DePaul, McPier discuss new stadium near McCormick Place

[Benny B]

Yeah, but to go through that hassle to watch DePaul basketball.........

They go through it to watch the Cubs, don't they?

[77ncaachamps]

If this goes down, they might as well be the McDemons.

[Tugg Speedman]

Chicago is big on college athletics. It's a huge Big 10 town with sizeable alumni bases from Notre Dame, Notre Dame, SLU, and even several Big 12 and SEC Schools. It's just not big on college athletics for the schools physically within the city limits, and when your only D1 options are DePaul, Loyola, and Chicago State, you can see why.

I disagree.  

* Chicago does a poor job of supporting NU football, which is not that bad anymore.  

* When Illinois football plays in the area (like in Wrigley) they get bodies but it is hardly a big event.  The winter classic hockey game was a bigger deal at Wrigley (as was Springsteen at Wrigley last month).

* How excited are Chicagoans about this coming weekend's game between ND/The U (Miami) in Soldier's field?  Ask the average Chicagoan what big sporting even is happening this coming weekend in Chicago and you probably hear more say the Marathon (Sunday) over this game.

* In past Novembers the United Center has hosted various early season basketball match-ups/tourneys bringing in some top teams.  Attendance was terrible and they no longer do it.  Ditto Illinois when they play at the UC.

---

Chicago is the third largest city in the country so yes they have plenty of Alumni from many large schools.  But these alumni sell-out the Bulls and the Cubs.  These alumni obsess about the bears.  They may care about their Alma Mater's teams but they do not go to top quality college sporting events in the metropolitan area.

[Pakuni]

I disagree.  

* Chicago does a poor job of supporting NU football, which is not that bad anymore.  

* When Illinois football plays in the area (like in Wrigley) they get bodies but it is hardly a big event.  The winter classic hockey game was a bigger deal at Wrigley (as was Springsteen at Wrigley last month).

* How excited are Chicagoans about this coming weekend's game between ND/The U (Miami) in Soldier's field?  Ask the average Chicagoan what big sporting even is happening this coming weekend in Chicago and you probably hear more say the Marathon (Sunday) over this game.

* In past Novembers the United Center has hosted various early season basketball match-ups/tourneys bringing in some top teams.  Attendance was terrible and they no longer do it.  Ditto Illinois when they play at the UC.

---

Chicago is the third largest city in the country so yes they have plenty of Alumni from many large schools.  But these alumni sell-out the Bulls and the Cubs.  These alumni obsess about the bears.  They may care about their Alma Mater's teams but they do not go to top quality college sporting events in the metropolitan area.

Well, in all fairness, Chicago hardly is alone in that alumni from one school don't flock to see other schools play. Would a mid-November Duke-Minnesota game pack the Bradley Center?

That said, the ND-Miami game at Soldier Field is sold out and tickets are going for as much as $4,500 at StubHub. So obviously there's some interest.

And last year, a crappy Illinois team drew 15K+ to the UC for a game against a non-marquee opponent, UNLV.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

And last year, a crappy Illinois team drew 15K+ to the UC for a game against a non-marquee opponent, UNLV.

Illinois was ranked 19th at the time, and still a quarter of the UC empty.

[Marqevans]

I disagree.  



* How excited are Chicagoans about this coming weekend's game between ND/The U (Miami) in Soldier's field?  Ask the average Chicagoan what big sporting even is happening this coming weekend in Chicago and you probably hear more say the Marathon (Sunday) over this game.


Actually I believe the ND game is sold out.  I was rideing the train the other day and there were a few non- ND fans looking for tickets.


a

Chicago is the third largest city in the country so yes they have plenty of Alumni from many large schools.  But these alumni sell-out the Bulls and the Cubs.  These alumni obsess about the bears.  They may care about their Alma Mater's teams but they do not go to top quality college sporting events in the metropolitan area.

[Pakuni]

Illinois was ranked 19th at the time, and still a quarter of the UC empty.

15K is better than MU does in their own building most nights.
MU played 16 home games last year. Topped 15K in only five of them.

[warriorchick]

15K is better than MU does in their own building most nights.
MU played 16 home games last year. Topped 15K in only five of them.

Yeah, but Chicago has 5 times the population in their metropolitan area to draw from.  And there are probably 10 times more U of I alums in Chicagoland than Marquette alums in Milwaukee.

[Pakuni]

Yeah, but Chicago has 5 times the population in their metropolitan area to draw from.  And there are probably 10 times more U of I alums in Chicagoland than Marquette alums in Milwaukee.

And there are about 8,300 more Marquette undergrads in Milwaukee than Illinois undergrads in Chicago.

Really not sure what your point is. If you think Illinois drawing more than 15,000 fans away from home against a non-marquee opponent is poor, so be it. I suspect Marquette would kill for that kind of attendance against UNLV in Chicago.

[warriorchick]

And there are about 8,300 more Marquette undergrads in Milwaukee than Illinois undergrads in Chicago.

Really not sure what your point is. If you think Illinois drawing more than 15,000 fans away from home against a non-marquee opponent is poor, so be it. I suspect Marquette would kill for that kind of attendance against UNLV in Chicago.

My point is that Illinois SHOULD do better attendance-wise in Chicago than Marquette does in Milwaukee - it has a much larger base to draw from.

[Pakuni]

My point is that Illinois SHOULD do better attendance-wise in Chicago than Marquette does in Milwaukee - it has a much larger base to draw from.

