At Depaul Home Game

[JakeBarnes]

I practically live on Depaul's campus, just a few hundred yards from Wish field.

The problem Depaul has it is in a wealthy neighborhood, there are $4 and $5 million homes just south of Belden less than a nine iron from campus.

So when it is noted that 80% of the kids commute, that does not necessarily mean they live at home.  To afford an apartment they live five or six L stops away, or about 30 minutes to get to campus.  So no student neighborhood just off campus.    This kills any school spirit having a bunch of kids living on or near campus would have.

(to be clear, Depaul has some dorms, but only enough to cover part of the Freshman class.)

This. Rent in LP/lakeview is nuts and outside of the stuff right on the el tracks, not a ton of affordable student housing.

[warriorchick]

One thing I am not sure showed up on TV:

DePaul also plays "Thunderstruck" before the tip.  Hundreds of Marquette fans stood up and did the side-to-side hand clapping.

Not too bad, considering the majority of them were closer to the sweater-vest variety of fan vs. a Marquette student.

[Lighthouse 84]

Did anyone else think Wintrust is the worst at getting people into the game?  The lines outside moved at a snail’s pace to get people past security. 

[PistolPete]

Did anyone else think Wintrust is the worst at getting people into the game?  The lines outside moved at a snail’s pace to get people past security.

Yes - however, Fiserv has not been much better in my (limited) experience.

Section 124 (mid-court) was 80% MU. Overall, it felt like at least 60/40 MU.

DePaul's walk-on (Pantelis Xidias) is entertaining but I think I'd grow tired of his routine as a fan (of which there seem to be few) and especially a teammate.

DePaul basketball has been pathetic for some time. It's really a shame. Jean Lenti Ponsetto should have been fired many moons ago.

[warriorchick]

Did anyone else think Wintrust is the worst at getting people into the game?  The lines outside moved at a snail’s pace to get people past security.

What time did you get there?  We were there about 30 minutes early and me and my clear plastic purse breezed right through.

[Skatastrophy]

We sat amongst a bunch of season ticket holders and they were all genial as usual. I really enjoy that stadium and the fanbase. They're always welcoming to us (from my experience).

What time did you get there?  We were there about 30 minutes early and me and my clear plastic purse breezed right through.

Same. We got there just before tipoff and the lines were long, but moved quickly. The only snags were the people unaccustomed to going through metal detectors slowing down the flow.

[Lighthouse 84]

What time did you get there?  We were there about 30 minutes early and me and my clear plastic purse breezed right through.

6:50.  We finally walked in just as they tipped off.

[TallTitan34]

https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/1095520963221966849

Even got a brief home game victory lap!

[Lighthouse 84]

https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/1095520963221966849

Even got a brief home game victory lap!

I'm in that video...it was fun to see that at an "away" game!

[drewm88]

This.  It was my first time in the building (but chick's 2nd or 3rd).  I kinda liked the joint.  But not sure what it truly offers DePaul as it's really no more convenient to campus than the Allstate was.

To start, DePaul students are all over the city as mentioned.
But the fact that the stadium is a short enough walk (or free shuttle) from the Red Line, and easy enough to get to via Uber makes a huge difference. What student wants to sit on a bus in rush hour traffic for an hour to get to Allstate? Not ideal, but miles better than Rosemont.

[warriorchick]

To start, DePaul students are all over the city as mentioned.
But the fact that the stadium is a short enough walk (or free shuttle) from the Red Line, and easy enough to get to via Uber makes a huge difference. What student wants to sit on a bus in rush hour traffic for an hour to get to Allstate? Not ideal, but miles better than Rosemont.

But much more inconvenient for most alumni to get to the game.

Also, you could get to Allstate using the Blue Line and a short shuttle.

[drewm88]

But much more inconvenient for most alumni to get to the game.

Also, you could get to Allstate using the Blue Line and a short shuttle.

Glow's comment was about convenience to campus, and the blue line doesn't run through the heart of the main campus like the red line does. You're also basically stuck waiting for the shuttle or hiking around highways in Rosemont, whereas you can walk from Chinatown easily to Wintrust.

But I'm not so sure the South Loop is less convenient for most alumni. I imagine a ton are living or working in the city.

[jsglow]

Glow's comment was about convenience to campus, and the blue line doesn't run through the heart of the main campus like the red line does. You're also basically stuck waiting for the shuttle or hiking around highways in Rosemont, whereas you can walk from Chinatown easily to Wintrust.

But I'm not so sure the South Loop is less convenient for most alumni. I imagine a ton are living or working in the city.

If it is better from a convenience standpoint, it's only by a small margin.  And certainly not worth the coin that Rahm coerced from them.  He must have compromising pics of Ponsetto.

[warriorchick]

6:50.  We finally walked in just as they tipped off.

I am not sure getting into any "major" sports venue 10 minutes before the game starts is going to be a breeze.

