Since the Schottenstein Center opened two years ago, it has done fairly well financially. But recently the facility has not proven to be quite the “money-maker” Ohio State officials and administrators had hoped for.The Schottenstein Center’s net revenue has been decreasing since it opened. The arena’s total revenue exceeded its operating budget by $4.2 million in the 1999 fiscal year, by $3.9 million in the 2000 fiscal year and currently by $1.8 million during the 2001 fiscal year, according to Riggs. After subtracting what the arena owes in bond payments, the Schottenstein Center appears to be losing money. Seating capacity is 19,500 for basketball and 17,000 for ice hockey. Officials predicted crowds would fill about 80 percent of the arena during men’s basketball games and about 30 percent during hockey games, but the crowds were never as high as expected, according to Xen Riggs, assistant vice president and director of student affairs at the Schottenstein Center.Riggs said the Schottenstein Center’s attendance has averaged slightly below what was expected overall. Initially selling out the arena, even men’s basketball games have dropped in attendance over the past year. Other varsity sports held at the arena have faired worse. Typically, only 3,500 fans are present at an ice hockey game.”Naturally we brought in a bigger crowd during our first year open. Not only were we a new facility, but the (basketball) team made it to the Final Four that year as well,” Riggs said.The Schottenstein Center was able to bring in about 43 professional events in the 2000 fiscal year, up from 31 during the 1999 fiscal year, but with the opening of the Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus last month, problems have arisen in booking future acts. The Schottenstein Center is hoping to book at least 25 or 30 big-name entertainers before the end of the year but so far has booked only 20 shows.”This is typical of any new arena. Because (the Nationwide Arena)] is a brand new facility, groups may opt to perform there for now because of the publicity it will bring them,” Riggs said. “Tina Turner and Kiss, for example, came back through Columbus this summer to play at the Nationwide Arena even though they had already been to the Schottenstein Center a few months earlier.”OSU set up a plan under which the Schottenstein Center would pay off what it owes in loans and bonds over the course of a 30-year period, after which the facility should be in the clear. This “debt service” fluctuates annually, initially being $6.2 million in fiscal year 1999, $4.3 million in fiscal year 2000 and now $3.2 million for fiscal year 2001, according to Riggs.”The Schottenstein Center and the Athletic Department jointly cover this debt payment. Thus, ultimately, they (the Athletic Department) are responsible for the bottom line of the facility,” said Riggs .”It depends on what you consider to be part of the facility’s budget,” said Eric Busch, assistant vice president of Student Affairs. “There are a lot of gray areas when it comes to financial matters. It all depends on your perception.”