Seating capacity of Fieldhouse?

[El Simbolo]

I saw that Seton Hall is playing their NIT games at an on-campus gym that seats 1300. They tweeted about the sellout Anyway, that had me wishing Iowa had some old venue they could still occasionally use, like PSU does with Rec Hall. The wiki page for Iowa’s Fieldhouse says it’s current capacity is 1500 - where in that building is there a 1500 seat venue today?

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

I saw that Seton Hall is playing their NIT games at an on-campus gym that seats 1300. They tweeted about the sellout Anyway, that had me wishing Iowa had some old venue they could still occasionally use, like PSU does with Rec Hall. The wiki page for Iowa’s Fieldhouse says it’s current capacity is 1500 - where in that building is there a 1500 seat venue today?

Have to assume around the main court with bleachers.

 

[jdw10224405]

Would be cool to play one more non-conference, maybe even exhibition game there before it gets torn down, even if it could only hold a couple thousand.

 

[uihawk82]

I saw that Seton Hall is playing their NIT games at an on-campus gym that seats 1300. They tweeted about the sellout Anyway, that had me wishing Iowa had some old venue they could still occasionally use, like PSU does with Rec Hall. The wiki page for Iowa’s Fieldhouse says it’s current capacity is 1500 - where in that building is there a 1500 seat venue today?

The old fieldhouse had to seat 8 to 10 thousand, maybe more. there were big bleachers at both ends and lots of bench seating where people could squeeze in a lot of people

 

[Macbride79]

The old fieldhouse had to seat 8 to 10 thousand, maybe more. there were big bleachers at both ends and lots of bench seating where people could squeeze in a lot of people

When the Fieldhouse was Iowa’s home court, the capacity was 13,365.

 

[BirdistheWord]

When the Fieldhouse was Iowa’s home court, the capacity was 13,365.

As someone who never has seen a game at the field house, how did it compare to other venues?

 

[Macbride79]

As someone who never has seen a game at the field house, how did it compare to other venues?

There were posts that blocked the views of some spectators in the second and third decks.

Lots of pull out bleachers.

It was still the location of most student P.E. classes. Therefore, they put a curtain around the court when the team practiced.

 

[Mohawkeye]

As someone who never has seen a game at the field house, how did it compare to other venues?

Noisy. Hot. People would stomp on the metal bleachers to make noise. If you had a seat behind a pillar it would obscure half the court. Nothing like modern arenas.

 

[nck24]

As someone who never has seen a game at the field house, how did it compare to other venues?

It was a hot ticket for students when I was there in the early 80s. I was only able to get a split season student ticket. Very loud in that upper deck.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Have to assume around the main court with bleachers.

Yep. They still pull bleachers in from time to time for gymnastics meets on the main deck. When I was in school 20 years ago the North Gym had some installed collapsible bleachers on one side of the court, the other side had nothing other than the divider wall that split the old gym into a basketball court on one half and the gymnastics room on the other. I don’t know if it is still set up like that though.

Also, the Armory, which is the curved structure on the left, is long gone.

You can see the remnants of where it was still today though. But you can see that all of the bleacher space was completely gutted and walled off. It is really hard to tell that this was a big time venue that hosted NCAA regionals and many big time concerts back in the day.

 

[lucas80]

I was really young when it was still in use, and only saw a few games there, but it was weird to walk around the court and look into the armory area and see students playing badminton for a course credit while a basketball game was going on behind the curtain.

 

[QChawks]

I was really young when it was still in use, and only saw a few games there, but it was weird to walk around the court and look into the armory area and see students playing badminton for a course credit while a basketball game was going on behind the curtain.

Same here

Carver was built when I was 8 years old, when I was in high school I spent hundreds of hours playing pick up basketball in the field house.

Now it’s not open to the public?

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Same here

Carver was built when I was 8 years old, when I was in high school I spent hundreds of hours playing pick up basketball in the field house.

Now it’s not open to the public?

Yeah, they got lame as f*** shortly after I graduated and started locking everything down.

The South Gym was the place to be for pickup basketball in my 3 years at Iowa.

 

[QChawks]

Yeah, they got lame as f*** shortly after I graduated and started locking everything down.

The South Gym was the place to be for pickup basketball in my 3 years at Iowa.

