new Carver tunnel

[libertyhawkeye]

50 million sounds like a lot but really isn’t when you consider that a new arena probably costs 400 million. I suspect the wrestlers would continue to use Carver if a new arena were built.

There is space by the river to build. You could knock down the English building. Or, as many have suggested, you could knock down the Old Capital Mall.

The wrestling tunnel is a solid metaphor showing Iowa is figuratively and literally connecting itself to Carver for the near future and that's why I brought up the dollar figures showing not insignificant investment. $400M is massive. The Kinnick end zone project was the last huge project at Iowa, cost $90M, and got pushed through largely because Iowa went 12-0 the year before.

Space along the river is limited because most open land is threatened by 100-yr floods and would be fully engulfed by a 500-yr flood. And UI does not own the the Old Cap Mall, they're just a significant tenant there. Not trying to dunk on the new arena idea. A modern arena in a better location would be much nicer. Just don't see it happening anytime soon.

 

[blhawk]

How else were you going to connect CHA to the wrestling facility? It’s like 30 seats. 30 seats aren’t a big deal. Tunnel around the arena? That would have been very expensive, if it could even be done engineering wise.

It looks like about 17 rows gone, it's much more than 30 seats. I really have no idea about the layout but I guess I thought the tunnel would be in the corner like almost every other arena I've ever seen, not right where fans of enthusiastic fan bases wave and hold up signs and make noise to distract the other team when shooting free throws. I know that doesn't describe mbb now but I don't want to close the door on that being the case in the future.

I guess they could put temporary bleachers in front of it for bball games but my point is that even though I'm a wrestling fan it is insane to prioritize a non revenue sport that doesn't move the needle much for the university even when they win a natty over men's and women's basketball. I don't think this new facility needed to be a priority, it could have waited until improvements were made for the only winter sport that makes some money for the university....mbb. Penn St will still dominate wrestling with or without it as long as Cael is there

I'll wait to see the finished product I guess but I'm not overly optimistic Barta will get this one right with his history at CHA . Just my 2 cents, I expect the wrestling die hards to disagree which is fine

 

[blhawk]

Did anyone else listen to the Connor McCaffery interview on the Swarmcast podcast? He absolutely destroys Carver. Says it’s a terrible arena and all of the players on the team rank it 13 out of 14 in the Big Ten, with only Penn State being worse. He says it’s a disadvantage for recruiting and that the other arenas are unique or difficult to play in. He mentions the RAC at Rutgers as being really loud and a hostile environment even though it’s relatively small. We really need to build a new, smaller arena like Texas. They would be better off playing in the new facility out in Coralville. It’s something to hear coming from a recent former player; a brutally honest assessment.

Not shocking Connor wouldn't even consider that his daddy's inability to reach a sweet 16 and the blatant nepotism over the past 5-6 seasons is a big reason why Carver isn't regularly packed and rocking like it has been in the past. Time for the spoiled brat to just STFU and go away

 

[Hawksfor3]

The picture reminds me of the 1960s show The Time Tunnel. Most of you are probably too young to remember it.

I seem to remember it. I was 14 back then when it first came out. I spent a lot of time outdoors then and didn't watch a lot of TV lol.

 

[im4hawks50595]

Iowa does a horrible job at makrketing the basketball program especially for the students, have a real student section and value them don't treat them like a stepchild and bring back the black n gold blowout they used to do before a football game.

 

[cidhawkeye]

Iowa wrestling financially carries its own weight. Roy Carver had wrestling in mind with CHA construction.

For this project it does. As an ongoing department it doesn't.

 

[HedgeHawk1]

It isn't Carver. It's those that attend. Hawk BB just isn't a must attend event for the students anymore.
When I was in school it was. And we played in the old Fieldhouse. I laugh when I read about the poor students now and their poor seats. Sitting behind a post is a poor seat. Or in the upper deck where there weren't any seats. You had the person's feet behind you kicking you constantly.

It’s also those who don’t attend. Iowa basketball fans are not good fans. We are not able to withstand these incredibly “down” years we’ve had with regular trips to the NCAA tournament, a B10 championship last year, four all Americans in the last four years, and only a single national player of the year (mens). Need to get some “real” success in the slot machine that is March. Once that final hurdle is cleared, then, and only then, will Iowa basketball fans have to get real creative as to of why they still aren’t going to games.

 

[SnootHawk]

Not shocking Connor wouldn't even consider that his daddy's inability to reach a sweet 16 and the blatant nepotism over the past 5-6 seasons is a big reason why Carver isn't regularly packed and rocking like it has been in the past. Time for the spoiled brat to just STFU and go away

Is this the dumbest post this year?

 

[hooper56]

It looks like about 17 rows gone, it's much more than 30 seats. I really have no idea about the layout but I guess I thought the tunnel would be in the corner like almost every other arena I've ever seen, not right where fans of enthusiastic fan bases wave and hold up signs and make noise to distract the other team when shooting free throws. I know that doesn't describe mbb now but I don't want to close the door on that being the case in the future.

