I would be all for this and would cheer for them immediately.

I absolutely wouldn't. The fairgrounds is an awful place to visit for pretty much anything. Most of what makes the Yum Center so appealing is its location in the heart of downtown Louisville and all the pre- and post-game bars and restaurants that come with it.

 

It makes for an alright place to get tanked before a football game.

All for it and think it would be an awesome thing for the state of Kentucky. You would have to think people from the Cinci area would travel to watch a couple of games, as well as maybe stealing some fans from Southern Indiana.

Speaking as one potential season-ticket holder, if the Grizzlies and Pacers are any indication of the types of ticket prices we'd be paying, I think I could be persuaded to buy seats in the upper deck, so long as I could get them for about $600-$700 ($15-$18 per game), which seems to be the going rate for seats in those places. I couldn't shell out for seats any closer as they seem to climb REALLY steeply as soon as you go low.

 

I'm still not on board with this idea as there are too many other variables to work out.

When I lived in Louisville I know I would have jumped on board for one of those packages. Not sure now.

I absolutely wouldn't. The fairgrounds is an awful place to visit for pretty much anything. Most of what makes the Yum Center so appealing is its location in the heart of downtown Louisville and all the pre- and post-game bars and restaurants that come with it.

Without a doubt. I feel a team at the Yum! Center could work while a team at Freedom Hall would fail.

It makes for an alright place to get tanked before a football game.

 

Fair enough. Lots of memories there between tailgates, Freedom Hall, hockey at Broadbent Arena and games at Old Cardinal Stadium. Still don't want to go back. In truth, I don't even tailgate there anymore.

I absolutely wouldn't. The fairgrounds is an awful place to visit for pretty much anything. Most of what makes the Yum Center so appealing is its location in the heart of downtown Louisville and all the pre- and post-game bars and restaurants that come with it.

 

To each his own. I would much rather drive to the Fairgrounds than get into the mess every time I go downtown. Never had to look for a parking place at the Colonels games. The bars mean nothing to me. I would prefer for an NBA team to have its own arena. All Freedom Hall needs is a rich owner willing to spend the bucks to make it first class again. UL can have the Yum Center. I would buy season tickets if it's at the Fairgrounds. Not downtown.

^I find the mess around the Fairgrounds to be 100 times worse than getting out of downtown after a game at the Yum Center. Of course, I park 4 blocks away at Slugger Field and almost always stop in for a beer after the game. Give me a quick turn onto Preston Street and I'm halfway home as opposed to sitting on Ring Road for 20 minutes.

 

That said, if your user name indicates the year you graduated from Trinity, then you're about 30 years my senior and it shouldn't be surprising that we're looking for different things in an arena experience.

 

It's also worth mentioning that one of the big keys for "rich owners" in professional sports today is that they don't pay anything. That owner is considered best in his league that can get the city and state he's in to pay for the nicest arena in which to play. If Freedom Hall were to be remodeled for this, then the City of Louisville would be the one footing the bulk of that bill.

Edited December 20, 201213 yr by Getslow

^I understand your point, but I think they'd be at or near capacity for the majority of games. Think about it like this...The Wizards or Bobcats come to town, you don't think there will be a large number of UK fans jumping at the bit to get a chance to see John Wall or MKG play again?

 

I'm not sure I agree. I think most UK fans forget about UK players after they leave Lexington.

Should the NBA grant Louisville a team I'd be stunned if they didn't make it being at the YUM Center or some new place downtown. The businesses that will buy a majority of the tickets will want to have bars and restaurants around the ol' gym.

Without a doubt. I feel a team at the Yum! Center could work while a team at Freedom Hall would fail.

 

No chance they would get a team without an agreement to play in the Yum center. The Kings are probably going to be moving and they want a new arena. Louisville already has one.

 

 

I'd make the trip from NKY at least a few times a year.

If their were a perspective NBA franchise looking to move to Louisville, the biggest opponent would be UL.

 

The current structure of the deal with the Yum Center and UL makes Mike Brown's deal with Hamilton County look fair. UL gets first rights to arena the day before, during and after a game, which greatly inhibits the availability of the arena.

 

The Arena simply isn't bringing in money to the surrounding businesses and it is bleeding money. UL on other hand makes the profit. A NBA franchise probably would cost UL 11 million in revenue through suites and such.

 

I mentioned that UL was like 200 million in debt but it is more like around 85 million.

 

I dont think that Jurich wants to compete for the corporate dollar that would swing the NBA teams way.

 

I think eventually they are going to have to rework that arena deal with UL.

 

I would definitely go to a few games. The NBA game is so much better than the college game to watch. Its rules/officiating is way better and on down the line.

I'd go to 5-10 games per season, swing across the bridge and stay at the Horseshoe!

I mentioned that UL was like 200 million in debt but it is more like around 85 million.

 

Having done a little reading in the time since you first posted that, I see where that number came from. In 2009-2010, UofL operated at a $200 million shortfall at least partially due to the state's education budget cuts. Since 2006, UofL has seen the state's contribution to its total budget fall from around 25% to about 18%. And since the annual budget is over $1 billion, that's a lot of cash to replace. New revenue from tuition increases and cuts to certain university programs have begun to make up for this shortfall.

 

I don't see this deal happening (and UofL might be one of the reasons for it) but there's a lot for a city like Louisville to overcome for the NBA to work here.

Is it true UL had their own "study" done with the goal of showing that the NBA would not work?