http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/08/07/osu-arena-art-g10dlo3i-1.html

I know there are people who did not think Columbus should have two arenas, but it sounds like they are cooperating really well and making quite a bit of money from it. Kudos to them for finding a solution that is mutually beneficial.

It doesn't say they saved $1mil at Nationwide and it doesn't say Nationwide is making money.

dave;857374 wrote:It doesn't say they saved $1mil at Nationwide and it doesn't say Nationwide is making money.

That's odd. I read it again and the article is a little confusing.

When Ohio State and Nationwide began the agreement in May 2010, the Blue Jackets projected savings of $1 million and Ohio State hoped for $250,000 based on lower administrative costs and efficiencies.

They projected $1 million in savings for Nationwide and $250,000 for the Schott.

“The bottom line is that we ended the year $1 million ahead (at the Schottenstein Center), which is a million more than we projected,” said Xen Riggs, an OSU associate vice president who oversees the center.

but then they seem to be trying to confuse the issue using numbers from the Schott.

Now I'm not so convinced.

Blue Jackets President Mike Priest said the team reached its goals of cutting operational costs and increasing attendance at events at Nationwide Arena, but he wouldn’t provide financial details.


If they were making money he would have said they were. They are maybe losing slightly less.

The only group that's benefited from this entire issue, running from 1994 to the present, is Ohio State. They got their precious arena, have been in violation of the agreements that led to its construction, and it's cost Nationwide, Nationwide Arena, and its primary tenant (the Columbus Blue Jackets) untold millions of dollars. Every financial problem at Nationwide Arena and with the Jackets can be directly tied to this, and no one will actually call OSU to account for it.

Also, OSU's arena is called "Value City Arena", not "the Schottenstein Center" or "the Schott". Embrace how hideously bad that sounds.

NNN;857473 wrote:The only group that's benefited from this entire issue, running from 1994 to the present, is Ohio State. They got their precious arena, have been in violation of the agreements that led to its construction, and it's cost Nationwide, Nationwide Arena, and its primary tenant (the Columbus Blue Jackets) untold millions of dollars. Every financial problem at Nationwide Arena and with the Jackets can be directly tied to this, and no one will actually call OSU to account for it.

Also, OSU's arena is called "Value City Arena", not "the Schottenstein Center" or "the Schott". Embrace how hideously bad that sounds.

The building is the Schottenstein Center. The arena inside the building is considered Value City Arena.

dave;857418 wrote:If they were making money he would have said they were. They are maybe losing slightly less.

I agree with that. But the title made it sound like they were saving $1 million for Nationwide. The article was confusing. (Now I think it was on purpose.)

Yeah they want people in Cbus to think everything is going well when it's still a terible mess having 2 arenas that close together. I was impressed Nationwide has some big name acts over the last year though.

I've been to concerts at both and have to say I don't mind shows @ the Schott (having seen some big name acts like Motley Crue and AC/DC).

Its just more of a drive trying to get down to Nationwide, plus I think a lot of road crews and events have trouble getting in there. Seems to me like VCA is much more accessible off of 315 and driving right into that nice loading dock than trying to navigate Neil Ave. downtown

dave;857538 wrote:Yeah they want people in Cbus to think everything is going well when it's still a terible mess having 2 arenas that close together. I was impressed Nationwide has some big name acts over the last year though.

It's especially impressive when the CBJ/Nationwide lease forces arena losses onto the team, while OSU losses via Value City get indirectly passed on to the taxpayers.

What's more impressive is how many mediocre acts have ended up at Nationwide compared to how many quality ones have been at Value City. Except for the occasional bone being thrown to Nationwide, this has been nothing but a vehicle for OSU to save on their booking expenses. Value City gets Britney Spears when she sells out in no time, Nationwide gets Britney Spears when she can't fill half an arena in three months. Value City gets Taylor Swift when she was selling out arenas in five minutes, Nationwide gets her when she takes five weeks to sell out. Value City gets Lady Gaga, Nationwide gets....what? Bon Jovi? Foo Fighters?

I can guarantee you that if you tallied up the damages to Nationwide Arena (and therefore the CBJ) over the last 11 years as a result of Value City hosting non-NCAA and non-OHSAA events, it would hit eight figures with ease. I'll also point out that Value City wasn't supposed to have had luxury suites either, but they have 55 of them. That'd be another eight figures over the last 11 years.