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Topic: Best Facility

Topic: Best Facility

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sargentfan
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Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 1:50:28 PM

Just saw an interesting quote from Toledo's coach in the Dispatch's Inside Ohio College Basketball section saying he thought Toledo had the best facility in the MAC. Unfortunately I don't get to see many away games in person, so for those that have which facility in the MAC would you objectively call the best?

Jeff McKinney
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 2:05:08 PM

Sightlines, watching the game: Convocation Center, Ohio University
Convocation Center, EMU

Modern amenities: Toledo

I haven't been to NIU so I can't really speak to that arena, although I know it's large and modern.

OU_Country
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 2:34:07 PM

Jeff McKinney wrote:

I haven't been to NIU so I can't really speak to that arena, although I know it's large and modern.

And largely void of fans in the seats.

anorris
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 2:42:09 PM

I've never been, but Savage is certainly up there. Good amenities and generally speaking good crowds.

Last Edited: 1/10/2012 2:42:53 PM by anorris

Ohio69
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 2:57:02 PM

Ohio. Ohio. Ohio.

Right Jeff?

Anyone been to EMU?

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 3:20:03 PM

I've been to Ypsi once. I think it's a jewel. If that place was filled, it would be an intimidating place to play.

I've never been to NIU or Buffalo, so I can't say what the best in the MAC is.

Ohio has the correct balance of capacity, big arena feel and intimacy.

Savage, Ball State and Stroh are too antiseptic. Ball State feels a bit like the missile silo area at the Air Force Museum in Dayton for some weird reason. The JAR is too small. Millett feels like the setting for a high school musical with the curtains and discolored greenish gold seats. Central and Western are so bland I don't remember anything about them.

Last Edited: 1/10/2012 3:24:27 PM by Brian Smith (No, not that one)

mf279801
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 3:22:20 PM

The Convo has UB's arena beat hands down. Larger, better crowds, better student section, and UB's arena (on the inside) reminds me of nothing but a large concrete bunker. With a running track going around the bleachers

Mike Bundt WHIZ
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 3:40:33 PM

mf279801 wrote:

I definitely agree that the Convo beats Alumni Arena hands down but don't diss Alumni Arena. I love it there. When they do get big crowds, it can be a very tough place to play as they've almost beaten #3 Pittsburgh and #2 UCONN there in the past decade. The design of the arena is a little different but I like it. Plus, they have an overhead HD Jumbotron now, which is pretty cool.

And to be honest, I've liked all 3 MAC arenas I've been to. (Ohio, UB, Kent St.)

Convo has big arena feel to it, UB just cuz its my hometown team, and Kent St. is an amazing place when they pack it.

Last Edited: 1/10/2012 3:41:29 PM by Mike Bundt WHIZ

mcbin
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 8:48:14 PM

Ohio69 wrote:

Anyone been to EMU?

EMU's is nice, called the Convo as well. And it seems like a mini-Convo, albeit newer. I believe they have private boxes also. The neat thing about EMU is there is a really nice concourse area that connects the basketball arena to the football stadium. And that concludes the my list of neat things about EMU.

I have been to NIU, and don't remember much more than wind, snow and Pizza Pros. Can't remember anything memorable about the arena.

In all seriousness, EMU's would be at/near the top of my list with our Convo. I don't believe I've seen WMU/CMU's gyms though yet. Everyone else is ho-hum IMO.

Now when it comes to crowds, Ohio's student section(although down for the past few years) is tops. Nobody even close. Kent/Akron have busier/louder places by virtue of being tiny, but atmosphere belongs to Ohio. (still plenty of room for improvement though)

bn9
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 9:08:40 PM

Been to CMU. Nothing stood out about it other than it felt like a big high school gym.

RSBobcat
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 11:40:27 PM

Toledo's facility is pretty nice. I was at the game 2 years ago (AB benched 2nd half, we won on OT vs weak Toledo team). I think it was the arena's premier season. Was in a suite entertained by my Toledo distributor. Food, adult bevs (AKA Beer, Booze, and Wine) - Pro like amenities - nice arena w/small crowd. Best I have been in outside the Convo. As I said on Stroh Center thread - it's just a "nice Gym". Ball St. arena not bad, but does sorta have that "missle silo" feel another poster mentioned. Millet absolutley sucks - even the "good seats" suck. Those are the only ones I have been in - hope to get to Kent and Akron TY.

