Whats wrong with Carver?

DuffMan

DuffMan

Well-Known Member
I understand the difficulties lack of adequate practice facilities have posed and I understand why we needed to construct new ones. However I have heard multiple people (on these boards, on radio programs, in the papers) say that Carver itself is a liability. My question is why is that?

It seats 15k+. When filled it's certainly noisy. There isn't a bad view in the house. It doesn't look ancient to me. I've been to NBA games in the Target Center (or whateve the Wolves play in) and it's not like that place blew me away.

I'm of the belief that the only problem with Carver is that it isn't full. Am I off base?
 
DuffMan said:
I'm of the belief that the only problem with Carver is that it isn't full. Am I off base?
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That and the product on the floor hasn't been very good for a number of years. I have said it before and will say it again, once the team starts winning the fans will come back and there won't be any mention of CHA.
 
DuffMan said:
I understand the difficulties lack of adequate practice facilities have posed and I understand why we needed to construct new ones. However I have heard multiple people (on these boards, on radio programs, in the papers) say that Carver itself is a liability. My question is why is that?

It seats 15k+. When filled it's certainly noisy. There isn't a bad view in the house. It doesn't look ancient to me. I've been to NBA games in the Target Center (or whateve the Wolves play in) and it's not like that place blew me away.

I'm of the belief that the only problem with Carver is that it isn't full. Am I off base?
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Parking? I'm not really sure what is wrong with CHA either. It's nothing totally special but I think it is definitely adequate. Maybe it just needs one of those LCD video board rings around the entire arena?
 
I've always had a beef with the student section location since day one. Carver can be loud I agree, it's wether the fans ( even when full ) choose to get up for a game, which is similar to what you see at Kinnick, we as fans have always played up to our opponent. logistically there isn't anything wrong with Carver, it's a great venue to take in any event IMO.

Besides changing the student section layout, if I could change one thing in Carver I would hang a scoreboard over mid court equipped with a video board on all 4 sides, but that's just me.
 
poncho72 said:
I've always had a beef with the student section location since day one. Carver can be loud I agree, it's wether the fans ( even when full ) choose to get up for a game, which is similar to what you see at Kinnick, we as fans have always played up to our opponent. logistically there isn't anything wrong with Carver, it's a great venue to take in any event IMO.

Besides changing the student section layout, if I could change one thing in Carver I would hang a scoreboard over mid court equipped with a video board on all 4 sides, but that's just me.
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I agree that the SS layout should be changed. Also like the scoreboard idea. And I could really go for a new PA announcer. That guy is about as boring as the product on the floor for the last three years.
 
Take notice of the student section location at Duke and Michigan State for example...they fill the first 5-10 rows along one length of the court...serious homecourt advantage!
 
CallMeDragon said:
Take notice of the student section location at Duke and Michigan State for example...they fill the first 5-10 rows along one length of the court...serious homecourt advantage!
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That is what I have said for years. I would love that. Will likely never happen. Too many damn old, boring people at CHA over the years. But those old, boring people are shelling out a lot of money to sit there and sleep...
 
CallMeDragon said:
Take notice of the student section location at Duke and Michigan State for example...they fill the first 5-10 rows along one length of the court...serious homecourt advantage!
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One problem with this scenario is that the first row of the stands at Carver is much farther from the court than either of the places you mentioned.

Also look at the student sections at Purdue and Michigan State. They're both in approximately the same place as Iowa's.
 
Other than the obscene amount of old people who occupy the 1st 15 rows who dont cheer and leave with 5 minutes remaining i think its a great place to watch a game. When its full, or even mostly full it gets extremely loud in there.

For any problems it may have the giant ice cream cones more that make up for it
 
The answer to the student section is to push the front section of seats into the arena structure and replace those with moveable bleachers.

The issue isn't the location of the student section, it's that they stand the entire game, and you have to kill 4-5 rows behind them.
 
parquet said:
Also look at the student sections at Purdue and Michigan State. They're both in approximately the same place as Iowa's.
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When I watch a MSU game I swear the students are strecthing the full length of the court opposite of the team benches, I could be wrong.
 
The video screens are awful and much too small. I don't normally care about bells and whistles in basketball arenas but I've seen some big high school basketball courts that have better AV/scoreboards.

Realizing they can't change the layout, the massive steps up and down are a problem for some too. I've seen older folks struggle to get back up to the top from their seats. It's also a PITA when I take my young kids and have to carry them up and down a few times for bathroom breaks and the above-mentioned ice cream cones.
 
IOWuh said:
The video screens are awful and much too small. I don't normally care about bells and whistles in basketball arenas but I've seen some big high school basketball courts that have better AV/scoreboards.

Realizing they can't change the layout, the massive steps up and down are a problem for some too. I've seen older folks struggle to get back up to the top from their seats. It's also a PITA when I take my young kids and have to carry them up and down a few times for bathroom breaks and the above-mentioned ice cream cones.
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All the more reason to move the old lame *** fans near the top!

In all seriousness I now appreciate the problems the layout poses in terms of the long stairways, although I don't see that being a detraction when it comes to game atmosphere which is really the only way it would impact the programming or incomming recruits.

