It Hasn’t Reached Its Peak, but Pyramid Is a Success : Long Beach State: New facility is a source of pride on campus, and it has exceeded school’s projections, financially and otherwise.

LONG BEACH — Everyone in the Long Beach State athletic administration realizes the Pyramid is unfinished, the funds to complete it haven’t been found and the future of the building--and the athletic department--is tied to only one revenue-producing sport.

None of that, though, has tempered excitement about the building’s performance and potential. Its inaugural season isn’t complete, but that hasn’t deterred 49er athletic officials from declaring the on-campus arena an unmitigated success.

“We really think this is going in the right direction,” 49er Athletic Director Dave O’Brien said. “We’re hitting our projections or exceeding them in every respect so far.

“We’re really encouraged that the future has never been brighter at Long Beach State.”

O’Brien’s optimism isn’t unfounded.

The 5,000-seat pyramid-shaped structure, home of the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams, has enhanced the school’s image, 49er officials said. What’s more, they said, it has infused a sense of pride on the Long Beach campus not previously felt.

Improved standing among peers and increased school spirit are nice byproducts, but don’t be fooled. Stadiums are built for one reason: to make money. On that front, so far, so good for the 49ers.

Men’s basketball is the 49ers’ only big-time money maker. Through 11 of 13 home dates, attendance is 45,860 for an average of 4,169.

Entering the season, officials set an admittedly aggressive goal to average 4,200. Five games have been sellouts and officials expect big crowds for the final two regular-season games, against Cal State Fullerton tonight and UC Irvine on Saturday. If the crowds are as hoped, the attendance goal might exceed expectations.

Long Beach is fifth among the Big West Conference’s 10 teams in average attendance. Although that still puts it in middle of the pack, it is a vast improvement over previous seasons when the Gold Mine, the team’s former gym (capacity 1,900), was the only on-campus facility. The 49ers used to be much further down the list.

Season-ticket sales have topped 1,500. Officials believed a goal of 1,400 was extremely ambitious for the first season.

The women’s basketball team has attracted 3,649 in six Pyramid games, an average of 608.

Corporate marketing packages are another major source of 49er delight and income. Close to $230,000 has been sold in advertising along the Pyramid’s walls and in air time during basketball radio broadcasts.

Long Beach also has done well attracting temporary tenants. The Southern Section has rented the Pyramid for its girls’ basketball championship games this season.

More sports media representatives have visited the Long Beach campus in the last three months than the last three years.

Every major Southland TV station has done a Pyramid story, said Scott Cathcart, assistant athletic director for media relations. ESPN has televised three games nationally from the Pyramid and Prime Sports has aired one regional game.

“If we could have scripted this it could not have possibly been better,” said Bill Shumard, assistant athletic director administration/development.

Expansion, or rather completion, of the Pyramid is paramount among the 49er officials’ priorities. Temporary seats are located where the fourth and final bank of hydraulically lifted stands should be, which will push the arena’s seating to about 7,500.

Coaches’ offices and an educational conference center are not finished. On the exterior, much landscaping work is needed and the school hopes to upgrade the lighting.

Officials expect the finishing touches to cost about $5.5 million. That is in addition to $11 million allocated by the state and more than $5 million raised by the university.

Refinancing a loan used to purchase the seats was one plan to finish the building, O’Brien said. However, officials believed that high interest rates made that route too difficult.

Another plan is to raise the funds by naming the building after a corporate sponsor or individual. Long Beach is believed to be seeking about $3 million to name the building.

Associate Athletic Director Bill Husak acknowledged this process hasn’t been as easy as hoped, but he is optimistic a benefactor will come forward.

“I think we have some very good prospects,” Husak said.

O’Brien wants the coaches in their Pyramid offices by August. The 49ers are actively trying to bring the women’s volleyball final four to the Pyramid in 1997 or ‘98, and will guarantee the NCAA at least 6,000 fans each night.

O’Brien is confident the funds will come from naming the building or refinancing the loan in 1996, or some combination of both.

When the novelty of the Pyramid is long since gone, the men’s basketball team had better keep winning.

After a rocky start, the 49ers (15-7, 11-3 in the Big West) have won eight consecutive conference victories and are a half-game behind conference leader Utah State. Long Beach must win the Big West tournament to play in the NCAA tournament, but it should receive an NIT invitation barring a total collapse in its final four conference games and a decent showing in the Big West tournament.

“That’s a reality at any NCAA Division I school,” Shumard said. “The program needs the resources (from the basketball team) to grow.

“They must win. They have to win.”

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Seating Chart

Long Beach State’s Pyramid, the Big West Conference’s newest arena, has helped the 49ers move among the conference’s attendance leaders in men’s basketball. How attendance compares through Tuesday’s games:

School/Arena (capacity): Cal State Fullerton/Titan Gym (4,000)

Average attendance: 1,459

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School/Arena (capacity): Long Beach State/Pyramid (5,000)

Average attendance: 4,169

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School/Arena (capacity): Nevada/Lawlor Events Center (11,200)

Average attendance: 6,038

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School/Arena (capacity): Nevada Las Vegas/Thomas & Mack Center (18,500)

Average attendance: 9,479

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School/Arena (capacity): New Mexico State/Pan American Center (13,071)

Average attendance: 8,472

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School/Arena (capacity): Pacific/Spanos Center (6,150)

Average attendance: 2,922

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School/Arena (capacity): San Jose State/Event Center (5,000)

Average attendance: 1,528

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School/Arena (capacity): UC Irvine/Bren Events Center (5,000)

Average attendance: 2,551

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School/Arena (capacity): UC Santa Barbara/Thunderdome (6,000)

Average attendance: 3,928

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School/Arena (capacity): Utah State/Smith Spectrum (10,270)

Average attendance: 8,238

Source: Big West Conference