on a pig, but what can you do in these times? Here's the article from our local paper(includes a photo of what might have been): Dome arena addition hits snag Hammersmith, I have been there for a game. Is the facility anything to write home about? No. Are any teams going to come to Fargo simply because they want the pleasure of playing in your building? No. What I can say is that the day that we were there the place was almost at capacity, the crowd was rockin' and people were on the whole quite friendly. I feel for your loss in that it sounds like you were seriously looking forward to big changes. From an outsiders viewpoint though (you did post on our board), it would make more sense to solidly establish your team at D1 level competition before focusing too much on expansion. I suspect that something like that might be going through the minds of the powers that be as well. It will probably be easier to make the case for a new venue when (if?) UND joins the Summit because the regional rivalry thing will really get going again full force. Besides that, what are the chances of moving into the neighbouring (literally next door) Fargo Dome for some really important games where you could fill more seats than you currently have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammersmith Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 I don't want to create another NDSU thread on the board, so I'll tack this story onto this thread. The Fargo Forum and the Grand Forks Herald are owned by the same company and they did a joint article on coaches' salaries at NDSU, UND & Minnesota State University - Moorhead(or MSUM, a smallish 4-year DII school located across the river from Fargo). Among other stuff, our AD is quoted as saying that his goal is to get all our coaches and assistants salaries into the top two of the Summit. Just as telling, in an article from late last week, our SWA, Lynn Dorn, repeatedly compared our salaries to MVC coaches rather than Summit. Here are the articles: (the Forum requires registration if you want to read a second article - it's free - or you can clear your cookies prior to each article if you don't want to register) Bison give raises to coaches Phillips, Hinterstocker and Mueller Sorting through the salaries Graphic: Coaching Salaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 TheEagleman isn't wanting to be a know it all, TMH but Mabee Center opened in 1972....December vs. Wisconsin was the first official ORU game....but there was an ABA pre-season game played at Mabee about a month before that...NJ Nets vs. the San Antonio Spurs, i believe...and TheEagleman was there for both events.... ....man, am I old or what?.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 TheEagleman isn't wanting to be a know it all, TMH but Mabee Center opened in 1972....December vs. Wisconsin was the first official ORU game....but there was an ABA pre-season game played at Mabee about a month before that...NJ Nets vs. the San Antonio Spurs, i believe...and TheEagleman was there for both events.... ....man, am I old or what?.... No prob, Eagleman. I wasn't here at that time, and I'm sure I looked it up somewhere and just got the wrong date. As a matter of fact, I was reading something recently that said someone big - Elvis Pressley, I believe - performed at Mabee Center in 1972. Sorry about the disinformation! I'll try to be more careful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 LOL....hey, TheEagleman was there for the Elvis concert, too...I was working at Mabee Center that year on the clean up crew...my senior year....so that concert had to be in late 1975 or early 1976....I was backstage when they ushered Elvis thru....tons of security even back then....there is a famous picture somewhere of Oral and Elvis arm in arm prior to the show...i have it somewhere in my archives....those were the days!..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 LOL....hey, TheEagleman was there for the Elvis concert, too...I was working at Mabee Center that year on the clean up crew...my senior year....so that concert had to be in late 1975 or early 1976....I was backstage when they ushered Elvis thru....tons of security even back then....there is a famous picture somewhere of Oral and Elvis arm in arm prior to the show...i have it somewhere in my archives....those were the days!..... It may not have been Elvis in 1972 - although the same article said that Elvis played the Mabee Center twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Okay - I looked it up - it was JOHNNY CASH that was the first big name to play in the Mabee Center, October, 1972. AT LAST I got something right!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Yes...Johnny Cash did play Mabee early on...TheEagleman wasn't at the concert but did see Johnny when he sang on Oral's prime time TV show...the show was taped at Mabee during my freshman year.....not sure when the 2nd Elvis concert was at Mabee..perhaps after I graduated in 76 but not long after....i believe The King died in 77...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Yes...Johnny Cash did play Mabee early on...TheEagleman wasn't at the concert but did see Johnny when he sang on Oral's prime time TV show...the show was taped at Mabee during my freshman year.....not sure when the 2nd Elvis concert was at Mabee..perhaps after I graduated in 76 but not long after....i believe The King died in 77...... I checked on that, too. Once in 1974 and once in 1976. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 TheEagleman was working for the 76 Elvis concert....don't remember the one in 74 but then again, perhaps it was during the summer while i was in the process of preparing for my first wedding....don't get me started on that..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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