ATHLETICS

New Arena Taking Shape

Athletics Director Mike Alden discusses the new basketball arena in his Feb. 10th column. Tiger fans can continuously monitor the the arena’s construction by viewing the arena web cam.

On Oct. 1, 2004, a new era in Missouri Athletics will begin, with the opening of our new basketball arena. As the building continues to evolve out of the ground just southwest of the Hearnes Center, the excitement surrounding this state-of-the-art facility grows exponentially, and I wanted to take some time this month to share some updates with everyone.

In the summer of 2003, we unveiled to the public our seating plan for the new arena. Included in the brochure, which was sent out to our Tiger Scholarship Fund donors, alumni and fans and made available to the public, was a “Letter of Intent.” This document allows our fans to inform us of their intention to obtain seats in the new arena. To date, we have received more than 2,400 Letters of Intent, which is exceptional.

Because each Letter of Intent represents approximately four season tickets, this number represents more season tickets holders than we currently have in A, B and C sections in the Hearnes Center. That is exactly what we had hoped for when we designed the seating plan, and it tells us that we are on the right track with our plan.

Because of the configuration of the seats in the new arena, not only are there more seats available, but also more desirable locations than what we are currently able to provide to our fans at Hearnes. The seats, which are located the furthest from the court in the new building, are equal to seats at the top of “C Section” in Hearnes. That was very important for us and something we made sure that the designers were able to incorporate into the plans for the new arena.

The current capacity in Hearnes is 13, 611, while the new arena is slated to hold around 15, 000 people per game. Currently in Hearnes, only 37 percent of the seats are in the “lower bowl,” while 60 percent of the seats in the new arena will be in the “lower bowl.” Most importantly, the average annual donation to the “Tiger Scholarship Fund” for “lower bowl” seats in Hearnes is $1,388. In the new arena, that figure will drop to $816 dollars annually, making it much more affordable, on average, for our fans to have prime seats in the new building. It is our intention to make Missouri Basketball more affordable for all.

Another example is the number of priority seats that will require an annual donation of just $250 dollars per seat or less. In Hearnes the figure is 959. In the new arena that increases to 4,205, which means that over four times the number of seats are available in the new arena for very affordable prices. There are also a significant number of seats that will require no donation at all! The number of general admission seats increases from 2,700 to 2,813.

There is still time for you to acquire seats in the new arena. Seats will be assigned using “Priority Points” for each ticket holder. The Tiger Scholarship Fund office awards donors with points that are accrued in their accounts each year. Donors receive one point for every $100 donated to TSF, two points for each consecutive year they purchases season tickets in football or men’s basketball, and three points for every consecutive year they have been a member of the TSF. Interested fans were given a January 31, 2004, deadline to send the Letter of Intent and make a donation for 2004, in order to secure priority points for 2004, which can then be applied to their Priority Points total. If you are interested in seats or want more information, please contact our Tiger Scholarship Fund office at (573) 882-0704.

In March, the TSF office will mail out to each individual, the date and time of their Select-A-Seat appointment. Those appointments will be held in April and May at the Tiger Lounge in the press tower at Memorial Stadium. At that time, fans will meet with TSF representatives to choose their seats. Fans will watch a virtual reality computer program, which will show each seating section in the new arena by simulating what the view will look like from each seat. Upon selecting the section, the program will then show the donor a 360 degree view of their individual seats. It is an amazing program! It is important to note, that these appointments are on an individual basis in a private setting, with each appointment taking about thirty minutes. People will have the option of coming on their own, sending someone in their place, or contacting the TSF office and giving one of our representatives the permission to select seats for them.

Each day when I drive past the new arena, I am amazed at the progress our construction team is making. I take time to go out and visit with the workers and supervisors on a regular basis, and I firmly believe that the level of pride that they have invested in this project will be represented in the finished product. I have always said, whenever given the chance, that when this arena is complete, it will be the finest on-campus facility in America. It is because of the dedication and the quality of work by everyone affiliated with this facility that I can say that with great confidence.

As always, I would like to thank you for taking the time to review this column. If you have any comments or questions regarding this, or any other topic related to Mizzou Athletics or college athletics in general, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at aldenm@missouri.edu.

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Last Update: November 15, 2007