The Convo is a "Diamond in the rough". Others have mentioned, all we need are a few updates - some new paint around the place, hanging video scoreboard, not much else (maybe better pretzels...). The place was built with one thing in mind - BASKETBALL!

Last Edited: 1/10/2012 11:41:39 PM by RSBobcat

RS Bobcat

bornacatfan
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 11:51:11 PM

Been to them all multiple times. Some people like wines, others heirloom tomatoes and others cars or any other myriad of passions. Mine is gyms.

Top 4 are Convo, EMU, CMU, Savage.

I judge gyms and facilities on several criteria. COnvo is tops in many of them. Gameday experience, Comfort, sightlines and believe it or not on a quiet morning when I am in there the ghosts of the past are all there. The noise of the crowd and the heat and smell of a packed gym and a raucous student body reverberate even in the quietest moments. There are certain gyms you stand under the basket in the paint and palpably feel it. THe Coliseum at UK, Many HS gyms in our neck of the woods, the Fairgrounds at Columbus, St Johns, Hinkle. There are times I am overcome with emotion fighting back tears of joy as I stand in the middle of the court as I think of the players who have stood inthe same spot and fans who make up the soul of the place. The Convo, from the first time I stepped in there at 1135 pm on a Friday Night with Coach Townsend reached out and did it.

THat said it needs work, I have many ideas which were lost on the old board. It needs a practice gym, it got new training rooms or at least ones that are functional in this century. Locker rooms are adequate, volleyball being very nice as they raised funds and had a great plan. It needs a gear store like Stroh and Kron and ......ya know we all have ideas Movin on

CMU pleasantly surprised me . Ticket area and entrance are a freeking hike and count on sub zero and a ton of snow aytime you are there. Once in the sitelines are awesome. Band and students are well placed, seats are individual and comfy and concessions can be acccessed and delivered to your seats. Little menus on each seat. Next door is the Dick ENberg study facility for athletes, a huge indoor arena and quality weight room. Offices and general tone and feel though devoid of ghosts and character are pretty nice. RENOVATIONS were worthwhile.

EMU is green and large., I like it. Decent parking, gear store withn ice layout on the way in, great concessions and above average bathrooms. Seat are nice and comfy and save for the square layout that leaves the corner views a bit disconcerting very nice facility. NOt much history and a little sterile but homey in a weird kind of way.

Kron....nice use of posters and displays taking a fan back historically to celebrate the past. and show the ascendancy to D1 from D2....something Wright should consider. THe seats are plasticy and the press have a tight fot over there on the opposite side of the floor. The risers are a bit rickety and not really confidence inspiring but the seats are there with pretty good sitelines. Company store on the bottom floor is sweet and back facilities and locker rooms are nice. Concessions are pretty lame and not located very well. Student sections at the end of the floor are pretty lame as are the students filling them. Sound system is decent and scoreboards/individual player boards are pretty readable anywhere.

Buffalo uses the Bunker theme and erects an homage to concrete block. Lots and lots of stairs and blue. Seats are comfy although they seem to be remote from the floor. The student section and band are at the visiting team end and filled with....excuse the politically incorrect term ....retards. Kids who have no respect for themselves, talk during the anthem, make disparaging remarks to the visiting team while the announcer is readling the accomplishments of their players on senior night....just morally bankrupt humans that have complete disregard for tradition, manners and a lack of self esteem. That placement of the students and band could be so much more if they actually had any imagination and self restraint. The concourse is pretty nice with the history of the game and UB athletics.

Ball State loves to think they have the best arena in the MAC but in comparison to several area High Schools nearby they are probably the 6th or 7 th best within 25 miles and nowhere near the visual and comfort experience that CMU and EMU have . Upper deck seatoggs include a climb up massive stairs to sit on aluminum. Use of vinyl banners is very weill executed to cover the unused seats. Nest is at the end by visitors bench and like Buffalo could be much better with a creative student body....Chirp CHiirp has always been a little lame but the fans are a least respectful and a bit basketball savvy. THe locker rooms and training facilities make this a better facility than the gameday atmosphere. Press tables and courtside seats were part of the plan and not an afterthought. Benches and locker rooms are situated so that teams are not crossing each other and close. Scoreboard is decent and individual players lines visible. Not many ghosts. but a ton of practice gyms nearby for multiple teams Sterile but a good place to catch and game. Concessions easily accessible and numerous.

