Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

[DapperDan]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

One, it's a more reasonable size for D2, at about 5000k.
Second, it has been nearly full, or full, on several occasions. Mainly back during the NCC days, but most recently in a regional final a few years back.

I remember it well. WSU 76 - MSU 73.

[Stanger86]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

I actually really like St. Cloud. It's has an old, rustic feel to it and maybe it's the old school in me, but I really think it's a cool place. After seeing Duluth on air last week, that place looks like a dump. During my tour in the UMAC, I'd put most of those gyms above Duluths

Duluth is getting a significant upgrade to their arena.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sp...mds-romano-gym

[laker]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

So how is it really any different than Minot then?

I've been to all 16 arenas in person. Minot's gym, which hosts a ND state tourney, is too big for Minot State basketball. I talked to one of the custodians- he said that they only time that they get a lot of people is for the HS tourney. During a regular Beaver game the crowd is dwarfed by the size of the arena.

Saturday night's game with Southwest brought a lot of people- both Mustang and Mav fans. Great atmosphere. Winona games used to be the same. I think that the main fall off has been the students. They used to fill up the end- which the 2nd largest college in the state should be able to do. People talk about hockey drawing them off, but those crowds have been disappointing too.

Anytime you are making a list- does the best mean physical plant, atmosphere, or both?

[simple as a $3 bill]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

See the good things that happen for you when you get rid of gary holquist as your basketball coach. Nice that they're doing that for their announced attendance of about 600 people per game.

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

I've been to all 16 arenas in person. Minot, which hosts a ND state tourney, is too big for Minot State basketball. I talked to one of the custodians- he said that they only time that they get a lot of people is for the HS tourney. During a regular Beaver game the crowd is dwarfed by the size of the arena.

Saturday night's game with Southwest brought a lot of people- both Mustang and Mav fans. Great atmosphere. Winona games used to be the same. I think that the main fall off has been the students. They used to fill up the end- which the 2nd largest college in the state should be able to do. People talk about hockey drawing them off, but those crowds have been disappointing too.

Anytime you are making a list- does the best mean physical plant, atmosphere, or both?

Students just don't really attend games anymore, no matter the sport. Not at MSU anyway. And that's too bad since they have very entertaining teams almost across the board. They might go for half the football game and then bolt. Would be nice if the basketball team could even get that kind of support!

On top of that, the community doesn't get involved either. I understand that to a point, especially compared to other campus towns in the conference. Many MSU alums move to the TC metro area (myself included) and don't drive down for the games every weekend or even very many of them, there isn't a large alumni base in town to draw people in. The community does support hockey to a greater extent for sure, but still not to the level MSU administrators would like to see.

I'm not sure there's a great answer. Cut the adult ticket prices in half to see if that brings in more people and possibly make more on concession sale to offset the ticket prices? That doesn't do anything to solve the student issue though as they are free. Perhaps they need to bring back the student program where they'd get points for attending games on campus and earn some type of reward. Kids these days, huh?? :)

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

Duluth is getting a significant upgrade to their arena.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sp...mds-romano-gym

Looks good.

[Millsy]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

One, it's a more reasonable size for D2, at about 5000k.

5000k??? That is a crap load of fans for a game! I would hate to be in the cheap seats at an arena that large. ;)

[Stanger86]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

To me, there's a clear Top 3 in the NSIC: Augie, Mankato, Northern (in that order).

Augie is the only arena in my opinion that rivals Mankato, plus they get the crowd support to go with it that puts them over the top. Northern's arena itself is rather cookie-cutter (more functional than unique, as MrMustang said), but it's one of the biggest in the conference and they actually do a pretty good job of filling it up.

After that, like everyone has noted, most of them are pretty similar. St. Cloud probably gets my fourth spot due to history, followed by Winona at 5. That's a massive jump for Winona, which I had graded for about the past decade down with Crookston for worst physical facility before they made their recent upgrades.

Southwest and Moorhead are at 6 and 7. Again, pretty similar. Moorhead has the nicer video boards, but Southwest generally has a better crowd showing. This actually feels kinda low for Southwest.

I'll put Wayne at 8. I like the uniqueness of their gym. I guess Minot at 9 would also be for its uniqueness.

Bemidji, Mary, Concordia, Duluth, Sioux Falls, and Upper Iowa are all in the next tier. I could put this group in any order, but it doesn't really matter. Duluth could be with Southwest and Moorhead after the upgrades.

Crookston is the worst. Not even a debate any more.

[simple as a $3 bill]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

5000k??? That is a crap load of fans for a game! I would hate to be in the cheap seats at an arena that large. ;)

Yeah, I'd much rather go sit in a high school style gymnasium with seating on 2 sides. Makes it feel like a real college place. smh

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

Yeah, I'd much rather go sit in a high school style gymnasium with seating on 2 sides. Makes it feel like a real college place. smh

I know Millsy was making a joke about a 5 million capacity gym, but there is NOTHING I hate more than padded walls under the baskets (when talking about basketball arenas at least). Especially at college facilities.