I view the stairway issue the same way I view the cold, if the teams good and winning it's a non issue, its just the cost of doing buisiness.
 
NO REPLAYS!?! That is the problem with Carver. They could show replays, like EVERY other Big Ten arena, but they don't. Basketball is a fast paced game, if you miss something you rely on replay. That is a huge reason I don't goto Carver.
I watch a game to watch a game. If there is a great play or I miss something there is a the replay. I don't get that at Carver, I do at home, at a bar, or at a friends. And that isn't Carver...
 
1. Carver Hawkeye started out as a bigger facility and was "designed down" before ground was broken. In the initial design (I still have artist's renditions in the project folder that was sent out) there was a mezzanine level half way down with entry tunnels, concessions etc behind the seating bowl. There were also outside entrances that went into the ground feeding into the lower bowl. It was a much nicer and bigger arena and then they scaled back. WHY...is still a mystery to me. Fund-raising came in faster and stronger than expected when the Arena project was launched. Money was not a problem.

2. Not unlike the Metrodome, it was designed as a multi-use facility with not enough space/facilities etc to serve all the teams it had to...a big generic shell. (I hate comparing it to the Metrodome, but the limitations of both became apparent almost immediately after they opened.) The Dome's roof had problems and deflated a few times...the floor at Carver sunk, cracked and had to be repaired. (most have forgotten that).

3. Location, location, location. It received design awards for its unique roof truss and integration into the landscape. Unfortunatly that's also it's biggest flaw. There's NO space around for expansion, parking etc and it doesn't make much of a visual impression on fans, recruits etc. It's nice and close to Kinnick, Rec ctr, etc...but the plot is tiny for an arena its size.

4.I also recall one of the bragging points was how quickly the arena could be emptied following a game..the number and size of the aisles was so good. Without getting too deeply into the ergonomics of arena design...that speaks volumes. When your focus is getting people OUT of the arena, not building a visual or physical intensity into the design, you got problems. No doubt this was driven by the same people who made the seating arrangements. Yes, there have been some loud nights in CHA but the seating is designed more for comfort than intensity. Those of us who are old enough to remember the Field House can actually FEEL a difference between the two. CHA is sterile.

Bottom line: Somebody got too conservative and didn't think big when the place was built. My gut feeling is some big donors to the project said "I'm tired of fighting my way out of the fieldhouse after the buzzer...you better put me close to the court...etc" and their voice got in the way of a KICK *** sports facility. Instead we got a performance facility.
 
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hawkdrummer1 said:
1. Carver Hawkeye started out as a bigger facility and was "designed down" before ground was broken. In the initial design (I still have artist's renditions in the project folder that was sent out) there was a mezzanine level half way down with entry tunnels, concessions etc behind the seating bowl. There were also outside entrances that went into the ground feeding into the lower bowl. So #1, it was scaled back from the initial "think big" design. It was a much nicer arena and then they scaled back. WHY...is still a mystery to me. Fund-raising came in faster and bigger than expected when the Arena project was launched. Money was not a problem.

2. Not unlike the Metrodome, it was designed as a multi-use facility with not enough space/facilities etc to serve all the teams it had to. (I hate comparing it to the Metrodome, but the limitations of both became apparent almost immediately after thy opened. The Dome's roof had problems...the floor at Carver sunk, cracked and had to be repaired. (most have forgotten that).

3. Location, location, location. It received design awards for its unique roof truss and integration into the landscape. Unfortunatly that's also it's biggest flaw. There's NO space around for expansion, parking etc and it doesn't make much of a visual impression on fans, recruits etc. It's nice and close to Kinnick, Rec ctr, etc...but the plot is tiny for an arena it's size.

Bottom line: Somebody got too conservative and didn't think big when the place was built.
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Interesting stuff. Welcome to the boards.
 
In all reality, there is nothing wrong with Carver as a venue. Lack of butts in the seats is a problem. Where the students sit is a problem, but overall, it's a great venue.

The long stairways shouldn't pose much of a problem, even for the old folks. There are elevators so if you're more than 1/2 way down, just walk down the steps and take the elevator back up. What is nice is that you don't have lots of holes or openings around the arena (entrances). When CHA is full, it's nothing but bodies as far as the eye can see. I like that.

What else to do? Personally, I hate the big scoreboards that hang over an arena and like the fact that can see around the entire venue with an unblocked view. With that said, the video/scoreboard in place today are poor, small and definitely could be improved. All of that could be accomplished without having a big-a$$ video screen hanging over center court.

Also, move the press seats to the other side of the arena. When you watch a game at CHA on TV, it looks like nothing more than a bunch of empty seats. I dont' care where they move them personally, but get them out of the TV viewing angles for sure.

As was said, there isn't a bad seat in the house.....it won't take a whole lot more than putting some product on the court and that will get butts back in the seats. Everything else is cosmetic and pretty easily fixed.
 
If the administration is paying attention they will "break" everything about the basketball program and rebuild it from the ground up. If you're standing still you're falling behind.
 
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