Stupid.

Can the public buy a pass?

I would play most weeknights (circa 1993-1995)

 

[ICWestfan]

They could probably seat about 420 in the North Gym, if that is still even an option.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Stupid.

Can the public buy a pass?

I would play most weeknights (circa 1993-1995)

I would assume so. I haven't been back in *checks calendar*.......12 years (jeezus h christ).

Around that time though, they were still offering general passes to the public. But who wants to spend $5-$10-$15 every time to shoot at the gym?

 

[Packer54]

When the Fieldhouse was Iowa’s home court, the capacity was 13,365.

And loud!

 

[GunnerHawk]

Yep. They still pull bleachers in from time to time for gymnastics meets on the main deck. When I was in school 20 years ago the North Gym had some installed collapsible bleachers on one side of the court, the other side had nothing other than the divider wall that split the old gym into a basketball court on one half and the gymnastics room on the other. I don’t know if it is still set up like that though.

Also, the Armory, which is the curved structure on the left, is long gone.

You can see the remnants of where it was still today though. But you can see that all of the bleacher space was completely gutted and walled off. It is really hard to tell that this was a big time venue that hosted NCAA regionals and many big time concerts back in the day.

Ah, that picture of the field house packed to capacity brings back memories. I attended my first game in 1966. Hawks had some memorable games back in those days. Generally got to see one or two games a year. I was fortunate we sat on the lower level so no impaired vision. In Ralph's six pack year, I only saw one Big Ten game, man that place was rocking and loud. It was crazy how much they scored. I was lanky and skinny, always thought I was Glen "the stick" Vidnovic when I shot hoops out back. Things you remember.

 

[83Hawk]

Ah, that picture of the field house packed to capacity brings back memories. I attended my first game in 1966. Hawks had some memorable games back in those days. Generally got to see one or two games a year. I was fortunate we sat on the lower level so no impaired vision. In Ralph's six pack year, I only saw one Big Ten game, man that place was rocking and loud. It was crazy how much they scored. I was lanky and skinny, always thought I was Glen "the stick" Vidnovic when I shot hoops out back. Things you remember.

The Stick is still my all time favorite Hawkeye basketball player.

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Yep. They still pull bleachers in from time to time for gymnastics meets on the main deck. When I was in school 20 years ago the North Gym had some installed collapsible bleachers on one side of the court, the other side had nothing other than the divider wall that split the old gym into a basketball court on one half and the gymnastics room on the other. I don’t know if it is still set up like that though.

Also, the Armory, which is the curved structure on the left, is long gone.

You can see the remnants of where it was still today though. But you can see that all of the bleacher space was completely gutted and walled off. It is really hard to tell that this was a big time venue that hosted NCAA regionals and many big time concerts back in the day.

The "No Smoking" sign cracks me up. That place was regularly saturated with weed smoke.

 

[cidhawkeye]

There were posts that blocked the views of some spectators in the second and third decks.

Lots of pull out bleachers.

It was still the location of most student P.E. classes. Therefore, they put a curtain around the court when the team practiced.

When opposing teams did walk throughs and the curtains were up… ahem Bobby Knight…. the ‘accidental’ frisbee toss over the curtain was well received….

 

[GHawk]

Ah, that picture of the field house packed to capacity brings back memories. I attended my first game in 1966. Hawks had some memorable games back in those days. Generally got to see one or two games a year. I was fortunate we sat on the lower level so no impaired vision. In Ralph's six pack year, I only saw one Big Ten game, man that place was rocking and loud. It was crazy how much they scored. I was lanky and skinny, always thought I was Glen "the stick" Vidnovic when I shot hoops out back. Things you remember.

The 69-70 year was my freshman year at Iowa. I was lucky the post that obstructed my view was of the center circle. I could see both baskets. . The next 3 years were all unobstructed.
It got loud in there.

 

[General Tso]

Noisy. Hot. People would stomp on the metal bleachers to make noise. If you had a seat behind a pillar it would obscure half the court. Nothing like modern arenas.

I understand smoke filled the air with people lighting up cancer sticks, true?

 

[Mohawkeye]

I understand smoke filled the air with people lighting up cancer sticks, true?

It was a different era!

