The location and amount of available space is perfect, especially if those barns go away and you put a parking garage in the field across the street (which would help basketball and football). If it were me, I'd demolish it and rebuild a 5-6,000 seat "New Blackham" specifically for basketball and smaller events. I don't know what it would cost, but it would be what we'd do in a perfect world. They could then put city money into fixing up the Cajun Dome and making it more viable for concerts, conventions, and things of that nature.
Someone may be able to add to this but would redoing blackham be more expensive than it may be worth. I believe that it being built so long ago, the cost of upgrading to meet today's building codes would be to pricey! You would probably be better starting from scratch. I personally hate watching games at Cajundome. As a venue hosting ball games, it sucks, the interior is ugly, cheap looking, especially the suites.
Easy fix to retrofit the Cajndome. Model it after NBA arenas.
-8k lower seating
- Club level and suites on level 2.
- Close off 3rd level seating for Cajuns Basketball. Dim the lights up there and make it more intimate
If they would implode Blackham, they have to sell tickets to push the detonator button!
I'm picking up what you're puttin' down Douglas. In 30 years I can only think of 3 games that 10k+ made it a REALLY good basketball atmosphere. Loyola-Marymount in 91, UMASS in 96, and SBC Championship against South Al in 98.. The ice skating barrier separates the end zones seats A LOT more than it did pre-icegators. A jammed 7k right on the court is much more intimidating than 9k spread out 1/2 a mile away.
Yep. Any idea number of seats in the existing first and second levels? We had consistently great crowds in the early 90's. Back then small crowd was 5,000 folks + the Cajun Chicken.
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