Carver Arena is BORING

Watch ISU, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky home games and then watch Iowa's and tell me that it isn't a morgue. The home court atmosphere is a joke and needs to be changed.
 
I'll never understand why they have SO many columns of stairs. They could get rid of at least 1/2 of the stairs, I would create a large section for the students and get keep one row of stairs on the outside of each. See Carver seating compared to Illini. Packing students together is what creates the noise and atmosphere. Most college arenas do this far better than Carver.

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Game was sold out or nearly sold out. I was there - there were some empty seats but we also got several inches of snow today, which probably kept some people away.
 
Watch ISU, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky home games and then watch Iowa's and tell me that it isn't a morgue. The home court atmosphere is a joke and needs to be changed.



I went to the Purdue game and the atmosphere was terrific, so carver is certainly capable of having a good atmosphere. But I do agree it needs to be better more consistently. The students are a complete non-factor and that needs to change.
 
Should also say Bowlsby, Alford and Lick really screwed up the karma, trust, and atmosphere of this program. Even now, under Fran, still digging out of it.
 
Maybe we need to screen ticket-buyers to who even know the Iowa Fight Song? Make 'em scream the words as the top of their lungs before they can purchase game seats, even the season tix holders.
 
I'm so freaking sick of hearing this complaint. I had student tickets when Carver first opened and I thought the atmosphere was fantastic. The students showed up then, and the seating, as far as I know, was the same as it is now. We didn't have to be promised front row seats to go to a game, but we never would have voted in droves for a Socialist to be President of the United States, either. No idea why they don't go to the games, but it's not because of Kinnick. The students haven't even been going to the football games... I suppose that's Kinnick's fault.
 
Really need to move the student section to the court - like everyone else.

Carver is a freaking morgue

For the 400th time, name all of the BT schools that actually seat their students around the court, or shut up.
 
1- I agree that Carver is a joke, one of these worst home court advantages in college basketball. I have been saying that for 10 years now.

2- Students are a big part of the problem. What a joke! Do they even care at all? What a bunch of pansies.
 
1- I agree that Carver is a joke, one of these worst home court advantages in college basketball. I have been saying that for 10 years now.

2- Students are a big part of the problem. What a joke! Do they even care at all? What a bunch of pansies.


It's such a horrible advantage i mean 15 in a row at home... just can't get it done.
 
For ****'s sake.

1. Where is this myth that "everyone else" puts the students courtside coming from? Indiana doesn't. Purdue doesn't. Kansas doesn't. North Carolina doesn't. Arizona doesn't. UCLA doesn't. Iowa State doesn't. Villanova doesn't. Syracuse doesn't. Georgetown doesn't. Maryland doesn't. Kentucky doesn't. Louisville doesn't. There's an awful lot of college basketball royalty there, plus one of the best home court atmospheres in the country (ISU). And NONE of them have the students with the premium seats (according to the arena seating charts for each of those schools).

2. The seats the students have now are hardly bad. Say what you will about Carver's generally stale atmosphere/design, but there isn't a bad seat in the building. There certainly aren't steel beams presenting obstructed views like there were in the Field House (yet oddly the poor views didn't seem to prevent the FH from being an intimidating environment).

3. The students need to earn that type of privilege. They can't just expect to have it handed to them when they haven't done jack **** to show they would actually fill those seats on any kind of consistent basis. Sure, they'd have filled it for MSU/Purude this year. But they wouldn't provide the kind of atmosphere you're hoping for on a nightly basis.

4. When the program was in rough shape, you could reasonably pitch this as a way to generate excitement. But we have a top 5 team this year. The students (plus any "move the students" proponents) can't use the current seating chart as a crutch for a pathetic atmosphere. You shouldn't need those seats to go crazy for this team.
 
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For ****'s sake.

1. Where is this myth that "everyone else" puts the students courtside coming from? Indiana doesn't. Purdue doesn't. Kansas doesn't. North Carolina doesn't. Arizona doesn't. UCLA doesn't. Iowa State doesn't. Villanova doesn't. Syracuse doesn't. Georgetown doesn't. Maryland doesn't. Kentucky doesn't. Louisville doesn't. There's an awful lot of college basketball royalty there, plus one of the best home court atmospheres in the country (ISU). And NONE of them have the students with the premium seats (according to the arena seating charts for each of those schools).

2. The seats the students have now are hardly bad. Say what you will about Carver's generally stale atmosphere/design, but there isn't a bad seat in the building. There certainly aren't steel beams presenting obstructed views like there were in the Field House (yet oddly the poor views didn't seem to prevent the FH from being an intimidating environment).

3. The students need to earn that type of privilege. They can't just expect to have it handed to them when they haven't done jack **** to show they would actually fill those seats on any kind of consistent basis. Sure, they'd have filled it for MSU/Purude this year. But they wouldn't provide the kind of atmosphere you're hoping for on a nightly basis.

4. When the program was in rough shape, you could reasonably pitch this as a way to generate excitement. But we have a top 5 team this year. The students (plus any "move the students" proponents) can't use the current seating chart as a crutch for a pathetic atmosphere. You shouldn't need those seats to go crazy for this team.
This
 
Refs were horrible. They eliminated any game flow.


Do we on this board ever think the refs do a good job? We b**** when they call too many fouls, we b**** when they don't call enough fouls. Almost every game, someone whines about the refs. Here's a little secret: They're not any worse than they were a generation ago. It's just the hyper vigilance fans put into every game their team is playing, combined with the need to cling to victimhood status for ourselves and our team.



Wow, I feel a lot better now.
 
I enjoy Carver Hawkeye Arena, and I don't find it boring at all. In fact Iowa has not lost there since last season! One thing though I did hear on a podcast about planning a replacement arena. CHA is now 33 years old, roughly 50 is a good lifespan. That would be over 20 since the last renovation. With how long these things take to plan the beginning phases might be starting soon propelled by Iowa's success. It is a good time to fund raise, and the demand is higher for tickets.

A few major things need to be considered. First a good location. It should be easy walking distance for students, and be close to the campus parking areas. So space may be limited. The solution is to build up, rather than out. This will make increase the noise level inside by bringing fans closer to the court. Make it 2 tier, make it loud. Get 17,000 plus inside too. Make it a place that opposing teams hate to play at. Make the opposing team's locker rooms pink! Build it of red brick so it has that classic feel to it too. Do not build it in Coralville or by I-80 in a wide not intimate expanse. Have it ready for 2033 and let's rock it!
 
Could hear a pin drop much of the night last night. Nights when the team has a tough night vs an inferior opponent are the nights the crowd needs to lift them up so we don't lose one we shouldn't . We were due for a game like this, we haven't really had too many duds this year based on our double digit win totals. Going to be a night or two every season the energy just isn't there, but the crowd can spark them.
 
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