Discussing funding is always a battle — sometimes so brutal it seems worthy of being fought in an arena.
This time, the funding is for an arena.
The Idaho Arena is the university’s next big idea. This 70,000 square foot, 4,700-seat venue would be located just north of the Kibbie Dome and would host all of the University of Idaho court sports as well as concerts, lectures and conferences.
There are many reasons why the new arena is good for UI, but the plans raise questions about the administration’s priorities, especially when student retention has fallen, faculty morale is low and instructor retention is even lower.
Parking space is also an issue for students. This fall, Parking and Transportation Services distributed more silver parking passes than there are silver spaces.
There is little question that court sports at Idaho could benefit from a new venue. The Memorial Gymnasium can barely fit 2,000 attendees, and the century-old building is not getting any more stable for large events.
The alternative location, the Cowan Spectrum, is just a basketball court on the Kibbie Dome floor with black curtains hanging from the roof. Neither venue feels like a typical basketball or volleyball court.
The Idaho Arena would provide a unique opportunity for UI students to be involved during its creation. In a statement, President Chuck Staben said art and architecture, natural resources and civil engineering students could get valuable hands-on experience in the arena’s construction.
The primary appeal of the arena is the interest it could generate within the rest of the state and the nation. Staben said it will help with both student enrollment and athletic recruitment, and a shiny new facility should also draw in more fans and event attendees from the Moscow community an beyond.
There are many reasons to go forward with plans to construct the Idaho Arena, but what must also be considered is the opportunity cost — what else could UI be spending its time, effort and money on?
ASUI passed a bill last year which would allow student fees to contribute up to $5 million of the projected $30 million cost of the project. While a new arena would draw in more students, who provide more revenue to the school through tuition, it would take 1,383 students paying full tuition for one semester to recoup that cost.
UI’s focus right now should be on faculty. This institution has been losing good employees because pay is low. Researchers have trouble finding assistants who will work for the low stipend they receive. These high turnover rates bring faculty morale down and make UI spend more money on aspects such as training.
Money is never a simple subject though. A vast majority of funding for the Idaho Arena comes from donors who gave money specifically for the project. If there’s no Idaho Arena, then there are no donations.
The number of proposed seats, approximately 4,700 total, is also worth analyzing. That’s less than the 6,000 seats the Cowan Spectrum already seats, and far less than the 11,600 in the Beasley Coliseum at Washington State University.
If Staben wants UI to have 15,000 students, he certainly doesn’t expect all of them to watch Vandal basketball and volleyball.
A new arena provides many advantages to both the institution and the athletic department, but the project may put too much on the administration’s plate. The university should recognize the challenges it already faces before biting off more than it can chew with this project.
— JO