Regents say arena has potential

 8 comment(s)  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

By MELISSA LEE / Lincoln Journal Star

Members of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, including both of Lincoln’s regents, said Friday they’re excited about the possibility of a new downtown arena but that they need more details before they’ll officially endorse the project.

Following two briefings — one public, one private — by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Tom Osborne, regents said the project has the potential to benefit not only NU’s basketball teams, which would move to the arena from the Bob Devaney Sports Center, but the city as well.

“I think it would be a really positive development,” said Regent Chuck Wilson of Lincoln. “It would be a boon to recruiting.”

[+]Enlarge

Charles Wilson

Charles Wilson

But he and others have questions, namely: What would NU’s financial responsibilities be if the arena is built?

Osborne said earlier this week the university had reached a tentative agreement with the City of Lincoln to have its basketball teams be tenants at the arena.

Friday, Perlman said the university and city are still in talks.

“The university has not committed itself to go into the arena,” he told regents. “We are negotiating with the city to see what kind of options are available to us. But those negotiations are not completed.”

He shared some financial details of those negotiations with regents in closed session.

Should UNL and the city team up, both sides would benefit, Regent Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons said.

“I think it would be a real win-win,” he said.

If the arena helps Nebraska basketball become more competitive — and Osborne told regents it would, with practice facilities, locker rooms and other amenities that could lure top recruits — that could lead to more ticket revenue, more people coming to Lincoln for games and a general economic boom, Hassebrook said.

A revitalized downtown also could help UNL recruit more students in general, not just athletes, he said.

But Hassebrook also wants to know more about finances.

That’s why diligent negotiations are critical, Regent Jim McClurg of Lincoln said.

“The time is right for our community to be aggressively analyzing where we need to be,” McClurg said. “I like this process.”

Whether or not a new arena is built, the 32-year-old Devaney Center needs an estimated $10 million in fix-ups, Osborne said.

“We have some leaks over there, we have some roof problems that we have to address,” he said.

If an arena is not built, the Devaney will need an additional $20 million to $30 million in upgrades, he said.

He also fears Nebraska would struggle to attract the top athletes, who see more luxurious amenities at other schools.

“You hear about the arms race in athletics and nobody’s fond of it, but the question is, how competitive do you want to be?” Osborne said.

McClurg says he doesn’t want to fall behind.

“This is a race where the finish line is moving.”

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.