re: Any word on LSU's proposed new basketball arena?

Why not? Neville arena was built for under 90.

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A new arena will also draw major concerts to Baton Rouge just as the PMAC did in the 70s and 80s.

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This has been brought up every time a post is made about this new arena. Where is the study or info showing that major concerts will come to Baton Rouge? A major performer has the Smoothie King or Superdome to use in New Orleans, they aren't coming to Baton Rouge. Lets say they want to come to Baton Rouge, they can just play in Tiger Stadium to 106,000.

And you can't compare Baton Rouge to Austin, TX. I'd like to see BR improve but adding more tax to the State with the highest sales tax in the country doesn't make sense.

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This has been brought up every time a post is made about this new arena. Where is the study or info showing that major concerts will come to Baton Rouge? A major performer has the Smoothie King or Superdome to use in New Orleans, they aren't coming to Baton Rouge. Lets say they want to come to Baton Rouge, they can just play in Tiger Stadium to 106,000.

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Lafayette draws bigger performers to the Cajundome than BR pulls. There is no reason for that to be the case when there's a student population of 40,000 ready to go to concerts and another 250,000+ in the capitol region

Also the cost of hosting a concert is astronomical and there are very few artists who would pull in a large enough crowd to justify the cost of hosting it there. Plus you run the risk of rain/weather issues in Tiger Stadium which most artists aren't willing to take that risk

Because the Cajundome is better fit to hosts concerts than the shitty River center. Is LSU and BR just supposed to say "well shucks, lafayette and NOLA got us beat. Guess we might as well just give up" or actually develop something that would put them as a more attractive venue. Oak View Group are close partners with Ticketmaster, so you're crazy if you think OVG is just throwing money at a venue that they don't have gurantees from Ticketmaster that they will have events to sell.

Also the tax is only being added to the EDD itself, not to the state so not sure what you're issue is there

This is what Grok was able to tell me. I assumed both venues held the same seats. Cajundome is bigger. How many seats would this new arean be?

The Lafayette Cajundome (often stylized as CAJUNDOME) and the Raising Cane's River Center (commonly called the River Center Arena in Baton Rouge) are both major multi-purpose arenas in Louisiana that regularly host concerts, along with sports, family shows, and other events.Key Comparison for ConcertsCapacity:Cajundome: Up to 13,500 seats for concerts (adjustable, often cited as 12,000–13,500 depending on stage setup; it's one of the larger mid-major arenas in the region).
Raising Cane's River Center Arena: Up to 10,000–10,400 seats for concerts (including floor seating; around 8,900–9,000 for some configurations like sports).

The Cajundome has a clear edge in size, allowing it to accommodate larger crowds and potentially attract bigger-name acts that need higher ticket sales potential.
Location and Market:Cajundome: In Lafayette (home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), serving the Acadiana region with a strong local draw for country, rock, and regional acts.
River Center: In downtown Baton Rouge (state capital), offering urban accessibility, nearby hotels, dining, and a central location that can pull from a broader metro area (including parts of the I-10 corridor).

Baton Rouge's larger population base might help with attendance for some events, but Lafayette's venue often books successfully despite the smaller market.
Concert History and Suitability:Both venues host a mix of national touring acts (especially country, rock, hip-hop, and family-oriented shows), WWE, comedy, and more.
Cajundome: Has a long track record with major names like Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift (earlier in her career), Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Janet Jackson, The Eagles, Whitney Houston, and many others. It averages 10–15 concerts per year and is noted for drawing strong crowds in a mid-sized market.
Raising Cane's River Center: Hosts acts like Jason Aldean, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Randy Travis, and others (with recent pushes to bring back bigger shows after renovations). It also supports theater and symphony events in its attached performing arts space, but the arena focuses on similar touring concerts.

Other Factors:Both are Ticketmaster venues with good marketing support, modern amenities (post-renovations), and flexible setups for end-stage or in-the-round concerts.
Acoustics and sightlines: Arena-style venues like these generally offer solid experiences, though specific artist/production preferences can vary (no major widespread complaints stand out for either).
Parking/access: Cajundome has on-site and nearby options (including at Cajun Field); River Center benefits from downtown parking garages and proximity to the Mississippi River area.

Which is Best for Hosting Concerts?The Lafayette Cajundome would generally be the better choice for most concerts, primarily due to its larger capacity (13,500 vs. ~10,400), which makes it more appealing to promoters and artists aiming for higher grossing potential and bigger crowds. It has consistently hosted major national acts over the years and is often compared favorably in regional discussions (e.g., as a step up from smaller venues). The River Center is solid—especially for mid-level tours or events tied to Baton Rouge's urban vibe—but its smaller size can limit appeal for the biggest headliners.If the concert is targeted at a very large audience or needs maximum draw, go with the Cajundome. For something more intimate or tied to Baton Rouge's scene, the River Center works well. Both are strong regional options!

The seating is proposed to be 15,000 for concerts. And again, see my post about OVG and Ticketmasters partnership.

It isn’t myopic, it’s priority.

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Also that fact that you had to use AI to come up with why the Cajundome is objectively a better venue than the river center gives me the idea that you haven't actually been to an event at either one, because if you had its blatantly clear

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For the Centroplex I've attended Tractor pulls in the 80's, ice hockey, concerts.

Cajundome many concerts.

Sorry if I never looked around and said, you know, the cajundome is bigger than the centroplex. But, please, keep assuming.

Depends on what it’s being spent on

No idea, but seems like a hard sell to donors given the current state of affairs with men's BB.

But hey, maybe Jay, Lane, and Kim will go on tears and pile up some natties to generate surplus revenue to build it.

And then maybe we can field a competitive MBB team?

Kind of amazing we've sucked this bad for this long.

Glad baseball starts relatively soon.