Other A-10 Arenas

[Muskie]

Where have you been? Which one's have you liked or disliked?

[BBC 08]

I have been to ud arena and was not that impressed. Maybe it was because I was up high but it wasn't as nice as ud fans say it is. I will agree though that it's big, but that's about that only thing going for them.

[blobfan]

UD is the only other one I've been to and I thought it was a pile of crud. It would have been the first or 2nd year the A-10 championship was there and I had great seats for one of the early rounds. The arena was ok but I prefer Cintas. I got dizzy and confused every time I had to go out in the corrider. There's absolutely no room to navigate and the sections are indistinguishable.

Are any of the other arenas any good? I thought Cintas was the premier arena for the A-10, when considering size, location and equipment. I'm a little biased though.

[BBC 08]

I know SLU's new arena will be a bigger version of Cintas so that will help the overall image of the A10 when it is complete.

[blobfan]

I know SLU's new arena will be a bigger version of Cintas so that will help the overall image of the A10 when it is complete.

Bigger isn't always better. UDump is bigger than Cintas.

If an arena has more seats but has crowded corriders and concessions and purchases mediocre equipment but doesn't fund the staff to run it and design for it, then the extra seats are pointless.

[American X]

I recommend a Richmond trip to anyone. The arena is pretty standand, but the setting on campus is nice. A Xavier game, some Civil War history, a nice meal, and a drive through Virginia makes a nice trip.

Your high school gym is probably nicer than most of the other ones to which I have been.

The Smith Center is designed like a five-year old stacking boxes and the students are the biggest dorks in college basketball.

Rose Hill Gym is quaint and perfect for a CYO tournament. You cannot believe how small it is, but at least there is a fresh coat of paint on it so it looks clean. The Italian neighborhood is interesting, but it is still the Bronx.

The Liacouras Center is nice but empty. Do not linger in the neighborhood, make sure you have an entry and exit strategy. Saw Sato & Myles lead the 18 point comeback.

Tom Gola 'Arena' is a joke. Calling this place an 'Arena' is like calling DC Muskie a playboy or Snipe sober. The neighborhood is frightening and not even near downtown. If you want to pick on Linda Bruno, do it for adding LaSalle. The third A-10 team in Philly makes no sense, let alone this program and their 'Arena.' A huge shame, LaSalle is one of the all-time winningest programs and the only A-10 school with a NCAA championship.

I would most like to see a game on Hawk Hill and at the Palestra.

[Muskie]

I've been to Cintas (obviously), UD Arena, Saint Louis, and Richmond. I enjoyed my trip to SLU, although I don't remember much about the arena. I did like Richmond as well. I'm anxious to see what SLU's new place is like.

I don't care much for UD Arena and never understood the fuss about it.

[Flyer1407]

Duquesne was neat, one side is all wooden pull out bleachers while the other is chair backs with some boxes behind it. The year I went the entire upper section was UD fans.

I've never watched I game at UD any higher than the 5th row in the 300 section so I can't comment. However, I will say most season ticket holders get something to eat, drink and find their seats quickly. The best part of UD Arena, I can stay till buzzer sounds and be home in Kettering in 5 minutes, the parking is excellent. Looking forward to seeing the Cintas Center.

[Muskie]

Duquesne was neat, one side is all wooden pull out bleachers while the other is chair backs with some boxes behind it. The year I went the entire upper section was UD fans.

I've never watched I game at UD any higher than the 5th row in the 300 section so I can't comment. However, I will say most season ticket holders get something to eat, drink and find their seats quickly. The best part of UD Arena, I can stay till buzzer sounds and be home in Kettering in 5 minutes, the parking is excellent. Looking forward to seeing the Cintas Center.

I'd like to make it all of the A-10 arenas eventually. The Duquesne gym sounds kinda cool.

[toledodan]

ud arena is the only other a-10 venue i've been to. if your in the lower arena its a great place to watch a high school or college game at. however if your in the 400's you might as well watch the game from outside as you seem so far back from everything. also the worst thing about that if someone stands or walks in front even a few rows down you cant see anything.


in the mcc days i've been to hinkle fieldhouse and the nutter center.

[Snipe]

I think UD Arena is a great place to watch a game.

[X-band '01]

Been to the following places:

Liacouras Center - Temple
UD Arena - Dayton
Robins Center - Richmond
Halton Arena - Charlotte
Smith Center - GW

[D-West & PO-Z]

I know SLU's new arena will be a bigger version of Cintas so that will help the overall image of the A10 when it is complete.

