Winthrop @ Furman (Dec. 14)(BSWA)

[CharlieFU]

I thought I read somewhere that Furman's athletic budget was the largest in the SoCon. Not true?

I may have overstated the budget issue a bit BUT not much.

[Affirm]

I hope we’ll continue playing the majority of our home games on campus. After we have averaged 3,000 per game in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently 5,000 per game in BSWA for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 5,000 on-campus arena.
Go Furman.

Hard to average 3K at Timmons when it only holds 2,500.

Which is more reliable, your statement of 2,500, or the prominent statement on the Furman Athletics website of “Timmons Arena seats 3,500 for basketball”? If the former, why does the Furman Athletics website exaggerate the capacity by 40% ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[apaladin]

I hope we’ll continue playing the majority of our home games on campus. After we have averaged 3,000 per game in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently 5,000 per game in BSWA for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 5,000 on-campus arena.
Go Furman.

Hard to average 3K at Timmons when it only holds 2,500.

Which is more reliable, your statement of 2,500, or the prominent statement on the Furman Athletics website of “Timmons Arena seats 3,500 for basketball”? If the former, why does the Furman Athletics website exaggerate the capacity by 40% ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My statement is correct. We had several sellouts last year at 2,500 give or take a few peeps. For example the Wofford game was a sellout and the attendance was 2,508. ESPN lists the capacity at 3,000 which is also wrong.

[Fessor]

I would hope that this officially starts the clock ticking on Timmons.

I think he means us gradually playing more and more games downtown at the 'Well' if we can keep this thing rolling bigger and better every year and less total games each year at Timmons

Flying coach is okay until you've ridden business class. Once you know what you're missing, even the shortest trip in coach is tough to take. (Or as a few generations before mine sang "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paris?")

BSWA seems to be not only about a better arena but also about going downtown: for the fan, with the restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and all that Main St. offers, there's a vibrancy and buzz that playing on a remote corner of campus can't replicate. Also, wearing purple gear on the Furman campus doesn't increase awareness of Furman BB in the Greenville community; wearing it on Main St. on game night does.

I was referring to playing on campus at all, but that's probably unrealistic. Even programs like Villanova will split games between the on-campus facility and the NBA arena depending on the opponent and the draw. Hoping that the clock is ticking on the current iteration of Timmons is probably more accurate.

Hopefully, the current version of Timmons will soon belong to the angels (and Up With People and the New Christy Minstrels can hold that great concert in the sky followed less than 24 hours later by heaven's job fair).

[Affirm]

I hope we’ll continue playing the majority of our home games on campus. After we have averaged 3,000 per game in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently 5,000 per game in BSWA for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 5,000 on-campus arena.
Go Furman.

Hard to average 3K at Timmons when it only holds 2,500.

Which is more reliable, your statement of 2,500, or the prominent statement on the Furman Athletics website of “Timmons Arena seats 3,500 for basketball”? If the former, why does the Furman Athletics website exaggerate the capacity by 40% ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My statement is correct. We had several sellouts last year at 2,500 give or take a few peeps. For example the Wofford game was a sellout and the attendance was 2,508. ESPN lists the capacity at 3,000 which is also wrong.

Why do you think the website would exaggerate it?

[purplehorse]

Last year I felt when Timmons was packed we had a definite home court advantage with the students on the edge of the floor.

Do we really have a home court advantage even if 3-5K in the spacious BSWA?

Sure I would think FU players would like playing at BSWA but I wonder if we have a greater home court advantage at Timmons.

[Affirm]

I hope we’ll continue playing the majority of our home games on campus. After we have averaged 3,000 per game in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently 5,000 per game in BSWA for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 5,000 on-campus arena.
Go Furman.

Hard to average 3K at Timmons when it only holds 2,500.

Which is more reliable, your statement of 2,500, or the prominent statement on the Furman Athletics website of “Timmons Arena seats 3,500 for basketball”? If the former, why does the Furman Athletics website exaggerate the capacity by 40% ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My statement is correct. We had several sellouts last year at 2,500 give or take a few peeps. For example the Wofford game was a sellout and the attendance was 2,508. ESPN lists the capacity at 3,000 which is also wrong.

