How to you fix CHA?
- Thread starter DEREKoh2
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Lots of love. Can you engineer to build a Mezzanine midway down with a concourse? Serious question.
Nothing wrong with it- when it is full and hopping it is as good as anywhere. The students don’t care- and seating sections will not help change their mind.
I don’t think that it is student friendly. At all.
Back in the early 80s CHA was considered state of the art especially when compared to the antiquated Iowa field house. To blame Lute, (who left in 1983), for current state of the building doesn't seem right to me.
A consistent top 25 or better team
Would the hawks have not won more games in the field house during the 80s? I believe so.
Ok, so you are JFK? Ask not what the Hawks can do for you. Ask what you can do for the Hawks! Ok? Not a huge Run & Blade fan, but she can be right sometimes. Beer everywhere is the solution.
With the arms race in college sports , it would have been tough to recruit against nicer facilities.
Yes they could. It would wipe out a lot of seats, in several rows. But it would be worth it!
On the north and northwest side of the arena(behind the bench and the around the tunnel) they could bring the infrastructure under the seating(which would be removed).
Build 2 bigger sections, and 2 smaller sections, with standing room areas, restrooms and concessions. And a narrow aisle around the arena, Using rows 20-24...
Since the media has shank in nunbers, and the area takes up a ton of space, relocate that. Have part of that area be one of the larger concessions areas. Sections BB & CC. Have the other larger section be in part of L & M. With two smaller ones in sections D & JJ... Those two would be just for restrooms and beverages.
Seating would be re-added above the concession areas. Or have that be table seating, with standing room and TVs. And more beer.
The convenience of just a few toilets 30+ rows closer.... Aahh.. It makes my bladder feel relieved just thinking about it!!! LoL
It can be done. And it would make the place much more conforming to modern arenas... Which should have been done originally, if the powers that be just used their heads.
I love it just the way it is.
I like the effect of walking into what looks like a small building from the outside and then you see the whole arena no matter where you are.
If I had to fix something I would decrease the student section. It is such an eyesore when no one shows up.
I like the effect of walking into what looks like a small building from the outside and then you see the whole arena no matter where you are.
If I had to fix something I would decrease the student section. It is such an eyesore when no one shows up.
The facility is not the problem. The problem is the product on the floor. See e.g., Penn State — great facility+ sketchy product = lame atmosphere.
Seriously contend for a conference title a few years in a row and watch how CHA suddenly gets listed among the league’s toughest places to play.
Seriously contend for a conference title a few years in a row and watch how CHA suddenly gets listed among the league’s toughest places to play.
Winning pretty much solves everything. I particularly don't care for the later start times of some games though. I live two hours away and with a small child, it pretty much guarantees that I will not be going to any of those games.
I disagree with this. If you are ranked in the top 20 and there are visibly still some empty seats in the stands, there's an underlying issue with getting fans out. Whether we like it or not, it starts with the students, and the location might be the biggest hurdle of getting students to a game in the middle of January.
Also, Carver has the feel of being outdated. The fan experience is no longer so appealing to draw the younger students to a game. You would be surprised what a new arena in a better location would do for fan excitement, not to mention recruiting.
Fran's teams have been sufficient enough to a point where the place should be packed night in and night out. People want a MSU or a Duke atmosphere, but i really don't see us coming remotely close to that without engineering a new building and modernizing the experience. Nebraska is beating us here, and Fred will add fuel to the fire
Carver isn't the problem, and never has been. The problem is the current mix of people that go to games there. They make it boring as hell and such that I don't even really like to go to games there. I feel out of place when I get excited and clap and cheer and stand up, because often I'm about the only person doing it. Back in the day, before the current set of season ticket holders took over, it was loud and very raucous in there. Nothing about the building has changed, the only thing that has changed are the people that are attending the games.
Start by getting rid of the poor "this is our house" video and the lame flame throwers. That's what is outdated and weak, not the facility.
