Serious about basketball? Move students...

#1
kiddiedoc

kiddiedoc

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#1
To one of the sidelines. Watching other games around the country, the students are much more of a factor with noise and energy when they are closer to the action. TBA is huge compared to most arenas, and there is plenty of room.

I realize this would take some shuffling of season tix, etc, but IMO it would be an awesome move for the direction of the program.

Thoughts?
 
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#3
#3
Students theoretically are on the side. Those not in the designated standing area, just choose not to stand and be loud. Orange is the men and blue is the women’s student seating.
 

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#4
#4
I don’t think the student placement is that much of a deal, but I do think the area needs to be smaller, and maybe elevated. And for the love of god, get rid of the couches.
 
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#5
#5
Dallasbowlin said:
I don’t think the student placement is that much of a deal, but I do think the area needs to be smaller, and maybe elevated. And for the love of god, get rid of the couches.
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Those coaches are there so the students don’t block the view of the people sitting behind them.
 
#7
#7
Can't. They sold lifetime seat licenses for about $1,000 each to raise funds to build the arena. It's a contract. Short sighted move by Woodruff and Devoe.

Students are courtside anyway. Just at the wrong end to harass opponents at the end of games.
 
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#10
#10
Ive always felt our fans are not basketball smart like say Kentucky or Duke. Our fans wait for something to happen instead of helping with their energy. The Lafy Vol fans are usually more fired up at the beginning of each half.
 
#11
#11
This has been mentioned a million times, most agree with the idea but it’s apparently not possible because lifetime contracts were signed when TBA needed funding.
 
#12
#12
bleedingTNorange said:
This has been mentioned a million times, most agree with the idea but it’s apparently not possible because lifetime contracts were signed when TBA needed funding.
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There are ways around it, people can stay in lower level just maybe a section over,or a few rows back. Needs to happen.
 
#13
#13
I understand that it would take an agreement, money, and some sort of compromise from the seat-holders. However, you don't successfully enact change by continuing to do and think the same things over and over.

If UT and fans of our basketball REALLY want what's best for the team, it could happen. The atmosphere in TBA is more like a ballet than a raucous, hostile sports venue 95% of the time.
 
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#15
#15
kiddiedoc said:
I understand that it would take an agreement, money, and some sort of compromise from the seat-holders. However, you don't successfully enact change by continuing to do and think the same things over and over.

If UT and fans of our basketball REALLY want what's best for the team, it could happen. The atmosphere in TBA is more like a ballet than a raucous, hostile sports venue 95% of the time.
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So moving the students is going to change their behavior?
 
#17
#17
They're seat licenses. Not section licenses or lower bowl licenses. The state of TN can't use eminent domain and there will never be 100% cooperation with the seat license owners to work out a seating reconfiguration. There's really no need to revisit the issue every year. And if TN could round up a block of courtside seats, does anybody think that UT would actually give them to the students instead of the highest bidders? A single seat 20 rows up behind the UT bench requires a $6,000 or $7,000 annual donation.

Most likely the ONLY way this happens is to demolish the TBAC&A, scrape the lot, and build a new facility. It's not going to happen. It wouldn't surprise me if there's language in the agreements that give the seat owners first crack at seats in a new arena.

Maybe once all of the original seat license owners die off, then something could happen. That assumes that they can't be passed down to subsequent generations. I'd love to see the contracts for those licenses from the early 1980s. TN's lawyers and administrators from 40 years ago likely had no vision.
 
#18
#18
If it works, I'll change my side court tickets, but I'm still unconvinced that changing produces the behavior. Section 123, 124 etc, which are reasonable seats, doesn't have maniacal behavior often.
 
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#19
#19
I'd like to know if the seats behind the visitor's end goal have lots of the original seat owners. They have moved the media around a bit in that area. There used to be 2 or 3 rows of tables on the floor for the media. AW Davis used to sit there. So did Ray Mears and his wife Dana. Dana sits in a suite now... but she may not own the seat. She's more likely somebody's guest.
 
#20
#20
Thunder Good-Oil said:
They're seat licenses. Not section licenses or lower bowl licenses. The state of TN can't use eminent domain and there will never be 100% cooperation with the seat license owners to work out a seating reconfiguration. There's really no need to revisit the issue every year. And if TN could round up a block of courtside seats, does anybody think that UT would actually give them to the students instead of the highest bidders? A single seat 20 rows up behind the UT bench requires a $6,000 or $7,000 annual donation.

Most likely the ONLY way this happens is to demolish the TBAC&A, scrape the lot, and build a new facility. It's not going to happen. It wouldn't surprise me if there's language in the agreements that give the seat owners first crack at seats in a new arena.

Maybe once all of the original seat license owners die off, then something could happen. That assumes that they can't be passed down to subsequent generations. I'd love to see the contracts for those licenses from the early 1980s. TN's lawyers and administrators from 40 years ago likely had no vision.
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The worry in trying to raise the amount needed to get approval was having a guaranteed funding amount so that local and state wouldn't foot any of the extra funds beyond that which they agreed to. It was a new toy for Devoe and the administration, and they wanted that new toy. The thinking was that 24,000 plus versus 13,000 was a good trade-off and ultimately the arena would be a win-win. But, I am sure the student involvement was not as well-planned as it should have been.
 
#21
#21
Thunder Good-Oil said:
I'd like to know if the seats behind the visitor's end goal have lots of the original seat owners. They have moved the media around a bit in that area. There used to be 2 or 3 rows of tables on the floor for the media. AW Davis used to sit there. So did Ray Mears and his wife Dana. Dana sits in a suite now... but she may not own the seat. She's more likely somebody's guest.
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The "end zone" seats in the south end, which the original recipients used, were dislodged from those season ticket holders and those folks were given the opportunity to purchase seats in other areas. Not sure about the north end zone.
 
#22
#22
OrngeJuiceJones said:
There are ways around it, people can stay in lower level just maybe a section over,or a few rows back. Needs to happen.
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My guess is being moved was not part of the contract...doubt you’re going to convince someone to give up their mid court seats for end zone seats
 
#23
#23
kiddiedoc said:
I understand that it would take an agreement, money, and some sort of compromise from the seat-holders. However, you don't successfully enact change by continuing to do and think the same things over and over.

If UT and fans of our basketball REALLY want what's best for the team, it could happen. The atmosphere in TBA is more like a ballet than a raucous, hostile sports venue 95% of the time.
Click to expand...

The other part would be eliminating the court side seats and moving the fans closer to the court...there’s so much room from the out of bounds line to where the fans sit, especially compared to other schools.
 
#24
#24
cardvolfan said:
If it works, I'll change my side court tickets, but I'm still unconvinced that changing produces the behavior. Section 123, 124 etc, which are reasonable seats, doesn't have maniacal behavior often.
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I’m with you cardvol. I have been to many games were there were more students sitting in the other sections than in the standing section. I don’t think there is as much interest by the students as everyone thinks.
 
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