They even have a term for it in the wrestling world where an Iowa guy who has no business winning a match does it; the opposing wrestler got “Carvered”
It's 100% clear to me that CHA is not the problem after watching the wrestling meet last night
- Thread starter Franisdaman
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They even have a term for it in the wrestling world where an Iowa guy who has no business winning a match does it; the opposing wrestler got “Carvered”
Just a friendly reminder from your head basketball coach that we seem to have a "Carver sucks" thread at least a couple times a year.Oh, goodie. The bump-master brought this thread back.
One of the City Slickers cows is below showing what he thinks:
One thing I don't understand with the redesign is why they pushed the seats so far back (behind the baskets AND along the baselines). As you can see below, there is PLENTY of room for a wheel chair to get around. The arena still seats 15,500, but still.
This was a pic taken last night. Fans are not on top of the action. At all.
This was a pic taken last night. Fans are not on top of the action. At all.
One thing I don't understand with the redesign is why they pushed the seats so far back (behind the baskets AND along the baselines). As you can see below, there is PLENTY of room for a wheel chair to get around. The arena still seats 15,500, but still.
This was a pic taken last night. Fans are not on top of the action. At all.
the idea that 10-15 feet behind the baseline would affect anything is completely absurd
And here we are, 3 years later, with the same issues.
Students don't go to the games. The adults say the 6 pm tip is too early and the 8 pm tip is too late.
Fans on here bitch that no one goes to the games yet these same fans are not at the games.
We definitely continue to have a fan problem.
There are some schools that, for whatever the reasons, just don't draw for basketball. I watched two games last night, one at Oklahoma St. and one at Clemson, both of which were hosting conference games to half empty arenas, and that's being charitable. Iowa understandably doesn't draw well for their preseason cupcake schedule, but usually has pretty decent crowds for conference games. Maybe not as rowdy as Purdue, Illinois, Michigan St, etc, but the fans at least show up and do create a home atmosphere for the team.
Iowa had a great basketball fan base/attendance record until Alford and Lickliter killed it. Alford lost a LOT of season ticket holders who just wouldn't go during the PP scandals, then lost interest for the most part during the last few years. Lickliter was so aloof about fans that he didn't bring people back en mass, then he did a crap job of coaching and recruiting. I was a season ticket holder throughout those years and until 2020. Routinely actual attendance was no more that 75% of announced attendance, if even that.
IIRC, Iowa sells the tickets; we seem to be Top 25 on a regular basis.
The problem? Those sold tickets don't get used.
On Jan 29, 2020, Iowa was 15-5 overall, 6-3 in the Big Ten, and ranked 18th in the two national polls, and in the chase for the conference title.
The attendance should have been good.....right?
Iowa's average attendance at home up to that point in that season was just 11,393. It was 11,774 for B1G home games. Carver-Hawkeye Arena holds approximately 15,000 fans.
As you noted, actual scanned tickets is a different story.
Source:
Men's Basketball Notebook: Hawkeyes Are Starting To Become A Hot Ticket
It's going to be difficult to get into Iowa's next two home men's basketball games. It was announced before coach Fran McCaffery's weekly teleconference on
www.si.com
There really isn't a bad seat in the house. I know, I said it several of them
The Fieldhouse had a lot of limited visibility seats. I sat in a few of them, too. I sat behind a column/support for my first game. I had to look around it the whole damn game.
Ayear.Attendance fell off late in Dr.Toms run then picked up in first 4 yrs of SA run, then started dropping.
Lick never got it going.
And by now it is just a whole different set of challenges to deal with.
Scheduling,game times ECT contribute big time.
Thurs/Sat games of the past helped a lot.
This is a picture of the WIU game last week. Tickets sold were 15,050 (sell out). At most there were 12,000-12,500. Fans at home watching suggested 6,000 fans in the game thread.
The top 10 rows of every section was completely filled around the entire arena. There were another 1,000-2,000 fans on the concourse either watching from there or in a concession line of some sort.
As you’ll see, there are large blocks of premium seats going unused. This was the under 12:00 TO in the first half.
The announced attendance yesterday was just 8,473.
As you can see, CHA gets loud and is a great home court advantage when the fans show up ready to make some noise.
As you can see, CHA gets loud and is a great home court advantage when the fans show up ready to make some noise.
The B1G gave Iowa a Saturday B1G home game for the first time in TWO YEARS.
See what happens when the place fills up? The place gets loud & Iowa wins comfortably by 17.
Even the PSU Head Coach complimented the fans and the environment. And remember, he was an assistant at Purdue for 2 years.
See what happens when the place fills up? The place gets loud & Iowa wins comfortably by 17.
Even the PSU Head Coach complimented the fans and the environment. And remember, he was an assistant at Purdue for 2 years.
Humm....I can't believe that Iowa sold out a basketball game?? Could it be that it was a Saturday afternoon game against to top 10 team in the nation? 😇 Or was it because fans could drive in from all over the state with decent weather and plenty of time to show up and then stay over night if needed?
Probably would have been better if all the big donors would not have shown up in the front rows. And they probably stayed until the game was over and not like the students heading for the bars with 10 min. to go.....
Probably would have been better if all the big donors would not have shown up in the front rows. And they probably stayed until the game was over and not like the students heading for the bars with 10 min. to go.....