 

[El Simbolo]

I understand smoke filled the air with people lighting up cancer sticks, true?

I heard a fan bumped their cigarette against an opposing player once as he was inbounding and he stepped over the line - Iowa ball! could be an urban legend, and may have occurred somewhere else, though

 

[El Simbolo]

Was there for the supposed last game against Minnesota. Triple OT loss, I believe. That place rocked! Had to start the next season back there again because CHA wasn’t ready until January

 

[doughawk]

I went to games there, Neil Fegebank, Mike Gatens era etc.. I also saw Tom Jones and Tower of Power there.
Long time ago!

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Was there for the supposed last game against Minnesota. Triple OT loss, I believe. That place rocked! Had to start the next season back there again because CHA wasn’t ready until January

The infamous Jim Baine game, no? The game that cost Iowa a share (?) of the B1G title if I'm recalling that correctly. An all-time Hawkeye screw job, I know that for sure.

 

[cidhawkeye]

Was there for the supposed last game against Minnesota. Triple OT loss, I believe. That place rocked! Had to start the next season back there again because CHA wasn’t ready until January

The arena that Lute built…. First event Wrestling

 

[cidhawkeye]

The infamous Jim Baine game, no? The game that cost Iowa a share (?) of the B1G title if I'm recalling that correctly. An all-time Hawkeye screw job, I know that for sure.

Think that was at Purdue

 

[1IHawk]

As someone who never has seen a game at the field house, how did it compare to other venues?

It was much louder than Carver. An opposing player was asked how he felt about Iowa leaving the Fieldhouse and he said he could not imagine a venue that would give a team more of an advantage than the Fieldhouse did. The bleachers on the ends vibrated and quivered when it got loud. As a student I sat in the upper deck on one of the sides. Some seats were obstructed with beams. One of the main reasons it was so loud was that the floor of the upper decks were constructed of welded steel. We would stomp our feet on the steel, and it would vibrate like a drum. It was like thousands of people banging their shoes on a gong. This along with the yelling maid for a deep loud tone. It didn't hurt any that John Johnson, Fred Brown, and Ronnie Lester made for a fun watch. Ronnie was so quick, he would leave good big ten guards (Ricky Green) just shaking their heads. It did get hot in there in places and cold in other places where there was a draft. The bathrooms and concessions were very primitive.

 

[hawkjt]

Attended a number of games while a student.
Sky king and Ronnie....woo hoo!
One snowed out postponement game vs IU was on a Sunday afternoon..I poached a seat in 1st row just down from IU bench...hawks won like 101-72...knight was raging..priceless!

 

[Row55]

I heard a fan bumped their cigarette against an opposing player once as he was inbounding and he stepped over the line - Iowa ball! could be an urban legend, and may have occurred somewhere else, though

The version I heard was Indiana at Illinois before Assembly Hall was built, and like the Fieldhouse (and Carver now) they had folding chairs right next to the court. A smoking fan put his cigarette against the inbounding player's leg, and the refs didn't see it.

 

[Beattheohiostate]

It was much louder than Carver. An opposing player was asked how he felt about Iowa leaving the Fieldhouse and he said he could not imagine a venue that would give a team more of an advantage than the Fieldhouse did. The bleachers on the ends vibrated and quivered when it got loud. As a student I sat in the upper deck on one of the sides. Some seats were obstructed with beams. One of the main reasons it was so loud was that the floor of the upper decks were constructed of welded steel. We would stomp our feet on the steel, and it would vibrate like a drum. It was like thousands of people banging their shoes on a gong. This along with the yelling maid for a deep loud tone. It didn't hurt any that John Johnson, Fred Brown, and Ronnie Lester made for a fun watch. Ronnie was so quick, he would leave good big ten guards (Ricky Green) just shaking their heads. It did get hot in there in places and cold in other places where there was a draft. The bathrooms and concessions were very primitive.

Those steel bleachers were repurposed from the old Iowa football field that Kinnick Stadium replaced. When the Iowa Field House was built around 1922, it was the largest facility of its kind in the world.

As a student, I played pick-up games there until about 4 p.m. on days of home games. The crew would come in and pull out the bleachers, set up the courtside chairs, clean the backboards, sweep the floor, and the teams would come out for their pregame warmups. In a matter of a few hours the place went from pickup games to a Big Ten venue with 13,500 people. To say it was a different time is a vast understatement.