Stroh has just been reviewed by many here. I liked the team store, the prectice facilities and offices.

Kent is a big high school gym with dark hallways underneath, ridiculous broadcast facilities, nice big screens, good student placement at the end along withthe band. Narrow entryways and blocked views when people are moving in and out. Aging with cramped offices underneath and bad parking situation that always has a long snowy walk. Upstairs aisles and seating is pretty old school with narrow aisles and hard bleachers.

Savage is pretty awesome. THe concourse is wide and full of history. Great history and great displays. THe transformation from ugly seats and carpet on the walls is remarkable. Great seating with excellent sitelines, the Varsity club up in the end for pregame and great concession areas. I really like the boxes. COncourse goes around and gives pretty good places for SRO crowds to pass and be. Parking still sucks but the package is so good.

Miami...not even in the conversation. Was really great when I was a kid and big step up when they opened it but with UD opening a few years later it never held my interest. Getting worse by the year. Sightlines are horrible, seating is nasty. Vidboards weak. Student sections lame. Not much I like about seeing an game there even when MsCoop and I steal Mrs Coles seats they still inhale profoundly deep. Must be the same for recruiting because they dont even bring them on campus for games if possible preferring to bring them to hockey and football weekends.

NIU....I lived in Dekalb. It is bad enough that the wind starts somewhere in Mid Iowa and rolls across the plains till it finally hits Dekalb.....that you would locate your arena on the very west end of town where you are going to bring a recruit in mid winter is insane. That those kids would have to walk across the west end of campus to get to practice in 20 below wind chill and leave the arena at all hours is nuts. Fans walking across the parking lot to the old arena were at least protected from the eternal winter was nuch better. Entrance is nice and airy. Locker rooms are deep in the bowels of the arean as is the post game press area. Track around the top and the walk to seats gives the feel of being in an airplane hangar. Walking down into the plastic seating is ok but seats are flimsy and cheap feeling. Far enough back from the court to feel detached.. Sound of the band is lost in the cavernous confines and the student section .....hmmmm.... I dont even remember them having one..... The scoreboard is pretty sweet. not a great place for a game though.

WMU......"A basketball court runs through it." Like Ohio built a arean in the middle of a residence hall WMU placed their court inthe middle of a track. Seating upstairs is strange and seems far away bt downstairs is nice (save for the old displaced Marshall Pricks who moved from WV to Michigan for jobs that sit in the same thrid row , 3, $ and 5 seats in behind our bench and say the same ridiculous things to our players) and comfy...space behind the baskets is occupied with seats that have depth problems with the track behind them. SOme nice amenities (and the best looking dance team intheMAC) with concession areas being cramped in behind the track way underneath. Place seeems like it can rock but I am not sure it gives a great overall feel. and I would hate to be over onthe upper deck bleachers.as they Look hard even from far away. Restrooms upstairs are clean and bright.

Best restrooms are Ball State by far , even when the palce was packed you never had to wait to go.... Got to think worst are in the Convo with a wall full of antique hand dryers and 14 watt pre cfc bulbs (Maybe dyson and Sylvania want a test site)

Hard to beat the concessions to your seat at CMU but the best concession area with regard to lack of lines and selection. is at ...Savage and Buffalo (though it is a very LOooooooong walk from the block wall side of UB) . Best use of concourse area for school history....hmmm probably buffalo but the Ohio trophy cases are pretty cool. Miami has an interesting concourse and the best Hall of Fame. Stroh has probably the best overall underneath facility with state of the art training and practice facilities and team stores Recruits will eat up the non court area of the arena and the bitchin falcoon outside.

DID I miss any? hmmmmm Licouras Center is probably above everything but Savage and COnvo.

Worst site lines are in the upper corners of Stroh. And I know it is sight lines....sorry about that. .

never argue with idiots, they bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Winter comes and asks how you spent your summer.....

The game loves and rewards those who love and reward the game

RSBobcat
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/10/2012 11:54:52 PM

bornacatfan wrote:

Wow - I haven't even read this yet, but, prize for typing skills!

