Why didn't the Big 4 Classic work?

[bluestarcyclone]

UNC played at UNI because one of the players was from Iowa, and Ol' Roy likes to showcase players with a "see how good local boy is doing with us?" game. It's a recruiting tactic, and he has poached some of the best of Iowa HS players using it.

Also one game here and there is a lot different than an ongoing home and home series.

 

[ClonesFTW]

I look forward to the event every year and most of my family does as well. If they ever want to revive it they will need to separate the tickets for games to prevent empty seats and reduce prices.

 

[cyclonedave25]

Yep sucks so bad the ncaa tourny is there for the 2nd time and has sold out for the 2nd time in a record time.

The arena quality doesn’t really have anything to do with hosting NCAA tourney’s, except for its size. It has more to do with the logistics of the city. But in general, WFA is not a good basketball venue. The only good seats are between the free throw lines. It doesn’t hold in sound at all either. You can barely hear the pep bands from across the arena.
Dual Hockey/bball arenas are never good for basketball, especially on the ends. Unless you don’t mind sitting nearly 50 yards away from center court.

 

[Dandy]

ISU playing Drake? Surrounded by Hawkeye fans cheering for Drake.
ISU playing UNI? Surrounded by Hawkeye fans cheering for UNI.

Being surrounded by Iowa fans who are drunk and cheering against ISU just because ruined it for me.

 

[Cycsk]

Too often I paid good money and got not so good seats way back in the lower level corners. So I started going for low row in the second level sidelines. I think there were probably a lot of disappointed Cyclone fans who didn't like to pay premium prices to sit in what would bad student section seats at Hilton.

 

[heitclone]

WHAT! You do know DM is hosting the ncaa tournament for the 2nd time right? Sold out before it even hit the public sale. Also DM is not a great sports town? wow!

but cant fill WF when all 4 in state schools are playing? That says more than the NCAA tourney

 

[CTTB78]

Pollard should offer UNI and Drake contracts for Hilton only. If they want a home and home series, move on. We can get those type contracts with the big boys. Time to move up.

 

[jbindm]

Ticket prices and event format. It was good for the city to get that foot traffic downtown but the event itself is lame. They're asking us to pay for a ticket to at least one game we really don't want to watch. I think the Well is just a so-so basketball venue but compared to Hilton it absolutely sucks.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Also one game here and there is a lot different than an ongoing home and home series.

And it bit him in the butt, too - they lost. Too bad UNI lost the subsequent two games in Chapel Hill!

 

[Gunnerclone]

I think a lot of the failure is due to how awesome everything was before this set up. Thanks Fran. Doosh. You stole a part of my childhood dickhole.

 

[67CY]

ISU playing Drake? Surrounded by Hawkeye fans cheering for Drake.
ISU playing UNI? Surrounded by Hawkeye fans cheering for UNI.

Being surrounded by Iowa fans who are drunk and cheering against ISU just because ruined it for me.

Agree. I don’t care to watch the hoks play Drake or UNI. I also don’t like Cyclone fans being ask to support Drake and UNI financially because of their regard for Iowa State

 

[Cycsk]

I think it would have helped if the promoters, media, or even one of the teams had made a huge deal about it as the "state champion." Maybe even have a traveling trophy that could only be won by beating the team who had it the previous year.

 

[isufbcurt]

Yep sucks so bad the ncaa tourny is there for the 2nd time and has sold out for the 2nd time in a record time.

Imo opinion it does suck for watching basketball. I know I'm spoiled by going to Hilton regularly. But WF seems like you are so much farther from the court when comparing it to a comparable seat in Hilton.

Did you design WF or something? You seem to think it's the greatest arena ever made.

BTW hosting an NCAA tournament game doesn't equate to it being a great arena to watch basketball, it's more to do with making money and selling tickets.

 

[Cycsk]

Just went on the ticket site. Wow. It is even worse than I thought. Here is a shot of the seats not sold on the good end!

 

[Rural]

Pollard should offer UNI and Drake contracts for Hilton only. If they want a home and home series, move on. We can get those type contracts with the big boys. Time to move up.

Throw Iowa in that pot as well.

 

[Macloney]

Who actually wants to spend money to be in the company of hawk fans if you don't have to be? They are huge turds.

 

[madguy30]

Never gone but if I want to hang out with Hok fans I'll just go to the worst part of any town in Iowa for free.

 

[VeloClone]

Well's Fargo Arena is a pretty lousy basketball setup. The entire arena was designed around hockey so the seats on the end are way off of the court and have pretty bad views. Sprint Center did the exact opposite, they designed the arena geared towards hoops but installed retractable seating on the ends that could be pushed back to accommodate hockey and other events. The end seats have a steeper pitch compared to the Well so the upper deck seats don't feel as far off the court either. I went to all of the NCAA games a few years ago and didn't enjoy it like I thought I would. That was the first time I sat behind the baskets in the Well and the view was terrible.

Target Center took it a step further. You have usually seen Target Center in the BB setup with temporary seating risers sloping right down to the BB floor. When they do hockey those all go away as well as the first 4 or so rows on the side and then the entire arena floor rises about 5 feet so there are great hockey sight lines for hockey. It is a unique arrangement.

 

[MartyFine]

The topic of my daily minute on Facebook but thought it could be a good forum talker.

My guess is the ticket deal: Most clone fans don't want to pay double the price to watch Iowa and UNI .... am I right?

It did work. The venue sold a lot of tickets, and it is hosting its second NCAA men's tournament opening weekend pods this season. This is important to ISU, but our fans are too myopic to realize this.

 

[CyBobby]

They way overestimated the amount of interest there would be for fans to watch the game their team isn't in. If they cleared the arena between games and sold separate tickets it would have worked way better. Or played one game on Friday night and one on Saturday.

I agree Grapple....Having to pay for the Choke Eyes to play in DSM was the reason I never went to any of the games.....The only way it would have worked is if you had first game at say 1:00 pm and the second game at 7:00pm, and cleared the arena after the first game and only charged for one game at a time....

That format might have worked but even early on you could tell people just werent interested in paying double the price to see one game....

I would like to see ISU play both Drake and UNI on alternating years.....twice in Hilton and once in Des Moines and Cedar Falls.....

.............and remember GO Cyclones