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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Sept 15, 2004 7:55:27 GMT -5
I am partial to the Wisconsin Field House, despite its lack of amenities and climate control. You are right on top of the game, especially in the end zones, where I prefer to sit. Huff at Illinois is a little smaller, but similar. I was kind of annoyed that I couldn't sit near the court the last time, even though a lot of the reserved seats were empty. A lot of people feel this way, but I tell you, the Illinois "ushers" are awfully tough on this (the phrase "Illinois Nazis" comes to mind). However, I understand it. Reserved tickets are for sale in that little trailer out front, you just have to get into the right line. And they are only $2 more, so if you want the seats, drop the cash. |
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Post by Dante on Sept 15, 2004 10:39:58 GMT -5
I'm taking your guyses posts as a nice description list of arenas around the country, because it's not like they are major league ballparks, where many people have been to many stadiums. I will probably never go to the Pacific's arena or Kansas State's arena ever. In other words, we have a good prospectus going so far.
To throw in my two cents, JMU's Sinclair Gym/Godwin Hall is no good. The floor is warped if you look close enough. The lighting is bad (when Towson came to play us, the Tigers wore sunglasses in the hallways to prepare for the dim lighting), doo doo brown metal bench bleachers, inaudible PA system, and NO A/C. Middle of campus. Free admission to all.
UNC Charlotte's Halton Arena is a basketball arena that makes a few concessions to make for VB. Curtains come down to split the arena capacity in half which makes it look less empty, but there is still a giant basketball painted in the middle of the court. And the boundary lines are tape, which is bush league. Other than that, the facility is newer, well lit and nice on the eye. Same building as food court and student gym, so various foot traffic walks by. Admission only free for students
Texas State's Strahan Coliseum is older, made for basketball, so even with their 1000 fans, it still looks empty. The boundaries AREN'T painted. There is a lot of - if it was baseball - foul territory so you can run down most shanked balls. Good sound, nice location on campus, nice attendance. Admission only free for students.
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Post by TDome on Sept 15, 2004 11:18:38 GMT -5
SSC is nice, call me a purist though, I preferred Klum
Spartan Gym at San Jose State before they moved to the Event Center was a fantastic venue, remember in the mid-to-late 80's under Dick Montgomery they were in the Top 5 all the time, even made the FF in 86... I think seating capacity was 1100
I also preferred the Gold Mine to the Pyramid, an intimate setting for volleyball with the fans right on the court always beats an overly air-conditioned monstrosity, no matter how nice BG's office is.
My team played at NU Coliseum once that is also a special place to play.
Not a big fan of Pauley Pavilion for vball either.
Saw my first match at Gregory Gym at UT this past week, I like it a lot although now that rally score is here to stay I wish that fans would stop with the "Point Texas" and at BYU the "Point Cougars" cheer. A point used to be a little harder to get.
Two of the worst, not sure if they still play there but New Mexico State in the PanAm Center and Utah State in the Smith Center, two cavernous facilities that feel like tombs for a volleyball match.
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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Sept 15, 2004 11:26:52 GMT -5
Saw my first match at Gregory Gym at UT this past week, I like it a lot although now that rally score is here to stay I wish that fans would stop with the "Point Texas" and at BYU the "Point Cougars" cheer. A point used to be a little harder to get. LOL! I know what you mean. Server hits ball into net. "Point Illinois." Bah. It can be worse. At Illinois State, they say "Point Illinois State. Wooo!" They even hand out cards with that written on it (I used to have one in the car). Fortunately, the matches I gone to at Illinois St have not had a lot of points for ISU so we didn't have to put up with that crap very much. |
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Post by rayb_14 on Sept 15, 2004 12:14:17 GMT -5
Two of the worst, not sure if they still play there but New Mexico State in the PanAm Center and Utah State in the Smith Center, two cavernous facilities that feel like tombs for a volleyball match. the PanAm Center in Las Cruces is pretty bad, go 10 minutes down the road and Memorial Gym at UTEP is just as bad. |
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Post by beachman on Sept 15, 2004 12:18:42 GMT -5
SSC is nice, call me a purist though, I preferred Klum Spartan Gym at San Jose State before they moved to the Event Center was a fantastic venue, remember in the mid-to-late 80's under Dick Montgomery they were in the Top 5 all the time, even made the FF in 86... I think seating capacity was 1100 I also preferred the Gold Mine to the Pyramid, an intimate setting for volleyball with the fans right on the court always beats an overly air-conditioned monstrosity, no matter how nice BG's office is. My team played at NU Coliseum once that is also a special place to play. Not a big fan of Pauley Pavilion for vball either. Saw my first match at Gregory Gym at UT this past week, I like it a lot although now that rally score is here to stay I wish that fans would stop with the "Point Texas" and at BYU the "Point Cougars" cheer. A point used to be a little harder to get. Two of the worst, not sure if they still play there but New Mexico State in the PanAm Center and Utah State in the Smith Center, two cavernous facilities that feel like tombs for a volleyball match. You are just jealous of the facilities at the Beach because the TDone is such a cesspool! Fill it up with your inebriated fans and it becomes even a worse cesspool! |
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Post by bucky415 on Sept 15, 2004 12:39:19 GMT -5
As a Bradley fan, I of course will find everything about Illinois State annoying. That wooh thing at the end of "point Illinois State" is especially geeky, though. They do get pretty good fan support, even though they haven't been great in recent years, but I don't agree with the ISU hype machine that Redbird Arena is a great volleyball venue. It is a nice arena, but anyplace that is circular in design will have the seats further away from the court than you would like. In basketball, where there are bigger crowds, you are used to it, but it isn't as good for volleyball. As for Illinois, I must have been in the wrong line; I didn't see the reserved seats for sale the last time I was there, or I would have paid for one. I thought the deal was that they had sold them as season tickets and half of the people didn't show up. In that case, I don't think ushers should keep people out once you are a ways into the match.
