Building Hopes for the Future : Range of Promoters Would Welcome Arena at Cal State Northridge

Experts in the professional sports and entertainment industries reacted enthusiastically Wednesday to news that construction of a multiple-purpose arena at Cal State Northridge is under serious consideration.

They also predicted the venture would succeed at the game, an area in which the school’s athletic teams are likely to initially struggle.

Northridge officials are in the process of compiling information on the past ticket and concession sales of the school’s athletic events for use in a feasibility study on the proposed complex.

The Ogden Corp., a New-York based conglomerate with management ties to several major sports facilities nationwide, has agreed to conduct the study, The Times reported Wednesday.

The final revenue numbers, CSUN administrators believe, will not be impressive. Matador basketball and volleyball teams have rarely come close to filling the school’s 3,000-seat gymnasium that has served as their home court.

That trend will change, it is hoped, when Northridge begins playing against Division I teams beginning in September, 1990. The Matadors currently play at the Division II level.

“If we have a solid, winning program, people will support it,” said Bob Hiegert, CSUN’s athletic director. “If we don’t they won’t. That’s the way it is in this town.”

Until the Matadors are competitive at Division I, income from sources such as concerts, professional sporting events and a variety of other events would be relied upon to generate operating expenses.

Brian Murphy, president of Avalon Attractions, one of the busiest concert promoters in Southern California, estimated that his company might book “six to 12 shows a year” at such an arena, provided the size of the facility was suitable.

“I don’t think this venue can look to compete with the Forum and the Sports Arena and the 16,000 seats they have for concerts,” Murphy said. “But if they had a medium-sized place, in the 9,000 to 10,000-seat range, I think we could pull some business in their direction.”

The size of the proposed complex has not been determined, but administrators at CSUN had originally favored an arena with 8,000 to 12,000 seats. Ogden officials are thought to favor something in the 15,000 to 20,000-seat range.

Including the surrounding areas of the Simi, Conejo and Santa Clarita valleys and Glendale, the Valley area has a population base of more than 2 million.

The Universal Amphitheatre, with a capacity of about 6,000, is host of the Valley-area’s largest concerts.

Murphy said he believes rock-and-roll groups would find a Northridge site particularly attractive.

“A lot of rock-and-roll acts just play the Long Beach Arena, but I think if there was something in the Valley they’d play both,” Murphy said. “They could get two dates instead of one and avoid the basin entirely.”

There is little chance, Murphy said, that a group would book concert nights at large facilities in both the Valley and Los Angeles.

“Acts that come to L.A. want to sell out,” he said. “I don’t think Cal State Northridge is going to compete with the Forum and the Sports Arena because of their central location and history.”

In the area of family entertainment, a Northridge site would be virtually without competition, said Tom Abramson, marketing director for the Ice Capades and Harlem Globetrotters.

“The Valley is a market that is completely untouched,” Abramson said. “There’s the (Hollywood) Bowl and the Amphitheatre but neither one of those venues lends itself to a production of our magnitude.

“I know we’d look seriously at the possibility of playing there. I think every major show would.”

While the Globetrotters usually play two nights at a site, the Ice Capades has a normal run of six consecutive nights and might sell close to 100,000 tickets depending on the site.

“Frankly, we’ve been saying among ourselves that we wish there was another place that we could play in this locale,” Abramson said. “The L. A. market can bear it without question. And it’s a natural flow from a tour’s point of view--they do Anaheim, L. A. proper and the Valley, then slide right up to Fresno, the Bay and Sacramento.”

An arena might also draw interest from professional sports teams. The Clippers have shown some interest and team president Alan Rothenberg had an informal meeting with CSUN administrators earlier this year.

Dan Goossen, manager of boxer Michael Nunn, the International Boxing Federation middleweight champion, said he would like to prove boxing can be successful in the Valley on a large scale.

“The Valley is where I want to be and I know a place like that can succeed out here,” said Goossen, whose organization promotes fight cards at the Reseda Country Club.

“Let the people in Inglewood be the ones who have to get on the freeway.”