The Planning and Equity committee of the Wisconsin Athletic Board
unanimously approved a proposal to improve the hockey facilities at the
Dane County Coliseum.
 
The proposal calls for the following:
    - widening the ice to near-olympic size (currently the ice is 85'
      wide, the widest it could go is 97.5')
 
    - making the ice at the Arena (the barn next to the Coliseum) the
      exact same size as the Coliseum ice, making it a good place to
      have practice when the Coliseum ice isn't available.
 
    - Building a new locker room that would be connected to both buildings.
 
    - The Athletic Department would commit to a 20-year lease at about
      $215,000 per year.
 
    - Improvements to be made during the summer of 1994.
 
The cost to the University is $2.65 million. The project would be funded
by a $1 increase in tickets, starting in 94-95, and the UW would get a
share of the parking revenue, and an increased share of hockey souvenir
revenue.
 
Deciding to stay at the Coliseum means that a new arena that will have
to be built soon will be primarily for Mens and Womens Basketball.
Scheduling conflicts at the Field House have been a problem, and trying
to work hockey in as well would be even worse.
 
According to Coach Sauer, 40 of 90 practices last year were held
outside the Coliseum, on various sized ice sheets, depending on what
was available. He is pleased with the plan, since it eliminates his
existing scheduling problem, removes potential conflict with
Basketball, and improves the facilities for the program.
 
The plan must still be approved by the Athletic Board, the Chancellor,
the Board of Regents, the County Executive and the County Board.
 
 
        --david
 
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david parter                                         [log in to unmask]
university of wisconsin -- madison          voice: 608-262-0608/262-2389
computer sciences department                           fax: 608-262-9777