Why do you say that? We were lagging behind in modern facilities at the time. Recruiting made have suffered for it.
Really?
Make a list of programs who haven’t won a conference title in forty years or been to a sweet 16 in 20. See if their facility is “packed night in and night out.”
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For the most part CHA isn't the problem, but it would be nice to find a way to trap the sound of the crowd and amplify it a bit. Teams feed off that energy when it happens. Sure, I'd like to see the students closer to the action and more of a home court factor, but most of the time they are no-shows, even during the conference season.
My seats are in an area that is largely season ticket holders and most of the fans surrounding me are timid at best during the game. It makes me a bit self aware when I'm screaming at the refs and the opponents or just trying to raise the roof a bit to give the team a little boost. I get awkward looks and an occasional "sit down" yelled at me. I don't care any more though, I'm going to cheer, yell and occasionally curse when I'm at Carver. The sticks in the mud can suck it if they don't like it. I've been going to Iowa BB games since 1981 and I'm not going to start acting like a passive, genteel observer now.
I'm all for having beer available @ CHA, that should help the sound issue a bit.
My seats are in an area that is largely season ticket holders and most of the fans surrounding me are timid at best during the game. It makes me a bit self aware when I'm screaming at the refs and the opponents or just trying to raise the roof a bit to give the team a little boost. I get awkward looks and an occasional "sit down" yelled at me. I don't care any more though, I'm going to cheer, yell and occasionally curse when I'm at Carver. The sticks in the mud can suck it if they don't like it. I've been going to Iowa BB games since 1981 and I'm not going to start acting like a passive, genteel observer now.
I'm all for having beer available @ CHA, that should help the sound issue a bit.
Doesn’t your post imply that MSU and Duke are because of the venue? Do you actually believe that?
The real Alford legacy, the most lasting and the most devastating aspect of the Alford years was the collapse of interest in men's bball.
People didn't just lose faith in Alford but interest in the program as well. People that were addicted, like say me, used to schedule our weeks around the Iowa bball schedule.
What did Gordon Lightfoot say? The feelings gone and I just can't get it back. Yeah, that.
People didn't just lose faith in Alford but interest in the program as well. People that were addicted, like say me, used to schedule our weeks around the Iowa bball schedule.
What did Gordon Lightfoot say? The feelings gone and I just can't get it back. Yeah, that.
I’m not sure why I’m compelled to respond to this on a quarterly cycle, but here it goes. I have no idea if CHA is holding back recruiting or not. But the stadium itself is not the problem for the current stale environment. Nothing has changed with the acoustics since the late 80’s thru early 2000’s when I couldn’t hear myself scream at dozens of games. For some reason sound didn’t escape from the top back then like it does now. There are a bunch of reasons games are less attended now and most are valid. Erratic game times(with kids most game times are almost impossible to go to for me now). The insanity of kids sports schedules nowadays. The quality of tv, convenience and price of staying home. You get the idea, but if each ‘excuse’ takes out 10% of the people buying tickets you are shrinking the pool quickly.
My argument of having top 25 teams recently, but still not creating a great environment is held back by consistency. Fran’s teams frequently dip their toe in the water for top 20 rankings, but too frequently fall back out quickly. I think a two year run consistently in the top 20 with 1 or two sweet 16’s would really start to turn the CHA environment around. Hard to know since that hasn’t happened in any students lifetime in Iowa.
Fran has had some nice teams and fun kids to root for, but Iowa hasn’t accomplished anything that 90% of P5 teams haven't accomplished in the last 20 years. Not to mention a large number of mid-majors. We have had some nice seasons, but nothing of note to hang our hat on. A sweet 16 or at least a conference tourney championship would go a long way to help turn the tide of some of the naysayers.