I am a student at SLU and their new arena will be very very much like the Cintas, but only a little bigger. It will seat 10,600, so only about 350 more that the 'tas.

SLU's current arena is fine for watching games, but it is off campus and a little too big. SLU averages about 9-10,000 a game, but that doesnt fill the arena so even for big games now it seems like their isnt a ton of people there. The new arena will be very sweet though and will open in April this year.

[Flyer1407]

I am a student at SLU and their new arena will be very very much like the Cintas, but only a little bigger. It will seat 10,600, so only about 350 more that the 'tas.

SLU's current arena is fine for watching games, but it is off campus and a little too big. SLU averages about 9-10,000 a game, but that doesnt fill the arena so even for big games now it seems like their isnt a ton of people there. The new arena will be very sweet though and will open in April this year.

I was reading on the SLU board they are sick of Dayton fans coming to the games and that it will not happen next year.....we'll see about that.

If anyone wants to check it out, they have a webcam link from billikens.com

[ATL Muskie]

Also recommend a Richmond trip. Nothing special about the gym but the campus is nice and in a great setting. Pretty good town, too, if you know where to go. Been to the Smith Ctr. Scary place.

I've always wanted to visit Hawk Hill.

UD Arena is a dump, but not a bad place to catch a game. I've been to Charlotte's arena, but not for an X game. Pretty good venue.

[wny08]

I've been to UD Arena and to the Reilly Center at St. Bona, which aren't all that nice but are GREAT places to see a game.

While our arena is quite visually pleasing, I have to admit that there are times when Cintas seems too clean and sterile for a basketball game.

[blobfan]

While our arena is quite visually pleasing, I have to admit that there are times when Cintas seems too clean and sterile for a basketball game.

Maybe we can lobby the university to paint the walls dark blue. That will darken the place a bit.

[Drew's Crew]

SLU averages about 9-10,000 a game, but that doesnt fill the arena so even for big games now it seems like their isnt a ton of people there. The new arena will be very sweet though and will open in April this year.

Wow, didn't realize that many people went to SLU games. The new arena will continue to bring in some more people I'm sure.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Wow, didn't realize that many people went to SLU games. The new arena will continue to bring in some more people I'm sure.

Its really the only basketball in town. I think SLU was like 3rd or 4th in the A10 in attendance last year, behind UD, XU, and maybe another team?

[Masterofreality]

I've been to the follwing A-10 arenas:

St. Joes -Alumni Gym- Barely better than High School level, but, at least, quaint.
Lossalle- Tom Gola Garage- CYO Grade school quality.
Fordham- Rose Hill Gym- 1920's CYO Grade School quality
UMass-- Mullins Center- Beautiful building and nice arena out in the pastoral setting of Amherst/Hadley Mass. Quiet crowd when I went. Disappointing attendance (term used advisedly). Maybe a better team will bring them back.
Temple- Liacouris Center- See above for UMass except for a crap neighborhood.
GW- Smith Center- Newer building, but bad design with horriffic sight angles and uncomfortable seating. No charm. very vanilla.
St. Bonnie- Reilly Center- A bigger Tom Gola Garage with about 6,000 seats. Nice High School gym for Olean.
u dump- Enough said.
Duquesne- Palumbo Center- A newer version of Smith Center with an upper deck and a bit better sight angles and seats.
Rhode Island- MacArthur Gym- The old Rhodey gym. Neat old facility no longer in use. Small and intimate about like Alumni Gym. Have not been to the new Ryan Center, but it looks beautiful along the lines of Cintas.
Richmond- Robins Center- Great building and an absolutely gorgeous campus. It is incredible to believe that a school Richmond's size has such great facilities and can support a football team. My favorite after Cintas.
Xavier- Cintas Center- Of course. The flagship of the league. Nothing better.


Have not been to Charlotte, although I will be going to the game there this year. Have not been inside the St. Louis Savvis Center but this is its last year. St. Louis' new arena looks like a Cintas clone.

All in all- 4 High School/CYO arenas, 2 barely better than High School arenas and 8 legitimate College venues.

[AviatorX]

I have been to Halton (UNCC) UD, and Xavier. I made it a goal last year to get to all of the A10 gyms, except for St. Bona...where the hell is that anyway?:)

[BlueGuy]

I've been to UD and The RC in Olean. I visited the RC back while I was in highschool when they were half decent in 96ish. It was a pretty good time, and the "townies" were really into the game. The students sit along the sideline, and that added to the atmosphere. It's small, but it can get loud.