I guess they could put temporary bleachers in front of it for bball games but my point is that even though I'm a wrestling fan it is insane to prioritize a non revenue sport that doesn't move the needle much for the university even when they win a natty over men's and women's basketball. I don't think this new facility needed to be a priority, it could have waited until improvements were made for the only winter sport that makes some money for the university....mbb. Penn St will still dominate wrestling with or without it as long as Cael is there

I'll wait to see the finished product I guess but I'm not overly optimistic Barta will get this one right with his history at CHA . Just my 2 cents, I expect the wrestling die hards to disagree which is fine

Perhaps now we can have the Cavern of Distraction.

 

[HawkRugged17]

Perhaps now we can have the Cavern of Distraction.

 

[vgshwk]

Looking at the photo you think they could’ve dug a little deeper and saved the permanent seating and just taken out the retractable bleachers

 

[CarterHall]

They're going to make giant sized Carver Cones!!

 

[CarterHall]

Strong beastiality!!

 

[HedgeHawk1]

Is this the dumbest post this year?

The competition is stiff around here.

 

[HedgeHawk1]

Is this the dumbest post this year?

The competition is stiff around here.

For instance…

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

 

[CarterHall]

Sweet 16 Gate!!

 

[eobhawk]

This is what I thought I saw when I previewed the thread (except the angle from inside the Hab)...

 

[gizzymoto]

 

[gizzymoto]

 

[blhawk]

Any updated photos of this tunnel renovation floating around? Still seems like it would be pretty easy to put up temporary bleachers in front of it for bball games. Hoping the new AD makes long overdue upgrades for Carver as a bball facility a top priority

 

[Packer54]

Did anyone else listen to the Connor McCaffery interview on the Swarmcast podcast? He absolutely destroys Carver. Says it’s a terrible arena and all of the players on the team rank it 13 out of 14 in the Big Ten, with only Penn State being worse. He says it’s a disadvantage for recruiting and that the other arenas are unique or difficult to play in. He mentions the RAC at Rutgers as being really loud and a hostile environment even though it’s relatively small. We really need to build a new, smaller arena like Texas. They would be better off playing in the new facility out in Coralville. It’s something to hear coming from a recent former player; a brutally honest assessment.

Interesting. I would ask Connor why it is so packed and loud for his girlfriend's games. Could it have to do with success during the season AND post season??

 

[cidhawkeye]

Interesting. I would ask Connor why it is so packed and loud for his girlfriend's games. Could it have to do with success during the season AND post season??

Depends on the window people look at. Last years team was coming off a second round loss to a #10 seed as a #2 seed.

 

[jonesy5960]

The people that donated to help build CHA got the good seats. Now they’re 40 years older, if they’re even still alive. Those people aren’t as loud as they were 40 years ago.

They're still loud. The problem is those damn prostates keep them off the court for half the game.

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

Video of the wrestlers first use of the tunnel...

 

[aflachawk]

NO NO NO!!! Students At court side is not the Iowa way.

With their attendance record it would half empty most games

 

[Slim45]

Interesting. I would ask Connor why it is so packed and loud for his girlfriend's games. Could it have to do with success during the season AND post season??

Bingo! Product in the court. They’re lucky they get the support they do with the lack of any actual success had under fran

 

[blhawk]

Bingo! Product in the court. They’re lucky they get the support they do with the lack of any actual success had under fran

Uh oh. The guy who thinks he runs this board and worships Connor's daddy will be by to chat with you shortly

 

[Slim45]

Uh oh. The guy who thinks he runs this board and worships Connor's daddy will be by to chat with you shortly

Don’t care. I haven’t been this apathetic about iowa basketball in quite some time. Same thing, every yr under fran. Win some games against good team’s giving fans hope, then lose some games to absolute trash teams. Finish .500-ish in BIG play, lose first weekend of ncaa. Rinse and repeat.
IMO the mccafferys have run their course in Iowa City. Seems like a lot of bitching from them now. Fans don’t show enough support, fans ridicule the kids on social media, facilities aren’t good enough. Put a dam product on the floor to be proud of and the other crap takes care if itself.
Here’s a question, has fran adjusted at all in the way he coaches since coming to iowa? If so, how?

 

[blhawk]

Don’t care. I haven’t been this apathetic about iowa basketball in quite some time. Same thing, every yr under fran. Win some games against good team’s giving fans hope, then lose some games to absolute trash teams. Finish .500-ish in BIG play, lose first weekend of ncaa. Rinse and repeat.
IMO the mccafferys have run their course in Iowa City. Seems like a lot of bitching from them now. Fans don’t show enough support, fans ridicule the kids on social media, facilities aren’t good enough. Put a dam product on the floor to be proud of and the other crap takes care if itself.
Here’s a question, has fran adjusted at all in the way he coaches since coming to iowa? If so, how?

I hear ya man, I was joking and agree with much of what you posted. I do think it's pretty funny that the guy I was alluding to along with Connor thinks the place should be packed to the gills every night no matter the opponemt and Iowa fans are shit if not.

