Pavilion

[VikNut]

It's been about a year and a half with the new Viking Pavilion and am interested in your impressions so far. Has it benefitted the on-court performance? Has it enhanced the perception of PSU? Is it a good place to watch a game as opposed to the old Stott court? Has it improved the attendance and revenue stream for the athletic department?

While it's too early for making major conclusions, I think it has not lived up to expectations so far but maybe it takes more time. For me, the sound seems to be amplified to an uncomfortable level and is like sitting inside a drum, and the sightlines seem to give a feeling of being more removed from the action, not as intimate.

 

[Alan1]

It's been about a year and a half with the new Viking Pavilion and am interested in your impressions so far. Has it benefitted the on-court performance? Has it enhanced the perception of PSU? Is it a good place to watch a game as opposed to the old Stott court? Has it improved the attendance and revenue stream for the athletic department?

While it's too early for making major conclusions, I think it has not lived up to expectations so far but maybe it takes more time. For me, the sound seems to be amplified to an uncomfortable level and is like sitting inside a drum, and the sightlines seem to give a feeling of being more removed from the action, not as intimate.

My wife and I enjoy ballgames at the Pavilion. It is a very nice university level facility, miniaturized. Of course we enjoy winning there more than losing. I think attendance will improve if and when wins become much more common. I have to admit that the noise level there can be annoying. Some of it I believe is acoustics but some is the tendency of those in charge of the PA system to equate high volume with creating excitement. We always take ear plugs with us.

 

[martymoose]

It's been about a year and a half with the new Viking Pavilion and am interested in your impressions so far. Has it benefitted the on-court performance? Has it enhanced the perception of PSU? Is it a good place to watch a game as opposed to the old Stott court? Has it improved the attendance and revenue stream for the athletic department?

While it's too early for making major conclusions, I think it has not lived up to expectations so far but maybe it takes more time. For me, the sound seems to be amplified to an uncomfortable level and is like sitting inside a drum, and the sightlines seem to give a feeling of being more removed from the action, not as intimate.

I’m not sure if it’s because the old Stott was about as inviting as a WWII bunker, or if it’s because every game when I sat down in my seat I was convinced it was going to collapse, but I really, really like our new venue.

Some input on your questions:

“Has it benefitted the on-court performance?” I’d say it’s on par with our home performance. 7-2 so far this season, 12-4 last season vs 10-3 and 8-6 in our last two seasons at the Stott.

“Has it enhanced the perception of PSU?” I would say it has. We no longer have the “high school gym” moniker for our venue in the world of DI basketball.

“Is it a good place to watch a game as opposed to the old Stott court?” Yes. So my tickets are down in the lower area, but for a couple of games I’ve wandered around to see how the other areas are for viewing. In the upper area, it’s fairly steep and high up, but you have a good view of the court. Most of seats are end line to end line, but of course you’re up there a ways compared to the Stott. I was late to a game this year so I grabbed a beer and sat/stood at the west side tables before going down to my seat for the first half. You’re basically right over the basket since there isn’t the couple rows of seating like on the east side.

“Has it improved the attendance and revenue stream for the athletic department?” Not sure on the increased revenue, but I would assume so. The last year at the Stott we averaged 538 per game and the year at L&C was 607. First two years in the Pavilion is 1238 and 1081 (so far), so yes, it has.

Don’t get me wrong, the Stott had its moments (ESPN in the house for Boise State, Oregon State, the two NCAA tourney runs), but at the end of the day being “intimate” because you’re in a small box isn’t really intimate in division I college hoops. I honestly think what we have in the pavilion is just what PSU needs. Not too big, not too small, and if some miracle happens where we outgrow it we have NBA sized venues just across the river.

My only issue is the PA system as mentioned. Loud is not always better and we need a band. I’m not saying get rid of the DJ, but college hoops is better with a band….

 

[bigskyconf]

i actually like it and it brings us in to more in line with the rest of the conference venues. Granted it is not Dee Events, but now our arena does not look like a slightly bigger version of Sac State's Beehive. While most of our sporting events are scattered all around the metro area, this is actually one that we can call our own (and it is on campus). I think as time goes on, its usefulness will become more apparent, and it is something we can "grow" into.

 

[Pounder]

One way to look at this: the women's program brought Tennessee to Portland. That's already an improvement. That happened to be a women's attendance record here.

I can guess being upset that it costs more than $10 to sit within 7 rows of the floor (unless you're a student) is probably an issue. The design of the access to the upstairs seats that do cost $10 leave something to be desired... those overhangs are in the line of sight and take some getting used to. I like pretty much everything else about the place, especially after I stopped being so miserly and dropped a few more bucks to sit lower down. Now to find out how much those stools cost per game (those do seem sold out for men's games).

You don't do this and expect a shocking change within 2 seasons. This takes a bit longer.