Blue Demons basketball back in Chicago? - Mark P. Loftus

Saw this very interesting report by Greg Hinz in Crains. According to the article, DePaul University continues to show interest in playing basketball closer to its primary Lincoln Park Campus. And, Hinz reports, there are two very, appealing options: 1) McCormick Place, where the Blue Demons would have their own building as well as naming rights or 2) 10 years rent-free residency at the United Center. The article points out that Rahm Emanuel is on board for the McCormick Center site in the hopes a DePaul presence would continue the renaissance of the South Loop. But Jerry Reinsdorf and Rocky Wirtz are now pushing the UC deal, worried that DePaul games at McCormick may result in basketball and related dollars moving south. As Hinz points out, both sites have positives and negatives. The UC site would create a nice partnerhip with the Bulls which couldn’t hurt[especially if Derrick Rose comes back healthy]. And the 10 years free rent is nice. The Bulls have also apparently promised to prominently display the DePaul/Big East insignia. Figuring out how to schedule the Bulls, Blackhawks and Blue Demons however, could be a headache.

The primary downside to the the McCormick site would be the price tag -supposedly $75 million. But DePaul would own the building and would have naming rights. And, Hinz reports that at least one big donor has already expressed an interest.

Things hopefully will get sorted out soon. And it would be really nice if DePaul could return to the prominence they enjoyed in the 1980’s and 1990’s. When I was in law school, the Blue Demons were a national power. Teams like Georgetown[with a young Patrick Ewing] and St. John’s[with Chris Mullen and Bill Wennington]would come to Rosemont and get all the could handle. This alum really can’t take more losses to the likes of Gardner Webb.