Its pretty delusional. Hopefully CM will be too busy with new job to be tweeting about IA bball but I'm guessing we still will be getting his opinion on everything.
Like always I'll get into it as fall winds down and hope for the best but not get my hopes up too much. Is what it is

 

[longliveCS40]

Don’t care. I haven’t been this apathetic about iowa basketball in quite some time. Same thing, every yr under fran. Win some games against good team’s giving fans hope, then lose some games to absolute trash teams. Finish .500-ish in BIG play, lose first weekend of ncaa. Rinse and repeat.
IMO the mccafferys have run their course in Iowa City. Seems like a lot of bitching from them now. Fans don’t show enough support, fans ridicule the kids on social media, facilities aren’t good enough. Put a dam product on the floor to be proud of and the other crap takes care if itself.
Here’s a question, has fran adjusted at all in the way he coaches since coming to iowa? If so, how?

This is Iowa basketball under every coach. The product hasn't changed. Your expectations have.

 

[Slim45]

This is Iowa basketball under every coach. The product hasn't changed. Your expectations have.

Im not old enough to have been alive, but im pretty sure there were a few coaches that had quite a bit of success while at iowa. And making it past the first weekend once in 13 years doesn’t seem like a wild expectation to me. The list of teams that have made at least the sweet 16 since iowa last has is rather embarrassing

 

[longliveCS40]

Im not old enough to have been alive, but im pretty sure there were a few coaches that had quite a bit of success while at iowa. And making it past the first weekend once in 13 years doesn’t seem like a wild expectation to me. The list of teams that have made at least the sweet 16 since iowa last has is rather embarrassing

It's a one loss and done tourney. Crazy stuff happens every year. We have had some bad luck and bad matchups. It is frustrating but I don't see a different coach having different results.

 

[SI_NYC]

Did anyone else listen to the Connor McCaffery interview on the Swarmcast podcast? He absolutely destroys Carver. Says it’s a terrible arena and all of the players on the team rank it 13 out of 14 in the Big Ten, with only Penn State being worse. He says it’s a disadvantage for recruiting and that the other arenas are unique or difficult to play in. He mentions the RAC at Rutgers as being really loud and a hostile environment even though it’s relatively small. We really need to build a new, smaller arena like Texas. They would be better off playing in the new facility out in Coralville. It’s something to hear coming from a recent former player; a brutally honest assessment.

Carver isn't the problem. The fans that attend games are. I regularly attended games in the early nineties and Carver was rocking.

 

[Slim45]

It's a one loss and done tourney. Crazy stuff happens every year. We have had some bad luck and bad matchups. It is frustrating but I don't see a different coach having different results.

🤦‍♂️
Guard play and defense win tourney games. Frans teams suck at defense and in 13 seasons he hasn’t had a dominant guard. (And please don’t bring up jbo, his tournament resume is worse than frans!) Those deficiencies are on Fran and Fran alone

Carver isn't the problem. The fans that attend games are. I regularly attended games in the early nineties and Carver was rocking.

You’re right Carver isn’t. But the fans are likely a lot of the same as the 90’s. It’s the product on the floor/lack of postseason success that are the issue and have made lots of fans apathetic imo

 

[SI_NYC]

🤦‍♂️
Guard play and defense win tourney games. Frans teams suck at defense and in 13 seasons he hasn’t had a dominant guard. (And please don’t bring up jbo, his tournament resume is worse than frans!) Those deficiencies are on Fran and Fran alone

You’re right Carver isn’t. But the fans are likely a lot of the same as the 90’s. It’s the product on the floor/lack of postseason success that are the issue and have made lots of fans apathetic imo

I disagree. The product has actually been better these last years than it was in Dr Tom’s last years. I think Alford lost a bunch fans followed by three years of Lickliter boring ball and it has never recovered. Late weeknight games and a lack of Saturday games haven’t helped.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

CHA seems to rock just fine for wrestling and WBB (last year)…no reason it can’t for MBB.

 

[longliveCS40]

🤦‍♂️
Guard play and defense win tourney games. Frans teams suck at defense and in 13 seasons he hasn’t had a dominant guard. (And please don’t bring up jbo, his tournament resume is worse than frans!) Those deficiencies are on Fran and Fran alone

That's a fair critique. Despite that, they *should* have won some games. Those things are a reason a deep run might have faltered but not the reason we lost in the early rounds. I do feel it's been matchups and bad luck.

Fran has turned the program around and gotten it back to close to the ceiling of what Iowa basketball can do.

Agree that there's still room for more improvement.

 

[blhawk]

CHA seems to rock just fine for wrestling and WBB (last year)…no reason it can’t for MBB.

It rocks just fine for mbb for a handful of opponents and there are opponents for wbb and wrestling where it's flat too. That especially will be the case in the post Spencer and CC eras like it was before them

Winning a national title or making a final 4 like wrestling and wbb sure wouldn't hurt though if we are making direct comparisons

 

[Packer54]

I disagree. The product has actually been better these last years than it was in Dr Tom’s last years. I think Alford lost a bunch fans followed by three years of Lickliter boring ball and it has never recovered. Late weeknight games and a lack of Saturday games haven’t helped.

Didn't Dr Tom take lis last team to the Sweet 16?