General | 1/18/2019 11:03:52 AM

Each week, the MIAA’s featured writer David Boyce covers an intriguing story in the conference for a series called Boyce’s Beat: Featured Stories of the MIAA.

This week David Boyce profiles the path of the new MIAA office to Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. Boyce talks with MIAA Associate Commissioner Larry House and MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy about selecting a new office and the impact it will have on the association.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As Larry House painted the walls inside the new MIAA office in December, he was able to peek through the windows on the second level of the newly remodeled Hy-Vee Arena and see youth basketball games taking place.
 

One quick step out the office doors, and House, the MIAA associate commissioner for external relations, witnessed a youth wrestling tournament.  

“They think they are going to have over a half million people walk through this venue in the next 12 months,” House said. “That is a great branding opportunity for us to be in the arena with our offices. I have already seen it happen, even as we are moving in.”

House is referring to the Foutch Brothers, whose architecture firm bought Kemper Arena in late 2017 and envisioned turning the place that once played host to the Kansas City Kings, the NAIA Tournament, numerous NCAA Basketball Tournaments and memorable concerts, into the youth sports capital of the country.

While the reconstruction still goes on, the new Hy-Vee Arena already has 12, full-size courts on two levels for basketball and volleyball and a 350-meter indoor track on the third level, which is believed to be the longest indoor track in the country. UMKC has already held an indoor track meet there in mid-December.

Like the Hy-Vee Arena, located at 1800 Genessee Street, the West Bottoms is in the process of having new life injected into the area. A condominium is being constructed. There are plans for a couple of hotels and more restaurants, which will only enhance the attractiveness of Hy-Vee Arena.

So how does this bevy of activity in and around Hy-Vee Arena benefit the MIAA, an NCAA Division II conference?

“When I became commissioner, one of the things I talked about to the presidents was finding ways to raise the visibility and awareness of the MIAA in Kansas City and the Midwest region,” said MIAA commissioner Mike Racy.

“They were remaking Kemper Arena and now Hy-Vee Arena with the intended purpose to be the nation’s best youth sports

facility. I thought that is where we need to be to tell the story of the MIAA to an audience of young kids who are going to make choices about college in a few years, whether it is to be a student-athlete or a place they want to go to school.”

The change in location the MIAA made in December makes sense on so many levels. While Racy liked the previous office at 16th and Main in Downtown Kansas City, nobody knew they were there because they were on the ninth floor of an office building. There was also limited parking and office space to hold conference meetings.

“We had to rent space in some of the event centers,” Racy said. “They were nice facilities, but they cost money.”

Now that the MIAA is at Hy-Vee Arena, that won’t be an issue. The parking is free and they have access to two large conference rooms, which they have already booked times for meetings through the summer.

The MIAA is also saving money on rent, which they can use to help promote the 14 schools in the conference. If the MIAA stayed at its previous location, the rent was going to increase $2,000 in 2019.

The MIAA signed a seven-year deal for its office space at Hy-Vee Arena. Over the course of the lease, the association will see cost savings in a variety of areas. Still, one of the main goals Racy had when he asked House to search for a new home for the MIAA was to increase visibility. The MIAA definitely achieves it at Hy-Vee Arena.

 

“It gives us a front window onto the concourse of the second level that will have thousands of kids walking by our office every day,” Racy said. “With our outside signage we are able to help them understand who the MIAA is and our member schools and the success our programs are having athletically and academically.”

With more than 700 student-athletes from Kansas City on the rosters of MIAA schools, Racy said it makes perfect sense for the office to be located in its current spot.

Racy also feels basketball, volleyball and wrestling coaches will enjoy the new office. Many will come to Hy-Vee Arena to scout potential student-athletes when they are watching these youth tournaments and events. It is nice the office will be there for the coaches to pop in.

The arena will have plenty of amenities when it is completed such as various restaurants to eat at and a place to do some

shopping.

“We couldn’t have found a better place for the conference office,” Racy said. “Larry took the lead in trying to find a new home for our conference office. He looked at dozens of places throughout Kansas City. We kept coming back to Hy-Vee. It turned out to be the right place.

“Our coaches, I think they will be proud their conference office will be here. I think they will enjoy coming here for meetings and conference events.”