ASU is currently waist deep in the renovations of Sun Devil Stadium. Piles of dirt are everywhere as construction crews work through phase two of three which are scheduled to be completed for the start of the 2017 season. It’s hoping the changes can put it on par with more modern facilities around the country.
The Sun Devil Athletics office knows Wells Fargo Arena has to be next and they’re hoping for a similar end goal.
Ray Anderson, as he has already proved during his time in Tempe, isn’t one to settle for mediocre.
“Wells Fargo is without question a subpar place to play elite basketball,” Ray Anderson told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM last week.
UCLA and Arizona have recently done similar transformations to their basketball facilities. Oregon opened a new arena in 2011, USC in 2006. The Sun Devils most recent update came in 2009 with the opening of the Weatherup Center, its duel men’s and women’s basketball practice facility off Rural Road on the other side of the Verde Dickey Dome.
The most recent attempt to make the confines a little smaller at Wells Fargo Arena, a place which very rarely sells out, was putting a wall in the upper deck in 2010. It has also changed the sound system and scoreboard in recent years.
The new coaching staff isn’t blind to the problem. They’re well aware more changes are necessary.
“We’re going to need to do some updating with the facility, that’s on our radar,” ASU head coach Bobby Hurley said. “With any real top program, you’ve got to start somewhere and that’s where we’re at.”
It’s understandable that the Sun Devils primary focus is finishing its football stadium before moving on to other projects but the 42-year old arena could use help too. In an age when facilities can play a role in recruiting, ASU knows it needs to do everything it can to push it’s basketball program forward.
According to Hurley, it’s a process that starts with a better on-court product. In turn, that leads to higher attendance and interest.
“As a basketball program, over the next couple years recruiting and building it, we want people to enjoy watching us play,” he said. “If they like what we’re doing on the court then they’re going to show up for the games and they’ll support us. Then from there you upgrade the experience and you make Wells Fargo a beautiful interior place to go to a game.”
ASU is still in the early planning stage of what a new or renovated Wells Fargo Arena might look like. For now, Hurley’s focus remains on the court.
“Right now I know Ray is talking about that from an administration standpoint,” Hurley said. “I’m in the trenches right now trying to finish the season in the best possible way.”
