When the brand new Liberty Arena opens in just a few months as the new home to Liberty basketball and volleyball, the Flames will be playing in an arena that is roughly half the size of the Vines Center in capacity.
The Vines Center, which has been home to Liberty basketball and volleyball for the last 30 years, lists its capacity as 8,085 while the new Liberty Arena is expected to come in with a capacity of 4,000.
So, why move to an arena that’s so much smaller?
That has been the most popular question we have gotten since plans for Liberty Arena have been announced and understandably so.
Liberty Athletics is currently experiencing its most successful run across the board over the past few years, most visible in the growth of the football and men’s basketball programs. The athletic department has adopted the slogan “Rise With Us” as the Flames look to grow into a top 50 athletic program nationally.
This past year, coming off the men’s basketball program’s most successful season in school history, attendance was at an all-time high as Liberty averaged 4,476 fans for its 17 home games. Eight of those 17 games had crowds larger than 4,000, while two of them were right at 4,000, and seven games had attendance numbers under the new Liberty Arena capacity.
Over the previous 14 seasons, Liberty’s average home attendance ranged from 1,587 to just over 3,300 fans per game. So, over the past 15 years, there would have been only one season where the Flames filled Liberty Arena to capacity, on average, for the entire campaign.
Going to a smaller venue will immediately increase the atmosphere and home court advantage for the Flames. Every seat in the new Liberty Arena will be a much more prized possession, for students and ticket buyers alike. That premium will cause every fan in attendance to be much more engaged as a fan and in turn help create an environment that is on par with the best in the country.
For as great as the Vines Center was as a home venue, Liberty has not been able to routinely fill it to capacity. Averaging less than 50% of capacity for the past 15 years, Vines has not been an intimidating place for visitors. Yes, there are exceptions to this like the 2020 ASUN Championship game, but those have been the exception instead of the norm. In the new Liberty Arena, that environment will be commonplace.
Ticket revenue in Liberty Arena will also be higher than it has been in Vines Center. That seems like an oxymoron with there being half as many seats available for purchase, but it’s simple economics – less supply with increasing demand will drive ticket values.
The vast majority of the fans that have attended games that approached or exceeded 4,000 in recent seasons have been non-paying students. Having students attend college athletic events are what make the atmosphere at collegiate events unrivaled, but at the end of the day athletic departments have to make money and ticket revenue is a big source of income for major athletic programs.
The new Liberty Arena should quickly become one of the toughest mid major venues to play in, and the atmosphere will certainly be electric and contagious. Make sure you’re a part of it.
