University of Memphis is now giving free tickets to their basketball games. They are trying to increase their attendance which has suffered since the Grizzlies moved to town. I sure am glad we don't have an NBA team in Louisville but I wish they would put on in Lexington.
Memphis Tigers/ Free Tickets
- Thread starter KozmasAgain
- Start date
The real reason it has suffered is that they have been lousy lately. Not making the NCAA tournament for several years, then getting a new coach who loses at home to Monmouth and Temple can seriously hurt attendance.
Plus, if their attendance doesn't hit a certain average, they will receive a smaller payout from the Fed Ex Forum, than expected.
They also announced a football ticket price increase and scrapped plans for a new student rec center. Times can be tough when you are not in a P5 conference.
Plus, if their attendance doesn't hit a certain average, they will receive a smaller payout from the Fed Ex Forum, than expected.
They also announced a football ticket price increase and scrapped plans for a new student rec center. Times can be tough when you are not in a P5 conference.
I wish I could like the OP more than once. Anyway we can fix that? 
Debating that an NBA team in Louisville wouldn't hurt U of L financially is pointless. The only question is how much...
Debating that an NBA team in Louisville wouldn't hurt U of L financially is pointless. The only question is how much...
Uh me thinks they have one in Lessington and they call themselves the cayuts, cayuts, cayuts.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
They sometimes call themselves UofK... I think they get confused.
Oh well they are uakay after all. That kinda explains their confusion.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
I have quite a few friends in Memphis who gave up their U of M tickets for Grizzly tickets. Unfortunately U of M will never get them back in the stands even if they get ranked in the top 10. The average income for Memphians is pretty low the ones who but season tickets will only buy for one or the other. U if M has already lost the battle.
The NBA presence wouldn't hurt Louisville just during the good times, like Memphis, every program has its valleys. UofI wish I could like the OP more than once. Anyway we can fix that?
Debating that an NBA team in Louisville wouldn't hurt U of L financially is pointless. The only question is how much...
Perfect example of the danger of having other venues when the inevitable decline happens in every program. Thankfully Louisvillians didn't have the NBA during Denny's last 5 years. If the NBA existed then the University of Louisville would look much different today, probably no Rick Pitino, no Cardinal Park, no Jurich which were all created by the financial health of the basketball program during low performance times. An NBA could provide a death blow to UofL basketball just like it has to Memphis.
And before you claim this decline could never happen here, consider the 2 college programs snapshots in 2000 the year the grizzles moved to Memphis. Both had distant past success and the cities mirror each other in most metrics especially in income and corporate support. Both competed in the same league and had similar athletic budgets. Both FB and BB teams were at the same level of competitiveness, often times losing to each other. Both were welcoming new head coaches. Both had AD's hired within a year of each other. Short of praising Jurich/Pitino and scorning RC Johnson/Calipari, I think it would be disingenuous to just ignore the NBA effect. The lack of fundraising ability at UofM was one of the main reasons for the distance Louisville have been able to create Memphis State. Reading RC Johnson's farewell article it mentions one of his crowning achievements at Memphis was raising 21 million in facility improvements. Twenty-one million for Memphis compared with probably 200mil+ at Louisville raised by these 2 AD's.
EZ makes a good point. You'll esp. see the downside effects of an NBA team in Louisville when U of L has a down period.
But an NBA team would be an ongoing drain on entertainment dollars here during good and bad times. And "bad times" should also include bad ECONOMIC times when entertainment dollars are more closely scrutinized. Won't matter then how well U of L or an NBA team here is playing...
But an NBA team would be an ongoing drain on entertainment dollars here during good and bad times. And "bad times" should also include bad ECONOMIC times when entertainment dollars are more closely scrutinized. Won't matter then how well U of L or an NBA team here is playing...
And zipp as long as UofL DOES NOT have a down period an NBA franchise would be financially damaged. Just cannot see the corporate structure here in Louisville selling out for a "questionable" NBA team that is unproven in the W/L column or at the gate.
GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!
Right on... It's pretty much a zero-sum game. And an NBA team in Louisville would never be as successful as it would be with U of L athletics not in the picture and as deep-rooted as they are.
Good point. Enjoy that baseball game in a couple hours!! At least we're getting some of your weather today...