[XU Fan]

I've been to Duquesne a couple times, as well as Dayton several times.

I haven't been to Pittsburgh for a few years. Are they still playing in that same dump? That place is lousy. It seats more than a large high school gym, while maintaining the low-class feel. Plus the locals don't show up for the games so there are way more empty seats than full ones. Maybe it has changed there, both in terms of building an actual arena and it getting some asses to fill the seats. That place blows if it is the same one they had 5 years ago. I don't pay a lot of attention to Duquesne, so maybe they have upgraded.

[X-band '01]

Duquesne still plays in the Palumbo Center, but I wouldn't mind going there for a game next year if they play a weekend game. They built the place in 1988, but they can't realistically expect to sell out that place on a consistent basis until they can put together a pair of back-to-back winning seasons.

They've taken a step in the right direction ever since they got a new president (Dr. Dougherty), new AD (former Xavier asst. AD Greg Amodio), and new head coach (Ron Everhart). I just hope they don't pull a Fordham and quickly go back in the toilet after they lose their current core of players like Shawn James and Kojo Mensah.

[XUdomer23]

Ive been to Fordham and its small, but it is really nice. The fans are great too.

[powerofX]

I have been to:

Cintas

UD - I like the arena because I like loud sold out venues. That being said I was in the 400s as a student and could barely see the court. Also, while in the bathroom someone "accidentally" bumped me into the urinal while I was going...classy!

Fordham: Cool from the outside because of the architecture. Inside is pathetic for D1 hoops. I think the PA announcer talks into a CB radio. They have this wackjob that bangs on a pan to get the crowd pumped...and the crowd (all 500 people) actually think its cool. They also have a "bar" under the gym that has all of the charm of the Grill in the old University Center at X.

LaSalle: Disgusting. At least Fordham has bleachers all around the court. LaSalle has walls with fire doors and exit signs behind the backboards. And access to a concession stand...CYO quality, popcorn and hotdogs. When I was there they had a 50/50 raffle. Seriously, how can you be D1 when you rely on a 50/50 raffle as a way to fund athletics. I went about 7 years ago during a snow storm (took the train from NYC). There were literraly 250 people there. It was the A-10 "game of the week" and they tried to get everyone to sit on the same side across from teh cameras so it didn't look empty...didn't help. Incidentally, the 50/50 netted $35 to the winner that day...no joke.

Charlotte: Will be there this year.

[The Artist]

Been to UD, Charlotte, La Salle, Hawk Hill (twice). Hawk Hill was definitely my fave, last year got to sit directly behind the UMASS bench when they played St Joes. Charlotte was very nice, UD is ok, and La Salle is on the 2nd floor of what looks like an academic building.

[DC Muskie]

SJU- Loudest place I have ever been in. We have only lost once when DC Muskie is in the house.
LaSalle- I love that place. The bathroom is right on the other side of the baseline. You can come out the john and yell right at the guy at the foul line. Everyone hears me. Gola Arena boots my ego and influence.
Smith Center- Typical Washington high class. You have to "look down" on the court. snobs. They have stupid games like "Guess where Xavier is?" If they got into Georgetown they would have answered, "First Place." I love those little Jersey rejects.
Richmond- They have a banner for Johnny Dawkins I think. Only one player has ever gone to Richmond it looks like. They don't even bother putting up fake banners like GW does.


I plan on being at UMass this Sunday.

[OX09]

Saint Joes would qualify as a high school gym, but it works really well for them. It is incredibly loud, and the aesthetically unpleasant feel matches with their mascot and their coach. There is something beautiful in its crudeness.

[Smails]

I've been to UD and was blocked out by the scoreboard.

Been to Duq and Lass...yuk

The Smith Center (GW) when full is pretty neat

Would love to get to Charlotte and Rose Hill

[XU2424]

Richmond- nice gym and GREAT campus, just don't want to venture too far away. I am from Richmond and it can get rough once out of the west end. I was at the game when D West and X made the come back and then got in the little fight on the way back to the lockeroom.

Charlotte- nice part of town and a lot like the Cintas, enjoyed the experience there.

Cintas- Well its home to our Muskies, so...I am biased.

[Fred Garvin]

I enjoy this thread. Richmond sounds like a definite road trip. Campus sounds lovely.

[Chris Knight]

Only been to the UDump, back in the day when the MCC tourney was held there. And obviously Cintas, which is a really beautiful gym, although sometimes I miss the carnival/gun show atmosphere of the Gardens.

