Every year I’ve been here, I’ve heard the same rumblings-Saint Louis University needs an on-campus arena. Every year, the administration acts like it may be a possibility, until there are other pressing needs that grab its attention.
But now, things seem to be different. The Student Government Association is trying to get involved. University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. is trying to get support, both moral and financial, from the student community and the St. Louis community at-large.
Why?
The attendance at the Savvis Center is dwindling. There are constant rumors that an NBA team, any NBA team, may be interested in making St. Louis its new home. It seems like now is a great time to make a ground-breaking decision.
The SLU community will be affected. Yes, the entire University will be affected. The men’s and women’s basketball teams will benefit. Some of the most difficult places to play-Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, Pauley Pavilion at UCLA, Cole Fieldhouse at Maryland and Allen Fieldhouse at Kansas-are all on-campus arenas.
An on-campus arena would help attendance at men’s games. Just look at the way the soccer teams draw fans. For a sport that isn’t North American, SLU supports soccer.
When you have nothing to do on a Friday night, why not walk over to see the Billikens play? It’s easier to walk across the street than to Savvis Center. When this happens, SLU could be added to the list of places opponents hate to play. More fan support can only help the team. The talent level is there. You can only wonder what the outcome of the close home losses would have been if there had been students in the student section.
SLU was able to schedule some Friday and Saturday games that were supposed to be more appealing to students. But when you have an arena on campus, you can schedule games whenever you want. The Blues’ schedule and concert schedules won’t have to be honored.
The rest of the athletic department will benefit. SLU won’t continue to lose the rent that it pays the Savvis Center. SLU can pour the money the teams make at basketball games back into the athletic program and every team will benefit.
The University as a whole will benefit. SLU will have more exposure. By scheduling more games on the weekends, combined with the Charter contract, the Billikens will be more visible in St. Louis. Conference USA already has a contract with ESPN and ESPN2. League games are broadcasted on Friday nights. When you can schedule more games on Friday nights, more games can be televised.
With more exposure, SLU will get more applicants. Every year that the men’s basketball team plays in the NCAA Tournament, applications increase. If SLU is on TV all the time, it makes sense that more people will want to attend.
If there are more applicants, more top-quality students will be in the mix. So in our eternal march to become the Georgetown of the Midwest, an on-campus arena will help. SLU can be more selective about who it accepts.
An on-campus arena answers the dreaded SLU question-What should we do this weekend? Besides hosting 20-plus basketball games for each team, SLU could use the arena for concerts or plays.
You know the feeling you have when you throw a party and no one shows up? Ask anyone on the men’s basketball team how he felt when he gets ready for a home game and the arena is empty. The team deserves better. Coach Lorenzo Romar deserves much better. He’s one of the rising stars in college basketball. He shouldn’t have to encourage people to come to games. They should want to come and watch him coach, want to watch the Billikens play. The talent is there. The coaching is there. SLU administration, give them the missing piece.
