#RenovateBlackham

[ManAboutTown]

It is kind of funny seeing people who did not attend a game in years saying the atmosphere in the Cajun Dome is dead. The last 2 games showed that the Dome can be a good venue when folks show up. I had season tickets when Jesse was here and there were many times that the Dome was rocking. It can happen again. Blackham is an eyesore that needs to leveled as soon as possible. I attended the "throwback' game there several years back and it was and is disgusting. Every now and then someone floats this idiotic idea that Blackham can be a nice arena again with money that we don't have. It will never happen and it shouldn't.

Show up for basketball at the Dome and you can be part of the solution.

Showing up doesn't solve a single problem with any measurable results. Doesn't change the concessions, the impossibility of ad revenue, the cavernous emptiness, the lack of schedule control, the awful atmosphere and certainly doesn't change the mediocre product we've been served up for the better part of a decade.

Renovate Blackham.

[JMV JustMyView]

Showing up doesn't solve a single problem with any measurable results. Doesn't change the concessions, the impossibility of ad revenue, the cavernous emptiness, the lack of schedule control, the awful atmosphere and certainly doesn't change the mediocre product we've been served up for the better part of a decade.

Renovate Blackham.

Going with MAT on this.

[Geaux]

The structure of the Cajun Dome doesn't work anymore.

It's time to make the second level all club seating and put curtains up in the 3rd level. Force all other seating into the 1st level.

[Turbine]

The structure of the Cajun Dome doesn't work anymore.

It's time to make the second level all club seating and put curtains up in the 3rd level. Force all other seating into the 1st level.

That's what I thought they were going to do last remodel.

[zeppelincajun]

It is kind of funny seeing people who did not attend a game in years saying the atmosphere in the Cajun Dome is dead. The last 2 games showed that the Dome can be a good venue when folks show up. I had season tickets when Jesse was here and there were many times that the Dome was rocking. It can happen again. Blackham is an eyesore that needs to leveled as soon as possible. I attended the "throwback' game there several years back and it was and is disgusting. Every now and then someone floats this idiotic idea that Blackham can be a nice arena again with money that we don't have. It will never happen and it shouldn't.

Show up for basketball at the Dome and you can be part of the solution.

I’m not sure how one could take that away from the last couple games. Announced 3K crowds. 1.5k or so butts in seats. Almost 10k empty seats. Even if we get to excellent 5K crowds it’s over half empty. Whether we should renovate or build something new aside, the Dome will NEVER be what we need for a basketball venue.

[Cajunsmike]

I’m not sure how one could take that away from the last couple games. Announced 3K crowds. 1.5k or so butts in seats. Almost 10k empty seats. Even if we get to excellent 5K crowds it’s over half empty. Whether we should renovate or build something new aside, the Dome will NEVER be what we need for a basketball venue.

Crawfish is right in that the energy in the Dome in the last two games was improved over the past. There were definitely more than 1500 people there on Saturday Kids and Band helped there. If you were not there, you probably can’t appreciate this. Definitely does not come across on TV. Problems like Ticket Master fees and high concession prices are issues we could take control of were we not tied to Dome. Can we address these while still playing in Dome?

[zeppelincajun]

Crawfish is right in that the energy in the Dome in the last two games was improved over the past. There were definitely more than 1500 people there on Saturday Kids and Band helped there. If you were not there, you probably can’t appreciate this. Definitely does not come across on TV. Problems like Ticket Master fees and high concession prices are issues we could take control of were we not tied to Dome. Can we address these while still playing in Dome?

I was there Thursday and Saturday. These are my pics from Saturday midway through 1H. If there are more than 1.5k, it isn't by much. The kids did help Saturday, and Thursday's student crowd was better than Saturday's. Hopefully the student crowds will be back since school started today.

I sure hope we can because as much as I believe the CD will never suit our purposes (IMO 5K should be our max capacity for a basketball venue), I also don't ever see an alternative ever being pursued. Even with programs like YRCC where kids get in for a small fee per year to all events, parents with multiple kids would still be out a fortune per game to bring the whole family.

[ZoomZoom]

Considering the facility was built in 2017 and McNeese began playing games there in 2018, which storm’s FEMA money are you saying built the facility?

Repair after Hurricane Laura, 2020. Drove by on way going south after storm, east side was ripped open.

[zeppelincajun]

Repair after Hurricane Laura, 2020. Drove by on way going south after storm, east side was ripped open.

Right. But you said FEMA money was responsible for McNeese’s progress in infrastructure. That facility was funded by state money and private donations. What the split on that was, I have not been able to find yet.

[ZoomZoom]

Showing up doesn't solve a single problem with any measurable results. Doesn't change the concessions, the impossibility of ad revenue, the cavernous emptiness, the lack of schedule control, the awful atmosphere and certainly doesn't change the mediocre product we've been served up for the better part of a decade.

