Detroit — Built in 1965, the Matthaei Center has been the hub of Wayne State’s athletic campus in midtown Detroit. Intramural and club sports, the swimming facility and almost every other sport were housed in the same outdated facility.
The upgrade is coming.
With an 8-0 vote, the school’s Board of Governors unanimously approved a plan Wednesday to build a new $25-million on-campus athletic facility that will house its men’s and women’s basketball teams. In addition, the Pistons announced that the new facility will be home to their affiliate in the Gatorade League.
The new 70,000-square-foot facility — seating 3,000 — will be near the corner of Warren and Trumbull, where an intramural field currently sits, and replace the Matthaei Center as the athletic centerpiece. Construction could be completed late in 2021 and the facility is slated to be ready for the start of the 2021-22 basketball season.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2019/05/01/wayne-state-university-nears-plan-build-25-m-athletic-facility-detroit-pistons-g-league-team/3639957002/
Grand Rapids dilemma
The Pistons’ commitment in the new deal doesn’t bode well for the Grand Rapids Drive, their current affiliate. Although both sides signed a two-year extension agreement that extends through 2020-21, it’s unclear how things will move forward.
The Pistons don’t own the Drive but have an affiliate agreement. There could be a buyout forthcoming or the Pistons could pursue an expansion G-League team, with approval from the NBA.
“We’re in discussions right now and I don’t know. We have a commitment that we can get an expansion team, and it may be an expansion team,” Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem said. “We’ll see how our discussions are resolved as we talk with the NBA and the Grand Rapids team.”
WSU president talks about the school approving plans to build a $25-million arena and partnering with the Pistons to bring a G-League team to Detroit. James Hawkins, The Detroit News
The Drive, who have been the Pistons’ affiliate for five seasons, have indicated in a team statement that they are not planning to leave the DeltaPlex in Walker, Mich. and move to Detroit, which leaves that franchise — as well as their fans — in limbo.
“We have no plans on relocating to Detroit but continue to have great communication and a positive relationship with the Pistons organization,” the Drive said in a team statement. “We are solely focused on our sixth season this upcoming fall, in partnership with the Detroit Pistons and the NBA.”
I can't imagine it not being the GR Drive - the value of that team would tank without an NBA affiliation and no other NBA team would consider it without relocating it themselves. I have to believe their stance right now is lip service and posturing to not alienate their current fanbase for the next two seasons.
I believe in the next couple of years the G-League will become a more true minor league for the NBA with teams controlling most aspects and having multi-year contracts with all their minor league players who would be eligible for call-ups and the like.
3000 seats seems like the ideal size venue for minor league basketball, and putting it on a college campus seems pretty smart as well. It would be only two miles from the LCA and the new Pistons Training facility for a lot more synergy between teams.
There is drawbacks to basing the team so lose to the parent pro team and in putting it in Detroit given so many other professional choices. In GR you are a bigger deal with your own fanbase/market being 2.5 hours outside of Detroit. Wayne State has around 30,000 enrolled though, and I'd guess Pistons would paper the attendance by giving away tickets to schools and youth groups and the like. GR folks ain't driving 2.5 hours to go see the Pistons regularly, so using the G-League franchise to build a future in Detroit fanbase makes sense.