Attendance (tickets sold) vs Purdue: 12,723
The number of tickets scanned is another story. But again, this was a Thursday, 8 pm tip. And as we now know, Iowa only has 3 weekend home B1G games; Purdue has 8.
Nevertheless, the crowd that was there was into it, as you can see here.
The number of tickets scanned is another story. But again, this was a Thursday, 8 pm tip. And as we now know, Iowa only has 3 weekend home B1G games; Purdue has 8.
Nevertheless, the crowd that was there was into it, as you can see here.
I'd take that with a grain of salt. PSU might be the only conference arena less alive on game night than Carver.
Too bad Iowa Athletics has such a debt burden(largest in B1G) from past facility improvements largely football. Carver is a facility that is in a bad location , has bad seating arrangements, and very vanilla; a downtown facility would solve a lot of issues, but the prior commitments make it too expensive to consider. Doesn’t surprise me that wrestling gets those kind of crowds; wrestling is somewhat of a cult sport at the few programs that are at the top. Not a large # of people interested compared to football or basketball, but those that are into it are rabid and all in.
Iowa wrestling fans are great and bring it. Carver gets LOUD.
Iowa basketball fans? Not so much.
Iowa basketball fans? Not so much.
I'll give wrestling fans an edge they are more passionate and loyal than bball fans. Students especially being fair weather anymore will show up when we are good in bball where as Wrestling always one of the top teams in the nation. However every meet they have is on a Friday, Saturday night or Sunday afternoon. Plus have far less fewer meets so supply and demand of seeing them is different. If they wrestled Purdue on Thursday at 6pm I'm sure it wouldn't be the same like wrestling Minn on a Friday night. As mentioned weeks ago Fran wasn't pleased with Iowa getting only 3 games on the weekend compared to other teams getting 7-8 conference games. Throw in our awful non conference schedule and reason why fans aren't showing. Funny against a below avg PSU team sold out our one conference Saturday game. We've seen over the years how loud it can get when we have some games on Friday and especially Saturdays. Reminds me of going to game during Weiskamp's freshman year playing ranked Michigan on a Friday night. Place was rocking.
But with football and bball you need the students to show. They add that extra bit of excitement to the crowd and Iowa needs to do something to get the students to the game. Was at the Nebraska game and the student turn out for a Sunday game was pretty bad.
Milwaukee bucks old arena was probably fine for hockey, but just felt weird for basketball. Carver can be loud sure, but it’s actual design is more in mind for wrestling. Basketball games are more exciting close to the action. They have to know they could be making more money having suites sold to big donors. So maybe eventually they’ll actually do something different sure. But i bet that conversation will happen when we are looking for our next coach.
Is it really that complicated of a concept that fans of the defending national champions who have been ranked 1 or 2 all year might be a tad more engaged than the team who is unranked, can't beat a good team, and a lot of the fans can't stand the coach? If Fran could deliver a solid product Carver would be rockin. He can't. It's very simple
Building an arena downtown is just a pipedream that will never happen.
And wrestling consists of 10 separate “games,” to win or lose in addition to the team score. Further, if any of those 10 are blowouts, they end early.
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Last night, the Iowa women beat #10 Indiana 88-82. The arena was roughly 50% full yet the place was LOUD.
Tickets sold / distributed were 7,510; actually butts in the seats were probably a bit less. Capacity of CHA is now 15,000.
When the Iowa women went on 9-0 run and took a 74-70 lead the arena once came alive and got very LOUD.
We don't have an arena problem, folks. Even when it's half full CHA gets plenty loud when those in attendance make some noise.
Check this out:
Tickets sold / distributed were 7,510; actually butts in the seats were probably a bit less. Capacity of CHA is now 15,000.
When the Iowa women went on 9-0 run and took a 74-70 lead the arena once came alive and got very LOUD.
We don't have an arena problem, folks. Even when it's half full CHA gets plenty loud when those in attendance make some noise.
Check this out:
agree with you completely. I have been saying it for 3 years now. We don't have an arena problem. We have a fan problem.
when I go to games, i am there to have fun, take in some concessions, enjoy the game and make some noise. And CHA gets very loud when everyone is there to help the home team win.
thanks for your perspective on CHA, Bob.
People have been bitching about CHA over the last several years and I agree with you; it's not the building, its who and/or who is not in it.
drive safe & i hope you get good news at the doctor's office.
Big X Games at HCA as % of capacity:
Illinois =========== 80%
Maryland =========69%
Indiana===========75%
Penn State========100%
Purdue===========85%
Minnesota========97%
Nebraska=========92%
Michigan=========87%
Michigan State====90% +
Iowa Road Games:
Purdue=========100%
Wisconsin=======89%
Minnesota=======75%
Rutgers=========100%
Penn State=======53%
Maryland========70%
Ohio State=======83%
Illinois =========== 80%
Maryland =========69%
Indiana===========75%
Penn State========100%
Purdue===========85%
Minnesota========97%
Nebraska=========92%
Michigan=========87%
Michigan State====90% +
Iowa Road Games:
Purdue=========100%
Wisconsin=======89%
Minnesota=======75%
Rutgers=========100%
Penn State=======53%
Maryland========70%
Ohio State=======83%
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