Taking A Load Off JQH Arena

Missouri State University officials are taking seats, literally, in a revised plan for the Springfield school’s JQH Arena.

A September 12th announcement outlined a total of 11,000 seats instead of the 12,000 originally proposed. Future expansion could reportedly add 1,500 more seats to the JQH.

In contrast, the arena’s price tag has increased from $60 million to $67 million. Arena sponsor John Q. Hammons has pledged $5 million to front some of the costs and the remaining $2 million will be generated from arena activities and additional private gifts, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

“We had to blend our dreams with our budget to get the reality of what we can afford,” MSU president Mike Nietzel told the paper. But Nietzel said Hammons “didn’t want to compromise the quality of the arena.”

Ticket prices, seat assessments, parking, financing and marketing will reportedly be addressed over the next six months.