RS Bobcat

RSBobcat
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 12:02:59 AM

Borna - Great recap. My favorite:

"even when MsCoop and I steal Mrs Coles seats they still inhale profoundly deep."

Last Edited: 1/11/2012 12:04:02 AM by RSBobcat

RS Bobcat

oldkatz
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 8:48:35 AM

RSBobcat wrote:

Borna - Great recap. My favorite:

"even when MsCoop and I steal Mrs Coles seats they still inhale profoundly deep."

Blue ribbon turn of phrase, old fella.

"All my inside sources tell me I have no inside sources." Salvatore "money bucks" Mafiosiano.

mf279801
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 8:54:05 AM

bornacatfan wrote:

Buffalo uses the Bunker theme and erects an homage to concrete block. Lots and lots of stairs and blue. Seats are comfy although they seem to be remote from the floor. The student section and band are at the visiting team end and filled with....excuse the politically incorrect term ....retards. Kids who have no respect for themselves, talk during the anthem, make disparaging remarks to the visiting team while the announcer is readling the accomplishments of their players on senior night....just morally bankrupt humans that have complete disregard for tradition, manners and a lack of self esteem. That placement of the students and band could be so much more if they actually had any imagination and self restraint. The concourse is pretty nice with the history of the game and UB athletics.

The politically correct term is New Yorkers/Jerseyers (appologies to Buffalobobcatfan, but I've lived here long enough to be allowed to say that)

clodney
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 9:59:48 AM

bornacatfan wrote:

This is great! I'm going to give this to True Blue before the Ohio game at Alumni in February. Maybe that will get those retards to finally make some noise.

Last Edited: 1/11/2012 10:08:07 AM by clodney

Bball Jones
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 10:43:30 AM

Great recap Doc!!

bornacatfan
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 10:45:55 AM

clodney wrote:

. Maybe that will get those retards to finally make some noise.

The problem is not that they don't make noise. It is the stupidity behind and in the noise they make. Why would you disrespect your seniors who are being introduced by yelling obscenities at the OHIO bench who are quietly listening and applauding you outgoing players? Socially stunted and raised by boorish parents = retarded social skills. Classy noisy student sections are really pretty cool. Socially retarded humans making stupid comments directed at players standing withtheir hand over their heart during the anthem is "noisy" to be sure, just unacceptable in our modern society. Still lots of guys dying defending that flag (and their right of free speech of course) IIRC one of them was honored the last time we were up there for his military accomplishments durng a time out.

Bobcatbob
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 10:51:59 AM

Great shout out for Columbus' Fairgrounds Coliseum, aka the barn. Aesthetically the place is awful but fill it with HS basketball fans in March and it is a bucket list kind of experience. Sadly, many early round HS tournament games that were once played there in marathon sesions have been moved.

shabamon
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 1:25:36 PM

I've seen games at five MAC arenas: Ohio, Akron, Ball State, Kent, and Miami. I would rank them as follows:

1) Ohio, for all the reasons borna said, and the criticisms are warranted. I really think concessions are lacking, and a larger scoreboard, maybe on the back walls, would really help. I sat eight rows up in the upper deck for the Marietta game and couldn't get a clear view of any of the four ground scoreboards. Still, an arena that feels collegiate cool.

2) Ball State. Very modern and certainly feels like an arena and not a gym. As someone who marvelled at Market Square Arena when my dad took to me Pacers games as a kid, I like seeing the high stands as I walk through a portal. Although it is the second-highest capacity in the MAC, I feel as though the back walls and ceiling are much taller than the space the seats need. Feels like it should seat more.

Akron and Miami are tied for me, but Miami 13 years ago would be higher. I've been to a lot of games at Millett over the years (my parents are Miami alumni, plus I was at Miami basketball camp two consecutive summers). I remember going to one game in the Devin Davis/Landon Hackim years and the place was packed and rocking, plus I idolized Wally Szczerbiak and my high school commencement was there. So I have a lot of attachments to Millett. I like the classic feel of the concourse, the hall of fame, bathrooms, and concessions. Somewhere around the Juby Johnson years, they started losing fans and thus began the curtains and tarps which evolved into what it is now. It just feels crippled.

Akron...not bad, some stairs to climb. I like the history banners, as bornacatfan mentioned, and the sightlines are adequate. The Ak-rowdie sections are very small, and I think if they had a continuous area designated for students, like Ball State and Buffalo have, the perception of that section would dwindle.