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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Sept 15, 2004 12:53:45 GMT -5
As a Bradley fan, I of course will find everything about Illinois State annoying. That wooh thing at the end of "point Illinois State" is especially geeky, though. They do get pretty good fan support, even though they haven't been great in recent years, but I don't agree with the ISU hype machine that Redbird Arena is a great volleyball venue. It is a nice arena, but anyplace that is circular in design will have the seats further away from the court than you would like. In basketball, where there are bigger crowds, you are used to it, but it isn't as good for volleyball. I am _never_ a fan of volleyball in a basketball venue. Even if you have 2000 fans, 2000 in a 12000 seat arena is too empty. The 5K halls like Huff at Illinois are a lot more appropriate. UNI's West Gym is just too small. However, they are breaking ground on the MacLeod center this fall, and that has the potential to be a premier volleyball venue. Of course, they probably won't make it that way, but it has great potential. When I went on Saturday, GA tickets were on the left, reserved tickets were on the right. Reserved seats were $7, GA was $5. |
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Post by georgia(pacific)girl on Sept 15, 2004 13:18:57 GMT -5
Ha ha. Orangey and dim lighting. So true! I do love the band at Idaho. And they stay on the stage, so they are out of the way. They are awesome! The band at Pacific drives me nuts. They are so loud and so close to the players and make obnoxious comments to the visiting team. I don't know why they can't sit in the bleachers. I guess because the seats are reserved. Every year, as visitors, they give us seat numbers that are right behind our players. Well, who can see when the girls stand up the whole match! Crummy seats! So, of course, we ignore the seat number (they're bleachers with numbers on them!) and move up some rows. Well, every year, some die hard Pacific fan tells us to move because we are sitting in his seat! And, this is the visitors section! It makes me feel so welcome.  This year I'm going to sit on Pacific Girls lap!  Come on over, but every time you cheer for Idaho, I'll have to pretend I have no idea who the woman is that is in my lap.  |
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Post by Serendipity on Sept 15, 2004 13:32:37 GMT -5
I am _never_ a fan of volleyball in a basketball venue. Both Northwestern and Iowa play in their basketball facilities. Awful, especially Carver-Hawkeye with 20,000 empty seats. OK, I'm overdoing it a little, but you understand my point. |
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Post by TDome on Sept 15, 2004 13:36:37 GMT -5
You are just jealous of the facilities at the Beach because the TDone is such a cesspool! Fill it up with your inebriated fans and it becomes even a worse cesspool! No I am not jealous of the facilities at the Beach, they have great facilities, just not great for volleyball IMO. The TDome can be a decent volleyball facility but only for a "Battle on the Beach" with a good LBSU when they can fill the place. That hasn't happened much lately, at least not since the days of Misty , Walls, Crump and Dillard vs. Crawford, Gehlke, Hart and Bown.  |
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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Sept 15, 2004 14:59:11 GMT -5
Both Northwestern and Iowa play in their basketball facilities. Awful, especially Carver-Hawkeye with 20,000 empty seats. OK, I'm overdoing it a little, but you understand my point. 2000 people in a 12000 seat stadium is not good. Carver-Hawkeye is 25 fans in a 20 000 seat stadium. You aren't overdoing it by much. It doesn't get much worse than that. |
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Post by HeelsMum on Sept 15, 2004 19:20:38 GMT -5
My vote is for Carmichael Arena at North Carolina-Chapel Hill. It was the men's basketball venue when Michael Jordan played there.
The team always draws a crowd!
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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Sept 15, 2004 19:56:50 GMT -5
My vote is for Carmichael Arena at North Carolina-Chapel Hill. It was the men's basketball venue when Michael Jordan played there. The team always draws a crowd! Yeah, when the match is on the same night as "Midnight Madness." |
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Post by georgia(pacific)girl on Sept 16, 2004 0:17:55 GMT -5
I will probably never go to the Pacific's arena If Mumsie isn't there the same night, you could sit on my lap.  |
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