In Allen Fieldhouse the students yell chants across the court to each other, the visitors have to deal with student sections at the line the whole game. Never been to an Iowa game live but do the students get pretty wild up in the top rows? CHA is a very cool building and with a winning program and a student section placed correctly it could be a great atmosphere.
Carver Hawkaisle Arena
- Thread starter BoiseDB
- Start date
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
From the first day it opened I thought it was poorly designed from the standpoint of the fan and the athletes. There is no point -- none -- to having every aisle extend from the concourse level to the floor.
It was done that way to enable quick evacuation should it be needed, supposedly the whole place can emptied in 5 minutes. If you remember the first day it opened, surely you recall that being discussed in the media. You should also remember it was designed to be multi-purpose, not a dedicated MBB facility, as well as remember how it won national architectural design awards. OTOH, how fans would worry about how the aisles looked on TV was probably not considered.
But fair to say had it been built 20 years later the design would have been much different, especially since the intent from the beginning was to reward big donors with prime seating. My guess is Barta would give his left nut to come up with a workable way to put in skyboxes and ribbon boards.
hawkeye4life68
Banned
Another shining example of the ineptitude surrounding the Athletic Dept.
How you can put 47 million into upgrades and NOT do one fricking thing about getting the seats closer to the floor or even try to address how to get the students closer is beyond comprehension.
Carver in it's current design provides one of the worst home court advantages in the power 5 if not below.
How you can put 47 million into upgrades and NOT do one fricking thing about getting the seats closer to the floor or even try to address how to get the students closer is beyond comprehension.
Carver in it's current design provides one of the worst home court advantages in the power 5 if not below.
D
DDThompson
Guest
Here's what I know: Dajkich said that back in the day visiting teams called CHA "The Palace, because it was."
homes
Well-Known Member
Watching the Kansas game last night, the steps at Allen Fieldhouse are painted red and blue. Cosmetic, but still a good idea. Love the chair lift imagery, a good smile on that one.
The only time I have ever wasted my time emailing Barta was when they were doing the renovation and reseat. I just told him it was time to get the students around the court finally and it could be done, like Michigan has done. You could still have a nice mid court padded seat section for the big donors about 15 rows up. I assume my email must have gone to junk mail.
Hawknick
Banned
I believe that a factor involving the design of CHA was a bit of fieldhouse fatigue that some had. The designers went to far to make it be unlike the fieldhouse rather than keeping what was good about it.
On a side note: Ralph Miller was involved in designing a new basketball arena in the late 1960s to replace the fieldhouse. I read that a 3d model was even made. Question; does anyone know where a could find the plans to the Ralph Miller arena? That would be interesting to see.
On a side note: Ralph Miller was involved in designing a new basketball arena in the late 1960s to replace the fieldhouse. I read that a 3d model was even made. Question; does anyone know where a could find the plans to the Ralph Miller arena? That would be interesting to see.
I agree about Allen FH. I have been there and I really wasn't impressed with the building but the experience was great. Pauley Pavilian was pretty cool too. Students were pretty racus
wundergrape
Well-Known Member
I love Carver, and I don't want it to change.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
There is no way Iowa kicks the old gray haired donor from their plush seats. Not saying I agree with that. I'd like a more raucaus crowd, but unfortunately it probably won't happen. This experience is for the students, but Iowa gives the best seats to those who give the most $$.
Not saying I agree either. But the old gray haired donor. Paid to build the place. There should be some type of compermise they can come up with.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
I understand that and realize there were safety and ADA considerations to the design. But Iowa loses premium seating, loud student support and TV aesthetics in the current configuration. Seems like it should be possible to close every other aisle and add seating up to about the fourth row and still meet safety standards.
HawkinGoferLand
Well-Known Member
Most decent arenas are pretty solid with seating on the bottom x rows. I posted pix of many courts in a previous thread 1+ yr ago
racerhawk
Well-Known Member
Great points. I think CHA is fine. However, Iowa needs to be competitive in every possible way. We need to put the students in the courtside seats. I also appreciate our older, monied hawk fans, but man, they sure sap the game day experience. This is true at Kinnick, too. Both of these venues can rock, but I feel guilty every time I stand up. People get annoyed. Yelling may or may not be okay depending on your section.
The building isn't the problem. We need to field a talented team, and we need youth and energy near the court.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
Don't the students at Hilton sit in the endzones? Maybe they just have more enthusiastic students. Heck, for a few years there, no students were showing up at Carver, just like they're not showing up at Kinnick.
BILLBUCKNER
Well-Known Member
You don't know what you are talking about. Why is it so difficult to win on the road then? What is being discussed is what changes can be made to make our homecourt more formidable. I would remove the stadium seating and replace it with bleachers all around the lower tier of the stadium to encourage standing and getting grey hairs away for courtside. I don't care if its students sitting courtside,but definitely sit them right behind the visitor bench. I just want to see our fans standing screaming for an entire game like they do at Duke. That kind of support gives you a true homecourt advantage. If you can't do that ,don't go to the game.
sioux34
Well-Known Member
You are the one who does not know what you are talking about. Losing on the road has much more to do with disruption of the players routines and travel related fatigue than a few thousand students yelling at them. Having played in college, i can tell you that when you are on the floor, the noise of the crowd rarely even enters your awareness.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I think it effects you pregame and up until the whistle, but at that point it becomes just another game. That said, if you're struggling and checked out mentally your going to notice.