Fact is, most student and alumni of any school are, at best, very casual fans of its sports teams. Take MU, for example. It has about 8,400 undergrads. About 1/3 of them will buy season tickets to the basketball games. Why do you believe any of the other 2/3s - at MU or any other school - are going to run out to see the team 15-20 years after they graduate? If anything, they'll be less likely to do so.
People like us are very much the exception.

[Lennys Tap]

People like us are very much the exception.

Yes, indeed. Scoopers are nothing if not exceptional!

[Groin_pull]

Well, in all fairness, Chicago hardly is alone in that alumni from one school don't flock to see other schools play. Would a mid-November Duke-Minnesota game pack the Bradley Center?

That said, the ND-Miami game at Soldier Field is sold out and tickets are going for as much as $4,500 at StubHub. So obviously there's some interest.

And last year, a crappy Illinois team drew 15K+ to the UC for a game against a non-marquee opponent, UNLV.

$4,500 to watch ND/Miami???    That's about $ 4,495 more than I'd be willing to pay.

As far as this DePaul story, where is Chicago going to find the money for this? They're swimming in debt. Can't see taxpayers agreeing to put one dollar towards this project...especially when the UC is available.

[Benny B]

As far as this DePaul story, where is Chicago going to find the money for this? They're swimming in debt. Can't see taxpayers agreeing to put one dollar towards this project...especially when the UC is available.

I remember when I was that pragmatic. Then I moved to Illinois and realized that pragmatic and naive mean the same thing here.

[Dr. Blackheart]

As far as this DePaul story, where is Chicago going to find the money for this? They're swimming in debt. Can't see taxpayers agreeing to put one dollar towards this project...especially when the UC is available.

It is called available bond cap money already set aside for the failed Summer Olympics by a separate taxing body than the near bankrupt city or state.  Spend, baby, spend.

[Cooby Snacks]

It is called available bond cap money already set aside for the failed Summer Olympics by a separate taxing body than the near bankrupt city or state.  Spend, baby, spend.

I'm sure there's some more infrastructure they can "lease" out beyond parking and the Skyway, too.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

They go through it to watch the Cubs, don't they?

Worth pointing out that Addison stop on the Red Line is half a block from Wrigley Field.

If this new CTA stop is to be built on the Green Line at 26th street, (assuming that the arena is built on the land where there is parking lots and high-rises south of McCormick Place that were going to be the Olympic Village), the arena will still be nearly a mile from the L station.

DePaul would never fill the United Center without massive tarping. It would be Seton Hall Part II. They need to build on the Finkl Steel site or the Morton Salt sites that were proposed earlier this year.

[dgies9156]

Yeah, but to go through that hassle to watch DePaul basketball.........

No kidding. I have Bears season tickets and the worst part of the Bears (other than Lovie Smith) is getting to the stadium from about anywhere.

Now you're doing to basketball fans what you've done to Bear fans? No thank you Rahmfather!

The reality is that if you give an Illinois politician a $100 million kitty, chances are he or she will waist it on something stupid that nobody wants or needs. Exhibit A is the Rosemont Horizon. It's a terrible place to watch anything. Maybe an old 747 can fly over on a low approach and make the roof cave in again! Exhibit B will be another arena that's too far from anywhere, inconvenient for DePaul students and not conducive to on-campus basketball.

Everyone has talked about Red Line service to IIT 35th or to Roosevelt. Do you people really want a large number of college co-eds riding that train and walking through some of those neighborhoods after a late night basketball game. If you do, take a good look at the murder rate in Chicago this year. Q: What do you call DePaul Basketball fans? A: Targets!!!!+

[Benny B]

How many of those murders occurred on the train?

[Tugg Speedman]

How many of those murders occurred on the train?

Chicago has the highest murder rate in the entire world.  Crime is an issue everywhere in the city, even on the trains.

Having DePaul co-eds wandering through high crime neighborhoods late at night after a basketball should be a concern of DePaul when considering this proposal.

[Benny B]

Chicago has the highest murder rate in the entire world.  Crime is an issue everywhere in the city, even on the trains.

Having DePaul co-eds wandering through high crime neighborhoods late at night after a basketball should be a concern of DePaul when considering this proposal.

They don't have to wander anywhere if you swing the the Red Line over to the stadium site.  Fans of the Sox, Cubs and commuters obviously have no problem taking the Red Line, why should DePaul students?

[PaintTouches]

Chicago has the highest murder rate in the entire world.

Yea, no. Not even the country http://www.npr.org/2012/07/05/155986277/new-orleans-struggles-with-murder-rate-and-trust

Not even top 3. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-10/new-orleans-murder-rate-climbs-as-city-begins-overhaul-of-police.html

[mr.MUskie]

Q: What do you call DePaul Basketball fans? A: Targets!!!!+

Victims.

[Dawson Rental]

Victims.

47%'ers.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

They don't have to wander anywhere if you swing the the Red Line over to the stadium site.  Fans of the Sox, Cubs and commuters obviously have no problem taking the Red Line, why should DePaul students?

Worth pointing out that an L line isn't like a slip-n-slide that you can just pick up and drop wherever. "Swinging the red line over" towards McCormick Place would cost millions of completely unnecessary dollars.

Cubs fans, Sox fans (and yes, even DePaul students) don't mind taking the Red Line because it drops you off half a block from Wrigley, Sox Park, and both of DePaul's city campuses. Meanwhile, the closest Red Line stop to McCormick Place is Chinatown-Cermak, and it's a solid 15-minute, mile-long walk to McCormick Place. That's not gonna fly on a Tuesday night in January.