University basketball teams across the country have been sharing arenas with professional teams for over 50 years.
The University of Memphis men’s basketball team shared the Pyramid with the Memphis Grizzlies during its inaugural season last year. Still, the Tigers managed to set a school record for total attendance during the 2001 season.
More than 340,000 fans attended Tiger home games during the 2001 season, an average of 16,000 fans per game. These stats placed the Tigers in the top ten for college attendance out of more than 300 schools in their division.
During the 2000 season, the Tigers ranked sixth in the nation, setting an attendance record with more than 290,000 attending fans—an average of more than 17,000 attending each game.
In 2001, the average was slightly lower due to the team’s playing four games more than the year before.
Ronald Mears, sports information specialist at Athletic Media Relations, said having the Grizzlies in the Pyramid has had little effect on attendance or media coverage.
“I have not seen any kind of effect—our local media, newspapers and TV stations still cover us as the hometown team.”
R. C. Johnson, director for intercollegiate athletics, believes that sharing the stadium is not a factor.
“It boils down to whether the good, old Tigers win,” Johnson said.
The Golden Eagles of Marquette University also share their stadium, the Bradley Center, with the Milwaukee Bucks. Not only are the NBA and university teams in the Bradley Center but it is also the home for soccer and hockey teams in the area. The Bradley Center opened during for the 1988-1989 season for the Bucks, but the center has always been shared.
Sarah Bobert, associate athletic director at Marquette University, said the center was built as a public entertainment facility for the city of Milwaukee.
Bobert stated that her team has a very good relationship with the NBA team.
The New York Knicks and St. John’s University are both housed in Madison Square Garden. St. John’s University has always played in the Garden, the old one, which opened in 1931, as well as the new one, which opened in 1968.
Dominic Scianna, associate athletic director for communication, had only praises for the relationship between the teams.
“We have a great relationship that we hope will last for many years to come,” Scianna said.
Scianna said the media attention has also gone very well.
“The media attention is amazing—we are covered like a professional team,” Scianna said.
Scianna added that being housed in the Garden has also been an asset for recruitment.
“The Garden is a great to play in,” she said. “It’s the world’s greatest arena.”
Players love to say they have played in the Garden, Scianna added.
Georgetown University shares the MCI Center with the Washington Wizards.
Bill Shapland, senior sports communication director for Georgetown University, believes the school has a great position with sharing the MCI Center.
Shapland is happy that the Wizards share their arena with them. But he believes it is sometimes a drawback because they do not have the opportunity to practice in the arena and they have to wait to schedule their games around the NBA and NHL schedules. “People have been fantastic,” said Shapland. “It’s our building for the evening.”
