The Stott Center is an embarrassment to the Big Sky!

[WSUfan1]

Never again should a Big Sky game be televised from the Stott Center. That middle school gym makes the Big Sky look bad and weak. I persoanlly think that PSU should have to build a new area or for go all their home games. It is disguisting to see WSU play there. This also goes for Sac State.

 

[weberwildcat]

...and surprisingly our stadium is bigger than 75% of DI and our attendance average is probably higher than 75% of D1. There really are a lot more small stadiums and low attendance figures than you would guess.

 

[weberskipc]

Gonzaga built a new arena for $25 million in 2004 that holds 6,000, and was funded by two brothers from Salt Lake. Dukes Cameron indoor arena was built in 1940 and only holds 9,314. Villanova built a new place in 1986 that seats 6,500. On the other end you see Syracuses' Carrier Dome with 34,000 in attendance this weekend against Villanova. I am grateful for the DEC. I'm sure there is quite a story behind it's inception.

 

[weberdude]

While watching the game yesterday, I couldn't help but think about how weak the Big Sky Conference has become--in terms of facilities and community support. They replaced Boise State, Nevada, and Idaho with Sacramento State, Portland State, and Northern Colorado. At some point, these schools may upgrade their facilities enough to actually host a conference tournament, but that will take many years. Meanwhile, it's an embarrassment to see their facilities on TV.

Northern Colorado is the only one of those three that fits the region (and possibly adds to the quality of programs), but I have a difficult time caring about Sac State and Portland State.

For more information about the building of the DEC, check out this link:

http://community.weber.edu/deeeventscenter/facilityinformation/DEC History.htm

 

[n.ogdencat]

When I went to Sac I couldn't believe that I was in a DI stadium. It was smaller than my middle schools gym. You could probably fit two "hornets nests" into the SWENSON...Its that tiny. According to Sac there are plans, supposedly, to happen in the near future to fix their facilities issues and increase the size of their basketball stadium. PSU...there are none.

 

[SWeberCat02]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4958649

Cracker box palaces

CSU Fieldhouse (22). Who plays there: Charleston Southern. Opened: 1965. Capacity: 798. They can actually wiggle more than a grand into the gym -- but it's still on the tiny side by high school standards.

Kimbel Arena (23). Who plays there: Coastal Carolina. Opened: 1974. Capacity: 1,039. They build 'em small in South Carolina.

Justice Center (24). Who plays there: North Carolina-Asheville. Opened: 1964. Capacity: 1,100. The third member of the Big South to have a not-so-big arena.

Hornets Nest (25). Who plays there: Sacramento State. Opened: 1955. Capacity: 1,200. Seems just a bit cramped for a school with an enrollment of 29,000 students.

Pope Center (26). Who plays there: St. Francis (N.Y.). Opened: 1960. Capacity: 1,200. Small, but plenty of seats available at most home games. The Terriers averaged 520 fans per home game this season.

 

[SWeberCat02]

In 55 years Sac St hasn't found or built a larger and better gym? Did the Big Sky even visit some of it's current member's facilities before they invited them into the conference, or at least put a mandate on them to build new ones within a certain number of years? Of course with California having no money, don't expect a new gym anytime soon. What a joke.

 

[bearsden123]

As a UNC alumni I can tell you that prior to UNC's transfer to D1 programs they really tried hard to get a new stadium, but the State would not allocate any funds for it since the Budweiser events center had just been built in nearby Loveland(Still a 25 min drive from Greeley). So they went for the second best thing they took out every bleacher and replaced them with semi-nice seats and they are renovating the landscaping, the ticket offices and the locker rooms. The UNC administration is well aware that Butler Hancock is a small arena for a D1 BBall program but right now they can't afford to build anything better there hope is that the BBall success will force something to give so they can have an appropriate arena for Northern Colorado.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I understand that SUU isn't the most attractive potential member, due to their poor performance as of late, however, their facilities are far better than three or four current members. The Centrum, SUU's home bball stadium, is legit. Its far better than Sacs, PSUs, UNC's, MSUs, ISU's, and NAU's stadiums. Their football field isn't that bad either.

Bearsden123..I've been to a game at Butler-Hancock and I didn't think the Bears stadium was that bad. Of course it could be better, but all in all its not to bad. And from what I've seen its gotten better from when I was there. So, with the monies the school has been allocated, they've done a pretty good job.

 

[fatcat]

As a Weber State fan for 40 years, I have seen schools come and go. I think the best way for the big sky conference to move on esp. if montana left, would be to go ahead and add suu, that will still give us 9 teams for football , and then also add, for basketball only, seattle university and Denver university.and utah valley for 12 teams east west venue for basketball .. recruiting places (Washington & Colorado Cal Arizona, Utah Idaho Montana Oregon...) that will help the Big Sky for Football and Basketball.. and give natural rivalries .. just a thought ,, Weber kicks butt @ Big Sky play-offs...

 

[weberwildcat]

As a Weber State fan for 40 years, I have seen schools come and go. I think the best way for the big sky conference to move on esp. if montana left, would be to go ahead and add suu, that will still give us 9 teams for football , and then also add, for basketball only, seattle university and Denver university.and utah valley for 12 teams east west venue for basketball .. recruiting places (Washington & Colorado Cal Arizona, Utah Idaho Montana Oregon...) that will help the Big Sky for Football and Basketball.. and give natural rivalries .. just a thought ,, Weber kicks butt @ Big Sky play-offs...

i would love that!


as for UNC, PSU, Sac....