Last) Kent. The most confusing building I've ever been in. The walkways and stairs seem to lead nowhere and everywhere at the same time. If your seats are in the upper deck, you won't have a clear view of the scoreboard. Plus, all of the upper seats are wooden benches. At least Akron's upper seats are bleachers and have some give to them.

EDIT: best non-MAC arena I've been to is Dayton. What an awesome venue. The front entrance area is a bit cramped and it's not exactly on campus or in walking distance to any restaurants or bars, but the sightlines are great, the place glows blue and red, and I like the conscious design effort to make it look like an airforce base/hangar, reflecting the nickname and the city's claim to fame. Oddly enough, I've never caught a men's game here, just a women's game and some high school tournament games.

Last Edited: 1/11/2012 1:46:22 PM by shabamon

bornacatfan
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 2:00:41 PM

shabamon wrote:

, I've never caught a men's game here, just a women's game and some high school tournament games.

besst game i have been to at UD recently was Dunbar Trotwood, Wright's senior year. Place was rocking but the walkways were crazy packed and you could not move anywhere

Brian Smith (No, not that one)
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/11/2012 9:25:31 PM

Yeah, if we're putting UD Arena in this conversation...well, conversation over.

How an arena that holds that many people has that amount of intimacy is an architectural marvel. When you walk in, you'd swear the thing is a year old.

Worst venue in Ohio? The Schott. Ohio State had one of the greatest arenas in college basketball history and traded it for luxury box money, maroon seats and all the atmosphere of a shopping mall. Borna talked about chill factor and when you stood on the floor at St. John Arena, it was there in full force.

Last Edited: 1/11/2012 9:28:40 PM by Brian Smith (No, not that one)

OU_Country
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/12/2012 8:31:37 AM

Brian Smith wrote:

I echo everything you said here, but add one place - Cintas Center. I "hate" XU, but their building is outstanding. In my opinion it's not UD Arena caliber, but it's #2 in the state as far as basketball venues go.

bornacatfan
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RE: Best Facility

Posted: 1/12/2012 9:03:33 AM

OU_Country wrote:

Brian Smith wrote:

#2 in the state.

Got to consider that statement. Not wanting to expand this thread much past the MAC. If you consider UD on Gameday the best I guess X maybe would be a contender not because of the facility but because of the numbers they regularly draw. I am not gonna argue withan X guy as when Matt Howard was being recruited I got flamed on the X board for explaining why an Indiana kid might want to play at Hinkle....all they could say was "who wants their family peeing in horse troughs" justifying his choice of X based solely on the arena. Saw where that went dint we?

We had the privilege of playing team camp each year at X. Muncie Central went over in June and spent a half a week there every year. Seeing every aspect of that facility and the gym down the hill and the old old gym behind that I found Cintas to be lacking a soul. They did a good job on the concourse with BEER and history as youwalk around with a BEER and they have the practice gym downstairs and BEER and they did a great job down under withteh offices and BEER on gameday and they also have those bigger than life size images of SATO and important historic players lining the walls to motivate current athletes and retain history but I never got the finished product. Like the Nutter Center it is unfinished and cold and lifeless.

I wrote it off to my history seeing X in the old Gardens but I saw Cincy there too and I like being in their home arena. The sightlines are pretty good and the setup is excellent but besides the BEER I am not sure the drive through the ghetto from any direction, the question whether your car is going to be there when you get back or if you are going to get mugged on the way in or out or just the the sheer distance of the hike from any parking lot to the facility leaves me with enough good vibe to want to attend games there regularly. I like the place and the amenities but it does not do much for me and certainly does not erase my fond memories of seeing the Muskies in the Gardens as much as the move from the Feildhouse at UD to the Arena or UK moving from the COliseum to RUpp or even UL from Freedom to Yum did.

One of the funnier moments of the last 4 years came at X when a parking attendant in the lower lot was hassling OUr president about parking down there. After arriving 90 minutes early and being forced to frive clear up on the top parking lot I was walking down and observed same attendant not quite hassling OUr prez but not really wanting to let him in "his" lot. I was torn between going over to the guy and informing him withwhom he was speaking but figured my earlier comments woild wash away any help I could give.

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