MBB Final: Louisiana 81, West Florida 47

[CajunRebel]

I was googling old pictures of Blackham, and noticed this:


Is this how it looked when it first opened inside? Or was this an artist's rendition? Bracing looks a lot cooler than current day.

Also saw this one too, but this is definitely an artist's rendering:

This was the original building. The seating was expanded later which led to the current look.

[ManAboutTown]

If CajunField can be renovated, anything can be renovated.

#RenovateBlackham

[cjr3888]

Yes, someone I was convincing to go to a game told me it was $81 for two GA tickets with ticketmaster fees for App State. That's why I had created a thread to go to box office in person ahead of game for family four pack.

There's no way a family of four casual fans are showing up to a game when a $60 worth of tickets will cost them $136.80. This hurts attendance way more than concession prices.

[RedTails]

This was the original building. The seating was expanded later which led to the current look.

Woof. Talk about a downgrade in aesthetics.

[Cajun_in_NM]

Woof. Talk about a downgrade in aesthetics.

Well, after Cajun Field is renovated, we'd need ~$110MM. That'd tear down old Blackham and build a close copy of Baylor's new fieldhouse - scaled to whatever seating size you'd want: https://www.chron.com/sports/college...y-13829601.php

[Hatch]

I honestly didn't know Blackham went through an expansion. The original design is beautiful but look how little seating there was. That couldn't have been very much of an increase over EKL capacity wise. Why even build it that small to begin with?

[Turbine]

That building is so old and outdated its beyond renovation. Better served knocking it down and building a new one.

Blackham is probably more structurally sound than the CajunDome.

But you are right, about it being old.

[covcaj]

I honestly didn't know Blackham went through an expansion. The original design is beautiful but look how little seating there was. That couldn't have been very much of an increase over EKL capacity wise. Why even build it that small to begin with?

Probably because nobody figured you'd have more than a couple of thousand people at a basketball game. In the fall semester 1968, Blakcham was being renovated. MBB was played at EKL. Marvn Winkler was on the team, and, I think Lamar was a freshman. Even EKL was not sold out. Two years later, 11,000 for a sold out Blackham was the norm.

[ZoomZoom]

This is outrageous. To buy a ticket to a UL game I have to pay UL $14, pay the Cajundome $10, and pay Ticketmaster $20.85. Seriously, WTF? No wonder casual fans don't go to games.

Throw in 50 bucks plus for food for that family of four, that’s knocking at a $150.00 outing. Make half the home games, that’s 1k plus. Family has kids playing sports, guess where that discretionary income is being spent? Not at UL basketball.

Think that hasn’t cut into attendance any? That’s something Maggard needs to handle.

[BeauCajun]

I don’t know where y’all are coming up with those crazy costs to attend MBB. My wife paid $13 last night at the dome box office. Very reasonable cost.

[RedTails]

I don’t know where y’all are coming up with those crazy costs to attend MBB. My wife paid $13 last night at the dome box office. Very reasonable cost.

The crazy costs we are talking about is purchasing tickets online via Ticketmaster. See screenshot below for the cost of one $7 ticket through Ticketmaster for the game against Xavier:



Casual fan is more likely to look for tickets online (sent to Ticketmaster from www.ragincajuns.com ticket central) than to know to go to the dome box office.

Friend of mine (casual) got sticker shock when he went to check out on Ticketmaster for two GA tickets to a football game this year.

[cjr3888]

I don’t know where y’all are coming up with those crazy costs to attend MBB. My wife paid $13 last night at the dome box office. Very reasonable cost.

Not dreaming anything up. That was probably a seat in the corner. The actually ticket price is affordable, I was on the free throw line 11 rows up and that ticket is $15 ($21 with fees in person). It’s the crazy fees added online, which is what the casual fan see, that drives them away.