BTW: For most of its life, the Field House had a dirt floor everywhere but the basketball court itself. In the armory section that isn't there anymore, I had Army ROTC drills, and the baseball team also practiced in there. Too bad it has been downsized and remodeled to the degree that only pictures can possibly do it justice now.

 

[DBQ Hawk]

The Fieldhouse was as great as Kinnick, but for basketball. Loud, hot, humid, fans right up against the court

I went to an Iowa-Illinois game in late 70s on a really cold winter night, and there was FOG up against the ceiling from condensation. It basically started to rain indoors from that mist! We won by 8 (IIRC) against a a top five Illini team at the time. The place was deafening the entire game

NOTHING compares with the old Fieldhouse. Whether it was the men's BB games, or pick-up games with students, or swimming in the biggest indoor pool in the US (at the time), or the long trophy case out front (Kinnick's Heisman was in it!), or just running around it as a kid (my brothers and I knew every damn inch of it), it was the best place on earth if you were an Iowa fan, especially if you were a kid

We snuck into Iowa BB games all the time--once even by cutting thru the Indiana locker room while Bobby Knight was giving a pre-game speech to his players

Carver-Hawkeye Arena? NEVER HEARD OF IT

 

[cidhawkeye]

Attended a number of games while a student.
Sky king and Ronnie....woo hoo!
One snowed out postponement game vs IU was on a Sunday afternoon..I poached a seat in 1st row just down from IU bench...hawks won like 101-72...knight was raging..priceless!

‘How bout a hamburger Bobby’

 

[GunnerHawk]

The Fieldhouse was as great as Kinnick, but for basketball. Loud, hot, humid, fans right up against the court

I went to an Iowa-Illinois game in late 70s on a really cold winter night, and there was FOG up against the ceiling from condensation. It basically started to rain indoors from that mist! We won by 8 (IIRC) against a a top five Illini team at the time. The place was deafening the entire game

NOTHING compares with the old Fieldhouse. Whether it was the men's BB games, or pick-up games with students, or swimming in the biggest indoor pool in the US (at the time), or the long trophy case out front (Kinnick's Heisman was in it!), or just running around it as a kid (my brothers and I knew every damn inch of it), it was the best place on earth if you were an Iowa fan, especially if you were a kid

We snuck into Iowa BB games all the time--once even by cutting thru the Indiana locker room while Bobby Knight was giving a pre-game speech to his players

Carver-Hawkeye Arena? NEVER HEARD OF IT

And todays youth think they have it better with their heads buried in a cell phone playing games or texting. I remember the knot hole seats at Kinnick, being an isle usher as a scout, sneaking a pony kegs into a game in college, I could go on and on.

Wouldn't trade the sixties and seventies for anything.

 

[uihawk82]

The infamous Jim Baine game, no? The game that cost Iowa a share (?) of the B1G title if I'm recalling that correctly. An all-time Hawkeye screw job, I know that for sure.

Yes, Jim Bain game was at Mackey arena at Purdue. If Bain made that call in Iowa City he would have tarred and feathered and sent down the Iowa river over the dam

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Think that was at Purdue

Dang, you're right! There actually exists a clip of the play with Lute discussing it.



So I think in the MN game Mark Gannon contested a last second shot and got a bad whistle which allowed MN to eventually win. Or maybe I've just completely lost my marbles 🤷‍♂️.

 

[VodkaSam]

Saw a couple games at the Fieldhouse when I was in high school. Two biggest memories I have there:
- Attending the pep rally welcoming back the basketball team after making it to the final four. The wrestling team was also honored as they had just returned from winning the national championship.
- Attending the basketball game where Hayden Fry was introduced to the crowd as the new head coach. The entire place was yelling “Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl!” in unison when he was introduced. At halftime I left my seat and walked down to the floor seat, under one of the baskets, where he was sitting, walked up and said “Coach Fry, we are very glad to have you at Iowa our new head coach”.. He stood up, shook my hand, looked me in the eye, with a big smile and said “Why thank ya, young Hawkeye!” with a very southern Texas drawl. Loved that guy.