Quote Originally Posted by onthestrip View Post
Im skeptical of this $1 billion number. Seems like a big number to throw out just to make it seem like this is a good idea. $1 billion of investment wont happen here for probably at least 2 decades, and it looks like it includes apartments. Not sure why its relevant to this arena discussion. And the effect that dining options nearby will have on attendance for college basketball or gymnastics is overestimated, plus you could already have that with an arena near the football stadium. Outside of the new-factor the first year or so, it wont improve non-student attendance and will certainly negatively effect student attendance.

BIggest question I have is about the "if this doesnt happen, nothing will for next 20 years" comments. Why? Wheres all that annual SEC windfall going? Wont OU earn about $15 million more in the SEC? That extra annual income is enough to finance a new arena. Or is that money already spent?
Well using that number, if they didn't want to take on additional debt to build it, wanted to pay for all of it themselves, and didn't plan to use any of that money for any other sport...it would take 20 years to raise $300,000,000 and which by that time would like be near the cost of the new arena alone.