GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team has played most of its home games at the Resch Center since the 10,200-seat venue opened in Ashwaubenon in 2002.
That is set to change next season, when all but three contests will be at the 4,018-seat Kress Center on campus.
The three games will take place in January and February, and all three will be Horizon League contests. The dates selected are ones the school and PMI Entertainment, which operates the Resch, believe can be maximized the best.
This isn’t the first time a Resch vs. Kress conversation has come up. The pros and cons were debated when UWGB’s five-year contract with PMI expired at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Attendance was in steady decline since the beginning of that contract, and despite the team making the NCAA tournament in 2016 for the first time in two decades.
The sides eventually did come to another agreement, but the attendance hasn’t gotten any better in recent seasons.
The Phoenix drew 2,107 per game in 2018-19, and the number dipped below 2,000 the following season.
There were no fans in 2020-21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they didn’t come back the following season when the team drew just 1,675 per game. It averaged only 1,725 fans in 2022-23, although the number increased to 2,439 last season after the team went 18-14 under new coach Sundance Wicks before he left to take the Wyoming job.
Attendance decreased this season to 2,130 per game as the Phoenix struggled to a 4-28 record in Doug Gottlieb’s first year as a collegiate head coach.
UWGB has not won a Horizon League regular-season title since 2015 under former coach Brian Wardle.
Financial considerations played big part for UWGB and PMI
Although UWGB and PMI just completed the first year of a three-year contract, something needed to change for both sides.
Money always plays a significant factor, and at least for now, it wasn’t working well for either side.
Gone are the days when Wisconsin or Virginia would come to town and draw huge crowds for a nonconference game, or when fans came out in general.
“We have been partners for many years and will continue to be partners, what’s best for them, what’s best for us,” UWGB athletic director Josh Moon said. “It’s kind of working through that with them and also looking at our schedule and what makes sense. This is better in terms of big picture for UWGB, for sure. I think the players, coaches, having that balance and at this point slanted toward the Kress, getting our students involved.
“Financially as well. As you look at that piece of what is good financially for both parties, this was part of it. And then, obviously, just where our record has been, too. That’s a big piece. To warrant use of the Resch Center, we need to get better.”
Under the terms of the contract agreed to before last season, UWGB pays a $5,000 rental rate for each game at the Resch. It was eligible for a rebate based on individual gates, but those rebates started when the team drew 3,000 or more fans. That didn’t happen very often.
UWGB also will save money in several other ways, including running concessions and selling tickets on its own instead of with help through PMI, which included a 3% kickback on all tickets sold through its system.
The ticketing system now will run through the university. All events at UWGB will be under one umbrella.
“The key thing is, we are still partners,” Moon said about UWGB and PMI. “We still are both community-oriented. For now, this is the best thing to do. We build this thing up, and we get it where it needs to be, then we will keep evaluating moving forward.”
UWGB confident Kress Center can be selling point in recruiting
Moon said he spoke to Gottlieb and the players about the move for next season, and everyone felt “really good” about the Kress and playing most of the games at the venue.
UWGB broke its 21-game losing streak this season with a win over Wright State at the Kress in February.
But what about when recruiting new players?
There is something to be said about playing games at the Resch, located right across the street from Lambeau Field and part of the Titletown district.
Former UWGB coach Linc Darner once talked about bringing recruits to the Resch and the feeling of walking into an arena, coming through the backdoors just like an NBA one.
“I think both venues have a recruiting pitch,” Moon said. “We are doing some upgrades in the locker room at the Kress Center. We need to do some more things in the future. The Kress Center is coming up on 20 years, and what is that next phase? Premium seating, some new videoboards, things like that. We need to do that, and this will kind of shift that focus.
“The Resch Center has a great walkup, probably the best anywhere with Lambeau. Again, we are still playing there. Still partners. It’s just not going to be the majority of games. It’s just a balance. We have two homes. The Kress is primary at this point, and they both have their strengths.”
Moon was asked about the reaction he has received from fans about the move.
“Everybody has a different opinion,” he said. “But I think everybody does understand that this program, with four head coaches in five years and having sustained success which we haven’t had, that’s the first step for us before you can get to the whole long-term evaluation.
“Right now, we have got to get a sustained program that is consistently winning at a high level. That’s the first step, and we are not going to do that with a situation for either party where we are just not maximizing what we can do at the Resch Center.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB men's basketball will move from Resch Center to Kress Center