[Galway Eagle]

But much more inconvenient for most alumni to get to the game.

Also, you could get to Allstate using the Blue Line and a short shuttle.

Not like their alumni were flocking in when it was out in rosemont. And come on taking the blue line out there is a nightmare. may as well use the sears center and say that you could get there on the metra and a short bus.

[The Lens]

But, but, but the new arena was going to solve all of DePaul's problems.

Because you know, Ray Meyer had such a hard time selling tix to the Rosemont.  Poor DePaul, the arena thing was always something they could point to, something they could blame.  Now what do they have?  Admittedly the program is moving in the right direction but no one in Chicago seems to care.  If I'm a parent in the 'burbs looking for quality yet affordable entertainment, Rosemont seems 100% more desirable than McCormick Place.

[drewm88]

  If I'm a parent in the 'burbs looking for quality yet affordable entertainment, Rosemont seems 100% more desirable than McCormick Place.

If I'm a parent in the city looking for quality yet affordable entertainment, South Loop seems 100% more desirable than McCormick Place.

Glow's point about the $ is a different conversation. But looking just at location, Cermak and Indiana for me please.

[tower912]

Sam was in the victory lap.   The eye injury may not have been fatal. 

[Galway Eagle]

But, but, but the new arena was going to solve all of DePaul's problems.

Because you know, Ray Meyer had such a hard time selling tix to the Rosemont.  Poor DePaul, the arena thing was always something they could point to, something they could blame.  Now what do they have?  Admittedly the program is moving in the right direction but no one in Chicago seems to care.  If I'm a parent in the 'burbs looking for quality yet affordable entertainment, Rosemont seems 100% more desirable than McCormick Place.

You mean the northwestern burbs. Nobody is choosing Rosemont over south loop coming from the south and likely the north shore or at least the near west suburbs.

[The Lens]

You mean the northwestern burbs. Nobody is choosing Rosemont over south loop coming from the south and likely the north shore or at least the near west suburbs.

Very true, but draw a 25 minute circle around Rosemont and I bet you have 300,000-400,000 people.  You can make a living being NW Chicago's team.  Especially when half of Chicago's NW burbs have MBAs from DePaul.

[Bocephys]

Sam was in the victory lap.   The eye injury may not have been fatal.

As long as this guy wasn't giving him the slaps of five.

[Not A Serious Person]

Glow's comment was about convenience to campus, and the blue line doesn't run through the heart of the main campus like the red line does. You're also basically stuck waiting for the shuttle or hiking around highways in Rosemont, whereas you can walk from Chinatown easily to Wintrust.

But I'm not so sure the South Loop is less convenient for most alumni. I imagine a ton are living or working in the city.

This

South Loop is way more convenient than Rosemont for everyone but those in the NW burbs.  That is not a large group.  A Much larger group of fans/alum are in the city.

Think of it this way, if they built a stadium in the Lincoln Yards development which is a few blocks west of campus. it would be as far worse for the complaining sweat vest crowd.  Much harder to get to and parking on par with Wrigley.

Speaking of Wrigley ... could you design a worse place for a stadium.  Hard to get to, far from the highway.  No parking at all.  Yet they get 40k every home game.  Why?  25k can walk to Wrigley in less than 20 minutes.

If Depaul every got good, they can fill half the stadium with basketball fans within one mile of the stadium. 

[JakeBarnes]

Not like their alumni were flocking in when it was out in rosemont. And come on taking the blue line out there is a nightmare. may as well use the sears center and say that you could get there on the metra and a short bus.

Agreed. Blue line is a nightmare to get to from Depaul campus. Red line runs right through campus and South Loop (where law and business school students tend to live). Really short walk from cermak stop with a few watering holes along the way. Definitely a lot more convenient than pregaming at an ORD OTB/Bar

[jsglow]

I know it's an argument many aren't making, but in my mind is isn't Rosemont v. South Loop.  Stand alone the latter is likely better.  Problem is that the latter came with a very big price tag.  It isn't better by enough.

Look.  Rahm wanted a stadium down near McCormick.  He duped DePaul into paying for it.  We were even talking to high roller DePaul alums about it last night..... Their response, 'Ya think!?'

[McCormick Survivor]

DePaul enrollment is surprisingly larger than Marquette.  They boast undergraduate students totaling 14,507 and a total enrollment at 22,437.  Compare to Marquette undergraduate at 8,435 and total enrollment at 11,605.

Pealing back the numbers further, we can see a "logjam" of DePaul students. With 14,507 undergraduates, the equal distribution of each class should be 3,627. Yet, the most recent DePaul Freshman class was 2,575.  Marquette Freshman class was 2,162. Our four year equal distribution of class size is 2,109.  What I take from this is that DePaul students are "associated" with the school longer and do not graduate on-time. 

Game attendance boils down to intensity and full time dedication of the students and then the connection Alumni feel for the school.  Disclosure: I went to law school at DePaul and I saw the problem back then too...