Counterpoint: Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Should Be Played In US Bank Arena

Reports have surfaced about the University of Cincinnati weighing the options of moving UC basketball to US Bank Arena. It hasn’t been revealed yet if the athletic department intends to play just a few games downtown or move the entire program there on a permanent basis. However, given the out-of-the-box thinking of Whit Babcock and co. you can probably assume that all options are being considered.

As such I’ve decided to play “Point, Counterpoint” to help settle (well.. spur) the debate. This morning I promoted the benefits of Fifth Third Arena. Now I’ll speak about the advantages of US Bank Arena and this afternoon I’ll release a poll so you can voice your opinion on the matter. But first, like before, let’s level the playing field with a couple of assumptions:

• Both venues will be renovated in a similar manner
• The decision will be in the best interest of UC’s future conference affiliation

Now then, to US Bank Arena..

1) Cost Friendly Option

If renovations were to be made to US Bank Arena, you can be assured that the city of Cincinnati and/or the Nederlander Organization, the owners of the site, would foot most of the bill. UC might pay for a portion of the construction but their payment wouldn’t be nearly as high as the $100 million Fifth Third Arena renovations are estimated to cost. So while, the university probably won’t be able to pocket all of the profits on game day here, not having to add a 9-figure expense to their small budget is definitely advantageous.

Essentially UC needs to follow the KFC Yum! Center model that is essentially a palace for the Louisville Cardinals basketball program. The venue also pours a hefty amount of cash into the university’s budget because of its size and availability of premium seating, among other things. While US Bank Arena and UL’s new home will never be exactly the same, Cincinnati would be wise to use those guiding principles if they went this route.

2) Attract Casual Fans To UC Basketball

One of the main issues with Fifth Third Arena is that it’s difficult to access for those people not living close to campus and parking is limited. While the extent of these issues is somewhat a misconception (like crime around Clifton), physically getting to The Shoe as opposed to the venues in downtown Cincinnati is definitely harder. The parking options around US Bank Arena can easily accommodate crowds of 13,000+ and while there would be traffic as with most events in the area, the highways are but a few blocks away. Plus the continuous additions to The Banks as well as the newly constructed Horseshoe Casino make for a better pre- and post-game experience for fans. There are limited options in Clifton but downtown fans can make a full day out of going to a Bearcats basketball game.

Making Bearcats basketball more accessible to the 2 million+ people living in the greater Cincinnati area will only help grow the fanbase. Essentially if UC can make it difficult for casual fans to make an excuse not to go to games, they will reap the rewards quickly.

3) Assimilate With Cincinnati

Despite wearing the “Cincinnati” name across their chest for decades now, there has been a disconnect recently between the university and the city of Cincinnati. The culture in Clifton is simply different from surrounding areas and the idea of UC carrying the negative connotations of an “urban university” hasn’t helped matters. Essentially some of the reasons I mentioned in the previous section. The current administration has done a nice job creating a collaborative environment with the festivities at the Freedom Center before last year’s Crosstown Shootout. However moving the Bearcats downtown would go a long way to unifying the university with the city and reaffirming UC as “Cincinnati’s university”.