Sounds like your like me. When I go to the game I'm there for the game. However a whole lot of people go to them for the "experience" Enough so that they are who drive the market of 'must haves' that the arenas need to have. It's keeping up with the Joneses plain and simple. Your either ahead of the game or behind... They have the money so they may as well...See, here is the thing, for me, the product on the floor is what excites me about the program. I don't give a damn if the student section is loud, I don't need to see in game stats to know how the team is doing, and I don't need a better view of the pancheros burrito on a center court jumbotron.
I think winning NCAA tourney games and putting players in the NBA will do a lot more for recruiting than any changes that could be made to the arena.
Sound system is a must, jumbo tron will be awesome.
They need better wifi or cell service in Iowa city in general. I can't believe the university can't install some sort of WiFi during football/basketball games.
I think they need to move where they seat the media too. I always hate seeing that section of seats on tv. It just looks really....weird. Put them where the camera isn't on them all the time.
I don't really care where the students sit. It looks cool on camera when the students are behind the bench, but carver was plenty loud vs indiana, and Hilton is plenty loud when the students are behind a basket.
We've had plenty threads lately about having students closer to the court and the debate on whether that helps a team. I was surprised when watching Iowa State vs Kansas in the epic Allen Fieldhouse how really benign the atmosphere was. I was expecting a raucous atmosphere and it was not. Students were not really close to the floor either. Actually reminded me of Carver.
I don't have a lot of problem with CHA. I attended many games in the old field house, so I do have that comparison and it was, in fact, a pretty crazy place.
I had a chance to fill out a survey from the U. in regards to the atmosphere at CHA. They asked all kinds of questions and maybe left out a couple that I would have liked to answer. But, I appreciated the fact that they asked.
I said that we need a better video system and sound system. Sounds like they are going to address that issue. My biggest complaint was that currently, we don't see a lot of in game stats...they run a few but leave out a lot of important stuff. They should take a lesson from the football stats that appear at Kinnick.
I go for the games. Other than an occasional ice cream cone, I don't care about concessions. I don't really care about the half time stuff. I like it when they introduce kids who have been successful as student/athletes...that is important to me. I am disgusted by the naming of the court after Mediacom. Are you kidding me? I know, I know, $$$.
I have pointed out before that the placement of the students is not the problem. Its numbers, dummy, its the numbers. It is a myth that most schools ring the court with student seats. Big donors, premium seats, keep the ticket prices down for middle class folks like me, so deal with it. I would like to see severely reduced, or free, tickets for the kids., especially for the early season games.
The complaint about the walk ways is a complete mystery to me. It is likely about safety? It is a long way from top to bottom, after all. And, I appreciate the rails since my balance at my age is not like it used to be. And, no, my hair is not blue, what is left of it. And, yes, I stand up when the Hawks are on a run. And, yes, I sing and clap during the fight song. And, yes, the folks around me cheer very loud.
Now lets win some games in the BT tourney and in the NCAA. That will solve a lot of problems.
Have you been to Allen? Trust me, the crowd is on top of the court. They seat 15k in an area at least 1/3 smaller than Carver. Think Kinnick seats where you have room for about half a butt cheek