Rienzo Letter

[GPHoya]

In terms of proper use of MCI, could we shut-off the upper bowl as the United does at RFK to manufacture scarcity and intimacy? Could we sell the choice lower bowl courtside seats that big donors do not take on a season ticket basis on an individual game basis with season ticket holders getting first crack? If we had a big draw that could use the upper bowl, put the Syracuse and UConn people up there and charge triple.

I am all for a homecourt arena because I think it would knit the fabric of the undergraduate experience together and create long-term loyalty, but the powers that be evidently see that as a lower priority. I tend to agree that MCI does not have to be a barrier to success and would rather see better marketing and scheduling of a better product tried as an interim solution if other building projects need to receive priority for a scarce fiscal budget and the limited ability we have to move our neighbors on development initiatives.

[DFW HOYA]

SFHoya99 said:

Oh, and note to Mike. The team didn't average 15k total customers in 1984. How are we going to do that anytime soon.

I'll repost the attendance numbers this week, but note that in 1984, the team averaged less than 9,000 a game.

[YB]

I think we should try to win in MCI now, BUT I also think that the on-campus arena is such a necessity that you have to plan and fundraise for it now. Plain and simple, it's not a college experience without it.

I was at the UConn game Ivo's soph year- one of my best experiences ever in terms of basketball- and it was packed. Then again, we were #8 and UConn was #1.

We're not going to play UConn every game. You have to plan for the likely- and the likely is that we're getting 8-12k GU fans a game, paid. We gave away about 2-4k unpaid tickets a game for past few years. So subtract those from your attendance totals and you have the reason MCI sucks a$$.