IF your statement of 2500 capacity is true, then I would amend my statement to say “once we have averaged 2200+ in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently average 4000+ for BSWA games for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 4000 + -seat on-campus arena. I still want Furman to have at least half of its home games on campus.

[CharlieFU]

I would like to see us play one big time team every year in Nov or Dec, and then play 3-4 top conf games at The Well.

[DungeonRealm]

I would like to see us play one big time team every year in Nov or Dec, and then play 3-4 top conf games at The Well.

That would make sense
Any P5 games in Nov./Dec. we can land would be cool at the Well, as well as something like ETSU or UNCG and always Wofford


So alot like this year, just with a P5 type team instead of Winthrop


Ideally also keeping in mind its much better to always have school in (not on break) when these games are played

[fufanatic]

I hope we’ll continue playing the majority of our home games on campus. After we have averaged 3,000 per game in Timmons for 2 complete seasons and concurrently 5,000 per game in BSWA for 2 complete seasons, then we need to be building a 5,000 on-campus arena.
Go Furman.

Hard to average 3K at Timmons when it only holds 2,500.

Which is more reliable, your statement of 2,500, or the prominent statement on the Furman Athletics website of “Timmons Arena seats 3,500 for basketball”? If the former, why does the Furman Athletics website exaggerate the capacity by 40% ? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My statement is correct. We had several sellouts last year at 2,500 give or take a few peeps. For example the Wofford game was a sellout and the attendance was 2,508. ESPN lists the capacity at 3,000 which is also wrong.

Why do you think the website would exaggerate it?

Maybe it holds 3,500 if you remove the curtains like it was when it first opened? I'm pretty sure that's it. They probably don't change it online because in theory if they needed to they could pull back the curtains to let more people in. But it's pretty obvious that BR and the administration prefer 2,500 for now, and I get it. The black curtains don't make it look as cavernous, and it's nice to say sellout no matter the total.

[apaladin]

Actually if you remove all the curtains it woukd be more than that. When Timmons opened the capacity was listed at 5,500. I think eventually Timmons will be renovated, reconfigured.

[purplehorse]

Interesting to me that years ago the goal was to build an arena on campus I assume so more students would come. Now folks want more games at the BSWA. All interesting. I think we all found the all-purpose Timmons arena to be suboptimal to some degree.

[fufanatic]

Interesting to me that years ago the goal was to build an arena on campus I assume so more students would come. Now folks want more games at the BSWA. All interesting. I think we all found the all-purpose Timmons arena to be suboptimal to some degree.

I can't imagine a scenario where we would either build an off-campus arena or rent out an arena for all home games every year. And frankly I'm glad about that. An off-campus arena sounds great until you have a couple of bad years and no one shows up. Just ask DePaul, who in fairness has had more than just a few years of bad basketball. In my ideal world we would continue to remodel Timmons, build a brand new practice facility beside it and play several games downtown a year, including a big opponent and several weekend conference foes. If the time comes that we've outgrown Timmons, play in the arena downtown for 1-2 years while Timmons is destroyed and a new arena is built in its place.

[furpop16]

Interesting to me that years ago the goal was to build an arena on campus I assume so more students would come. Now folks want more games at the BSWA. All interesting. I think we all found the all-purpose Timmons arena to be suboptimal to some degree.

I can't imagine a scenario where we would either build an off-campus arena or rent out an arena for all home games every year. And frankly I'm glad about that. An off-campus arena sounds great until you have a couple of bad years and no one shows up. Just ask DePaul, who in fairness has had more than just a few years of bad basketball. In my ideal world we would continue to remodel Timmons, build a brand new practice facility beside it and play several games downtown a year, including a big opponent and several weekend conference foes. If the time comes that we've outgrown Timmons, play in the arena downtown for 1-2 years while Timmons is destroyed and a new arena is built in its place.

I'd give fufanatic's suggestion multiple thumbs-up if I could.

[DungeonRealm]

Wonder if there will ever be a chance for Greenville to host the SoCon tournament again, I personally would like to see that happen