Renovate Blackham.

And you can hire the most knowledgeable and charismatic coach you can find, and that won’t fix these problems either.

Saying any possible candidate would fix attendance isn’t fair given these hurdles, it places a new coach in a no win situation.

[CajunVic]

BBoyd can . . .

[LouisianaB]

Y’all keep saying renovate Blackham. It’s more than renovate, you’d have to build and create space. I have worked with two teams that have used Blackham and have seen its issues. I have also worked several events there.

They would have to add on. Locker room facilities are tiny. Not enough space.

Y’all complain about concession lines at Cajun Field….Blackham has two concession stands in the front. You can’t put them on the side and block exits.

Y’all haven’t complained about lines at the bathroom but y’all will.

The roof leaks. That roof has probably never been redone. Count on replacing it.

Bench seats. Y’all will complain about that.

It is terribly difficult to control temperature in there. Between holes in the structure and open doors, it’s almost impossible.

Y’all complain about parking in the grass at Cajun Field. It’s all grass at blackham.

The lighting system is outdated and would need to be redone to even abide by the minimal standards of ESPN plus.

The concourse is more like a tunnel and undoubtedly too narrow for fire code

Does the basketball team move out of the Cajundome? Do we need new offices for the staff?

Now let’s look at recruiting implications:

Sure, it’s possible (but not in the least bit guaranteed) it’ll help the atmosphere. But what do recruits see when they look at it? A barn. A lockerroom with no fancy bells and whistles.

Recruits don’t care about the history of a building. They care about recent history. They care about cool ____.

Not to rain on y’all’s parade, but it is not feasible. Overall there is no way it’s a $11-12 mill project. That place needs work to be a D1 basketball arena, and I’m sure a lot of work would include bringing it up to code. Y’all talk about a barebones arena but let’s be honest, a year or two in yall would be _____ing about needs for upgrades.

[Turbine]

My favorite place to ever watch a basketball game was at Southern's F. G. Clark Activity Center. (had to look up the name)

Not a bad seat in the house.

They claim 7,500 capacity but that's counting floor seating.

[Duckster]

From what I recall the McNeese facility was appropriated late in Jindal's administration. Edwards came in halted all the things Jindal had approved canceled some. McNeese's slide by it had already gone to bid. They squeaked through and probably wouldn't have happened if they were a few months later. Read TX ST. is screwing up adding 2,500 seats to their basketball area. Making it more multipurpose.

[RaginDave]

Y’all keep saying renovate Blackham. It’s more than renovate, you’d have to build and create space. I have worked with two teams that have used Blackham and have seen its issues. I have also worked several events there.

They would have to add on. Locker room facilities are tiny. Not enough space.

Y’all complain about concession lines at Cajun Field….Blackham has two concession stands in the front. You can’t put them on the side and block exits.

Y’all haven’t complained about lines at the bathroom but y’all will.

The roof leaks. That roof has probably never been redone. Count on replacing it.

Bench seats. Y’all will complain about that.

It is terribly difficult to control temperature in there. Between holes in the structure and open doors, it’s almost impossible.

Y’all complain about parking in the grass at Cajun Field. It’s all grass at blackham.

The lighting system is outdated and would need to be redone to even abide by the minimal standards of ESPN plus.

The concourse is more like a tunnel and undoubtedly too narrow for fire code

Does the basketball team move out of the Cajundome? Do we need new offices for the staff?

Now let’s look at recruiting implications:

Sure, it’s possible (but not in the least bit guaranteed) it’ll help the atmosphere. But what do recruits see when they look at it? A barn. A lockerroom with no fancy bells and whistles.

Recruits don’t care about the history of a building. They care about recent history. They care about cool ____.

Not to rain on y’all’s parade, but it is not feasible. Overall there is no way it’s a $11-12 mill project. That place needs work to be a D1 basketball arena, and I’m sure a lot of work would include bringing it up to code. Y’all talk about a barebones arena but let’s be honest, a year or two in yall would be _____ing about needs for upgrades.

This, it would not be a renovation, but a complete rebuild and that is not going to happen. They would either have to bulldoze the place or have so many renovations to the current facility that financially it would not be feasible.

I agree that a 5-7K facility on the property where Blackham currently stands would be fantastic, but I just don't see it happening at least not with the current facility (CD or the condition of Blackham). Think about the amenities that we have the luxury of having in the CD, none of those would be available at the current Blackham. New sound system, new electronics, new concessions, would have pave a parking facility and so much more.

Plus I just don't think with the CD being renovated and being in such good shape today, that anyone would really think that renovating Blackham is a good idea. I know Blackham gets used for a handful of events annually, but the reality is it should be bulldozed and made way for a different facility on that property.


dare I say a sand volleyball stadium