UNC has been DI for just 3 seasons. We need to give them time. PSU's is nice but small. PSU has plans to build an 8,000 arena, Sac does too. But when these 2 arenas will get built no one konws. But trust me on this, the Sac and PSU fans are dying to get a new arenas.

Sac has big time issues. In CA the state wont pay money for arenas, too many schools. They have to come up with the dough on their own or get donors to find the money.

 

[weberdude]

So for all of these middle-school gyms in the Big Sky (and throughout the nation for that matter), how many fans are actually unable to get into games?

I don't expect an accurate answer, but I am curious. I know Idaho State urged fans to get to Reed Gym early when they played there earlier in the decade, and Northern Colorado did the same earlier this year if I remember right. However, I think those are the exceptions.

A large arena at full capacity makes for the greatest basketball experience. Minus that, I'd much rather attend a raucous game at a smaller gym than being able to hear the head coach chew out his players during timeout at a large arena or indoor stadium. Somehow though, PSU's gym didn't seem raucous during last Sunday's game. They were beating the conference champs, yet I could hear the PA announcer tell everyone about the gold-medal hockey game going into overtime.

I'll admit, it took me all of five seconds to turn the channel.

 

[Skippy]

Attendance at Big Sky games has gone down consistently since Boise State, Idaho and Nevada left the conference in the mid-1990s. There is no need for large gymnasiums anywhere in the Big Sky. Other than Northern Colorado, who started filling their facility when the Bears got hot earlier this year, nobody in the Big Sky is averaging near capacity for their current facilities.

BTW, I've watched Idaho State games at the Huntsman Center, Marriott Center and at the Taco Bell Arena in the last couple of years, and you want to talk about empty. Boise State drew about 3,000 fans in a 16,000-seat arena. Utah and BYU were both at about 8,000 in huge arenas. As weberdude notes, having a large, modern arena only 40 percent full is a lot less energizing than packing a 50-year-old, 2,000-seat gym.

 

[weberwildcat]

Attendance at Big Sky games has gone down consistently since Boise State, Idaho and Nevada left the conference in the mid-1990s. There is no need for large gymnasiums anywhere in the Big Sky. Other than Northern Colorado, who started filling their facility when the Bears got hot earlier this year, nobody in the Big Sky is averaging near capacity for their current facilities.

BTW, I've watched Idaho State games at the Huntsman Center, Marriott Center and at the Taco Bell Arena in the last couple of years, and you want to talk about empty. Boise State drew about 3,000 fans in a 16,000-seat arena. Utah and BYU were both at about 8,000 in huge arenas. As weberdude notes, having a large, modern arena only 40 percent full is a lot less energizing than packing a 50-year-old, 2,000-seat gym.

in 2003 i made my first trip to isu, the game was at reid, they didnt play in holt then. it was loud and crazy, very good advantage. the next yr they moved to holt, i for one was very glad because i knew it would hurt that great home court they had. it was like a mini spectrum because there wasn't much room for the noise to go anywhere and at the game the attendance was full to capacity.

 

[n.ogdencat]

ISU played in the Reid longer than 03. I watched Cravens last game as head coach in the Reid. Catcat you were there with me and bengalhater...don't you remember bubb yellling at us? ISU went back to the lolt during the generals senior year. In all honestly, and i may call it the lolt, but I think its better that ISU plays in the barn rather than the Reid. The Reid reminds me to much of my high school gym. Also, I like the Lolts setup, it feels more like a DI game there. Also, this year and last years games against Weber there were loud and crazy. Two of the best games I've ever been to.

 

[n.ogdencat]

However, the last two games Weber played in the Reid they got thumped by the Bengals. In 05 Lance Allred got two quicks T's and was escorted off the floor. He had, what they refer to in Poky, as a slight MELTDOWN due to Big Sky refs inabilities to call a game consistently. And in 06 Weber just decided not to play...they really didn't have anything to play for anyway, 2nd losing season in a row, an 8th place finish, and no Big Sky tourny apperance since 1981. However, Bubb did call me a little SHIZ.

Maybe I like the LOLT so much because Weber has a winning record there. I only saw Weber beat ISU in the Reid once. While I've seen Weber win four games in the Lolt, five counting football.

 

[Bengal!]

From the 2003 game:

Reed puts you closer to the action, and the fans and players can feed off each other quicker. I've been in Holt with big crowds, and it can be a great home-court, too (we just haven't seen big crowds in there for a while).

Boise State is only averaging about 3,100 in Taco Bell Arena , and they drew about 1,900 for their ESPN Bracket Busters game against UC Davis. Idaho is averaging about 1,700 per game, and this is following the season in which they had a winning record and participated in the CBI.

 

[Skippy]

Reed has several upsides: the basketball team spends about 75 percent of its time there practicing because Holt isn't available. And as noted, the atmosphere in Reed is 10 xs more electric than it has been in Holt in recent years, and provides a much better home-court advantage. (Back in the 1990s, when BSU, Idaho and Weber would routinely draw 5000 to 6,000 fans, Holt was a good atmosphere too. But those days are long gone).

The downsides of Reed are: 1) lousy parking, concessions and bathroom facilities; 2) not enough floor seats to accommodate season ticket holders and students; 3) uncomfortable seats and benches. My wife complains non-stop when they play in Reed because of these issues.