[MStateMaverick]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

Students just don't really attend games anymore, no matter the sport. Not at MSU anyway. And that's too bad since they have very entertaining teams almost across the board. They might go for half the football game and then bolt. Would be nice if the basketball team could even get that kind of support!

On top of that, the community doesn't get involved either. I understand that to a point, especially compared to other campus towns in the conference. Many MSU alums move to the TC metro area (myself included) and don't drive down for the games every weekend or even very many of them, there isn't a large alumni base in town to draw people in. The community does support hockey to a greater extent for sure, but still not to the level MSU administrators would like to see.

I'm not sure there's a great answer. Cut the adult ticket prices in half to see if that brings in more people and possibly make more on concession sale to offset the ticket prices? That doesn't do anything to solve the student issue though as they are free. Perhaps they need to bring back the student program where they'd get points for attending games on campus and earn some type of reward. Kids these days, huh?? :)

Agree. For whatever reason, students don't attend the games as they used to in past decades. At least not very often, or very many, at MSU. And in general, it seems the Mankato community is not as supportive as you would hope. The proximity of Mankato to the Twin Cities and professional sports teams may have something to do with this. Different generational attitudes probably are a factor also.

[Stanger86]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

I know Millsy was making a joke about a 5 million capacity gym, but there is NOTHING I hate more than padded walls under the baskets (when talking about basketball arenas at least). Especially at college facilities.

I completely agree. That's a big part of what separates the top half of the conference from most everyone else.

I'd need to research this, but it seems at least a few of the actual arenas were built in the early 90s to 2000s. I know at least for Southwest, it replaced a gym more in line with those bottom half ones that are in that style. Where did Mankato play before 2000?

[MStateMaverick]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

I completely agree. That's a big part of what separates the top half of the conference from most everyone else.

I'd need to research this, but it seems at least a few of the actual arenas were built in the early 90s to 2000s. I know at least for Southwest, it replaced a gym more in line with those bottom half ones that are in that style. Where did Mankato play before 2000?

MSU played prior to the Taylor Center in Otto Arena, previously know as Highland Arena. Capacity of about 6000 I believe. Wall at one end, open at the other.
Now it is a student fitness center. I believe Highland Arena was built around 1963-64. Before that they basketball was in what was called the lower campus gym, which was nearer to downtown Mankato.
The gradual transition from the original campus up the hill to the present campus began in the early 60's, and was still in process by the mid-70's.

[laker]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

I completely agree. That's a big part of what separates the top half of the conference from most everyone else.

I'd need to research this, but it seems at least a few of the actual arenas were built in the early 90s to 2000s. I know at least for Southwest, it replaced a gym more in line with those bottom half ones that are in that style. Where did Mankato play before 2000?

Otto Arena was built in 1962 on upper campus. Before that they played on lower campus, where the women played until at least 1978. I wish that I could find some pictures from back in the day. Bleachers all around except for the corners where people came in. Two levels divided by metal pipes. The bleachers in the upper area went up a ways. Wrestling & gymnastics would practice up there (except during games of course). The band generally played at the west end. On the east end you could walk right up to the concession stand which was on the upper level. Back in the day it was huge and seemed pretty neat. Now of course will all the bleachers it wouldn't seem comfortable.

Underneath the playing floor was concrete, which really took a toll on your knees. The floating floors of today have much more spring.

https://www.mnsu.edu/tour/ottoa.html

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: Best D2 Basketball Stadiums

Otto Arena was built in 1962 on upper campus. Before that they played on lower campus, where the women played until at least 1978. I wish that I could find some pictures from back in the day. Bleachers all around except for the corners where people came in. Two levels divided by metal pipes. The bleachers in the upper area went up a ways. Wrestling & gymnastics would practice up there (except during games of course). The band generally played at the west end. On the east end you could walk right up to the concession stand which was on the upper level. Back in the day it was huge and seemed pretty neat. Now of course will all the bleachers it wouldn't seem comfortable.

Underneath the playing floor was concrete, which really took a toll on your knees. The floating floors of today have much more spring.

https://www.mnsu.edu/tour/ottoa.html

I remember watching Dave Gilreath as a kid hit jumpers from the tennis court lines on the gym floor. That was about 24-25 feet out and a few years before the 3pt line. Then a few years later, Brian Koepnick and the 3pt line arrived. Amazing scorers to watch as a grade school kid!

The gym seemed huge with all the foldable wooden bleachers. Only time I remember the upper deck bleachers on the west side being used was for the Golbetrotters. Otherwise that wrestling practice area turned into a gym for kids under 12 at a lot of games.