Anyone know if St. Joe's has plans to build a bigger arena? It seems like a logical move for their program, although I'm not sure why they wouldn't have done it after 03.

[OX09]

This is a bit off topic...but some mention of the Gardens has sparked my interest.

Xavier has had a "throw-back" game the last two years with jerseys and the works. Why not host this game in the Cincinnati Gardens?

Sure the University will lose money, the students probably won't show up, season tickets would be worthless for the game, the facility would need some refurbishment, etc.

But it would be fun.

[Lamont Sanford]

I would love to see the Muskies play one game a season in the old Gardens. As much as I love the Cintas, the Gardens just had atmosphere and history that will never be replaced. Hell, I used to go check out a Mighty Ducks game just because I loved to be in the Gardens and think about the great Shootouts there and all those great memories.

[DC Muskie]

Anyone know if St. Joe's has plans to build a bigger arena? It seems like a logical move for their program, although I'm not sure why they wouldn't have done it after 03.

I believe SJU is in the middle of a plan to upgrade the existing arena and play their home games at the Palestra next season.

[coasterville95]

As much as I love the Gardens idea, you mention all the reasons it won't work.

* Getting students to attend - Well, they could do what they did when I was a student - offer free busses from out in front of the University Center to the Gardens and back. - OR - have the throwback game when the students are out anyway.

* University will lose money - absolutely!, They would need to get a sponsor on board who would be willing to cover the Gardens rental fees and costs.

* Season tickets will be worthless - NO - BAD IDEA, for evidence look at this years Kansas State game. Eliminate the season tickets and you are doomed to failure unless you bring in a dream once in a lifetime opponent. Better idea - When we had the Fighting Illini game at US Bank Arena, they worked hard to map season tickets from the Cintas floor plan to the USBA floor plan, they could go through this exercise to map our season seats to somewhere in the Gardens.

* Upgrade facilities - You want to eliminate half the reason why people want to go back to the Gardens for a game? If we have a throwback night, I want the Gardens scoreboards, and things left pretty much the way they were. However, I have heard a bad rumour that the Gardens has not maintained their basketball floor, and that it wasn't exactly in A+ varsity condition its last season or two anyway. I suppose they could load the Cintas Center floor onto trucks and take it over to the Gardens, but then you would loose some of the charm.



It would be neat of a "One Last Time" nostalgia promotion,and I think it COULD be done if you get a sponsor in line, and get an opponent willing to play in the old relic. Honestly though, I don't see it happening.

[OX09]

The upgrade facilities related to some grafiti and other petty vandalism I noticed there while attending a hockey game.

[X-band '01]

They have a banner for Johnny Dawkins I think.

You're probably thinking of Johnny Newman (his #4 is retired) - he played with the Knicks in the NBA for a few years. Dawkins is a Duke grad and current assistant with the Duke coaching staff.

[Bmuskie]

I have been to VD Arena, Halton Arena, A.J. Palumbo Center, and of course the Cintas center. In order of preference to watch a college basketball game 1. Cintas 2. Halton (Charlotte) 3. A.J. Palumbo (Duquesne) 4. VD Arena I also had the pleasure back in the day of watching a game at the old Philadelphia Civic Center, the former home of the LaSalle explorers.
About VD Arena, It amazes me for how many events are put on at VD arena how terrible it is. Poor Sightlines, bad Inclination of the seats, Poor Crowd managment, Narrow and Disjointed concourses, too few restrooms and concessions, a cave like atmosphere from the 300 sections on up, and a parking lot that is an utter mess to try to get in and out of make this one of the worst arenas (out of the 30 or so college bball arenas I've been to) to attend a game.

[Strange Brew]

UD arena reminds me of the Gardens with superfluous wings. Its unecessarily big and smells of elder berries.

[QueensbridgeMF]

I thought the Mullins Center was pretty nice on Sunday, I was in the very last row and the view was not that bad. Been to Rose hill numerous times, yes it is small but has it's charm. Can get pretty loud too, like a few years back when they beat XU on a last second dunk. They are not in the A-10 but I went to see Fordham play @ Columbia and if you want to see a small gym look no further. I mean wow, when Fordham students can talk shit look out, and the FU fans totally took over the place. I'd like to see XU play at "The" Garden, not Cincy Gardens. They came to NYC to play Miss ST 3 or 4 years ago. That was a horrible game. I actually have never been to the 'Tas since I graduated before it was done and rarely make it back to the Nasty Natti. Cincy Gardens was a great place to watch a game.