My argument of having top 25 teams recently, but still not creating a great environment is held back by consistency. Fran’s teams frequently dip their toe in the water for top 20 rankings, but too frequently fall back out quickly. I think a two year run consistently in the top 20 with 1 or two sweet 16’s would really start to turn the CHA environment around. Hard to know since that hasn’t happened in any students lifetime in Iowa.
Fran has had some nice teams and fun kids to root for, but Iowa hasn’t accomplished anything that 90% of P5 teams haven't accomplished in the last 20 years. Not to mention a large number of mid-majors. We have had some nice seasons, but nothing of note to hang our hat on. A sweet 16 or at least a conference tourney championship would go a long way to help turn the tide of some of the naysayers.
I hate to be the editor, but I couldn't resist.
Iowa has an attendance problem, but I don't think you can blame the building. Rabid students and fans aren't going to the games - do you really think it's because of the building?
Michigan State was 14th nationally in attendance in 2018, trailing Wisconsin (4th), Creighton (5th), Arkansas (9th), Nebraska (11th), and Missouri (13th)... none of which (Wisconsin aside) should be drawing huge crowds based on the quality of their basketball teams.
There are multiple ways to bring in a crowd. Make the game an event like Creighton does, or develop a winner like Duke does... venue is a part of it, atmosphere is what matters. Make the games fun to go to... and unless you are an Iowa die hard like posters here, Iowa basketball games are not a “fun event” to go to - or at least not fun enough to get people in the doors
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2019/Attendance.pdf
I'm pretty sure the science of sound hasn't changed in the last couple of decades. Fill the stadium with people that are passionate about Iowa BB and the stadium won't be a problem. Getting a championship caliber team is the problem.
I am total disagreement about CHA. It’s a huge issue that contributes greatly to the staleness of our indoor programs not just men’s basketball. It does not meet today’s mindset on culture and climate for entertainment. It can be loud when filled for ‘apex’ moments which happens 1-3 times per season but on the vast majority of ‘typical’ nights it’s sub-par doing major harm to our program. I actually enjoy watching a game there but it’s not conducive to winning basketball in today’s ultra competitive climate.
CHA is in a bad location with nothing surrounding it. A new arena needs to be built using the surplus of funds from B1G TV while we have them. A location needs to chosen that provides ample parking access and allows for bars & restaurants to be built around it to support entertainment. Downtown would be great, but this will be hard to do. The seating size of the venue needs to shrink to 10-12k max, provide 2 decks, easy access to concessions, maybe some luxury boxes/patio areas on one side. I’d like to see an area with no seats w/ those taller mini bar tables for younger adults to mingle, hang out, use their phones - a true ‘mosh-nest’ area. All of the seating should be tight around the court and the sight lines very good. It would have something for everyone.
You do this, you suddenly breath new life into the program and show both recruits & future coaches that we are a serious player. Any approach sticking with CHA is ‘care-taker’ mentality and will never work. It’s the one aspect we could control and change.
CHA is in a bad location with nothing surrounding it. A new arena needs to be built using the surplus of funds from B1G TV while we have them. A location needs to chosen that provides ample parking access and allows for bars & restaurants to be built around it to support entertainment. Downtown would be great, but this will be hard to do. The seating size of the venue needs to shrink to 10-12k max, provide 2 decks, easy access to concessions, maybe some luxury boxes/patio areas on one side. I’d like to see an area with no seats w/ those taller mini bar tables for younger adults to mingle, hang out, use their phones - a true ‘mosh-nest’ area. All of the seating should be tight around the court and the sight lines very good. It would have something for everyone.
You do this, you suddenly breath new life into the program and show both recruits & future coaches that we are a serious player. Any approach sticking with CHA is ‘care-taker’ mentality and will never work. It’s the one aspect we could control and change.
I bet the majority of people bitching in this thread do not have season tickets and did not contribute to the original or follow up arena fundraising campaigns. And I bet they would sit on their butts if there was a new campaign to build or remodel the arena. they want others to build it so they can have fun.
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