Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

[SW_Mustang]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

I love old gyms and it's old. There is barely room around the court for the benches/space to inbound.

Exterior:

I found this article. It says the building opened in 1938, and they held their first basketball game there in 1949. That's really cool.

https://rockhursthawks.com/news/2014...px?path=mbball

[SW_Mustang]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Kentucky Wesleyan

[SW_Mustang]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

This is not a D2 Arena, but I feel the need to share it anyway. It's a neat little piece of history.

This is Hamline University's Hall of Science - an academic building that no longer exists. It served as the "arena" for the first basketball game ever to be played between two colleges. Minnesota A&M defeated Hamline 9-3 on February 9th, 1895. Minnesota A&M is now known as the St. Paul half of the University of Minnesota.



They currently play at Hutton Arena, a monument to the game in it's own right. The first game held here was against Stanford in 1937. It's rumored that Vern Mikkaelsen actually lived here at one point.

[Twincitiesmav]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

This is not a D2 Arena, but I feel the need to share it anyway. It's a neat little piece of history.

This is Hamline University's Hall of Science - an academic building that no longer exists. It served as the "arena" for the first basketball game ever to be played between two colleges. Minnesota A&M defeated Hamline 9-3 on February 9th, 1895. Minnesota A&M is now known as the St. Paul half of the University of Minnesota.



They currently play at Hutton Arena, a monument to the game in it's own right. The first game held here was against Stanford in 1937. It's rumored that Vern Mikkaelsen actually lived here at one point.

[SW_Mustang]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

It's near the top of the list with must-see arenas, right up there with Carleton and Concordia-Moorhead. The MIAC has some interesting barns.

I should probably go check out Williams Arena first though...

[Otis Day]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

The Stewart Center at the University of Sioux Falls... Yea it's basically a glorified HS gym, but I'm bias and as a fan you are right on top of the court. Always a good place to view a game, also because it's rarely full! Place is tiny, so when it does actually fill up it gets loud....

[Otis Day]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

So it's not D2 but the mention of unique gyms deserves a shoutout to the world's only Corn Palace.... Yes. This Corn Palace....



is actually home to NAIA's Dakota Wesleyan Tigers...





Back when USF was in the NAIA with DWU I remember a group of us driving over to Mitchell for the GPAC championship game. Students right on top of the court on the baselines, then you have a bleachers on the stage like a HS, and the auditorium like seating with a gradual slope on the other sideline. Weird but cool place to catch a game. They love their basketball in Mitchell.

[SW_Mustang]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

I guess I didn't realize the Corn Palace was actually a basketball arena. I guess I didn't realize what it was at all - haha.

[MisterWizard]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

I've never been there, but from pics I've seen, Drury's O'Reilly Family Event Center in Springfield, MO looks really nice. It's clean and modern and has that arena feel, but not so big with so many seats that they'd all be sitting empty. Again, I guess that's an assumption that they have some draw.

Drury did it well, great place to watch games. They have a handful of suites/boxes that are set apart but open to the rest of the crowd, which I love.

[MisterWizard]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Rockhurst

Rockhurst, small. Reminds me of the Hoosiers quote - "watch that purgatory they call a gym".

Every fan seems less than 20 feet from the court.

[Hornetfan]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

That's different. Is it currently just primarily used for basketball or does it double as a performing arts center?

Based on the height of the bleachers, I bet there's not one bad seat in that place.

Here's another look at White Auditorium where you can see the floor bleachers.
The building itself houses the city manager's office, the municipal court, the main police station and fire station #1 for the city of Emporia.

[schnautza]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Southern Indiana - current Physical Activities Center (PAC Arena)


Southern Indiana - future arena concept art (should open this spring)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Southern Indiana - current Physical Activities Center (PAC Arena)


Southern Indiana - future arena concept art (should open this spring)

Awesome. Can they fill all those seats?

[schnautza]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Awesome. Can they fill all those seats?

Realistically with the current administration, probably not. Maybe on the big rivalry game with Bellarmine. They're gonna have to really step it up in terms of promotion.
Current capacity is 2200. Bellarmine is usually a sellout. Average attendance last year was 1465 (ranked #17 in division 2). New arena is supposed to seat 4800.

I think part of the thought process here was to build a stadium big enough for commencement ceremonies. Currently, they break it up into 4 different events for each college (science, liberal arts, etc). But they want to get back to the one-ceremony format that they used when Roberts Stadium was still around.

Also, be watching for USI to be putting in bids for NCAA tourney. Evansville has been hosting at the Ford Center, and I suspect that USI will try to bring it here to cut costs down.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Div. II Arena Appreciation/Discussion

Two such arena's exist in the PSAC. IUP and California. IUP has 4,000 chairbacks, (5) private suites and two bars (one public and one private). California (PA) has 6,000 seats.

IUP has never had a sellout but has got as high as 3,850 for a game. The season high average in the new arena was 2,100 but as of late the season average is coming in around 1,400. Cal has really struggled. Last year the men's program there averaged 251 per game in a 6,000 seat arena.

The venues are fantastic ... but when they are a third or fourth empty they are really quiet. They don't 'hum' like the old gyms did. If they aren't packed the crowd is too spread out.