A10 arenas

[TFord and TRavs]

Maybe I might be biased, but it seems clear that SLU has the best Arena in the A10

I think VCU is the only one who beats us with their practice facility

http://imgur.com/a/Gckl3

[AnkielBreakers]

From those pictures you think VCU is equivalent to SLU's stadium and practice facility? The pictures look like they have to be put together by SLU.  Ours look head and shoulders better than anyone's.  No contest. 

It would be interesting to see the pictures of SLU compared with the Big 12 and Big 10.  I bet we would do better than people think.

[TaLBErt]

Richmond's looks solid.

[Soderball]

Chaifetz Arena is head and shoulders better than any other arena in the league. Not even comparable. Duquesne La Salle and GW play in some real dumps. The Palumbo Center is a joke. Rose Hill and Hagan are at least historical venues. No wonder they are having to renovate that. SIUE's Sam M. Vadalabene center is a nicer venue.

[TFord and TRavs]

26 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

From those pictures you think VCU is equivalent to SLU's stadium and practice facility?

SLU's arena is better, VCU's practice facility is better than SLU's. That is why Ford is trying to renovate chaifetz for the players.

VCU's practice facility is top 10 in the country

http://www.richmond.com/sports/college/basketball/every-turn-it-s-a-wow-in-vcu-s-new/article_858096eb-5641-502b-a48c-25d95aab2e17.html

[Soderball]

17 minutes ago, TFord and TRavs said:

SLU's arena is better, VCU's practice facility is better than SLU's. That is why Ford is trying to renovate chaifetz for the players.

VCU's practice facility is top 10 in the country

http://www.richmond.com/sports/college/basketball/every-turn-it-s-a-wow-in-vcu-s-new/article_858096eb-5641-502b-a48c-25d95aab2e17.html

And for all that both Shaka and Wade bolted. I don't buy the stuff about practice facilities. That stuff is mostly needed to try and hang on to a coach, rather than any other aspect. A briefcase full of cash works better.

[Taj79]

People will always tell you YouDee arena is tops.  And then they'll produce as evidence the 60+ NCAA games played there as proof.  I've been there multiple times -- good place to see a game. 

I would not throw ours, VCU's, Mason's, Umass', Richmond's  or Rhodey's under the bus either.  They are all capable, modern facilities.  Richmond's more so with its recent facelift; ours given it's relative newness.  The rest I'd place in glorified high school gym categories with -- best to worst ---- Davidson, Geedubya, Bonaventure, St. Joe's, Fordham, Duquesne  and La Salle rounding things off. 

A really nice, smallish (5200 seats) arena was built recently on the campus of Towson here in Baltimore. 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=He%2f%2fBscQ&id=E3289E53A6E6EEC08B221AB07D54DC94FF86A117&thid=OIP.He__BscQ6tKNqMwhC7_qqQEsDI&q=secu+arena&simid=608003813920279903&selectedIndex=3&adlt=strict&qpvt=secu+arena&ajaxhist=0

[hsmith19]

So much of what makes Dayton a good venue is the atmosphere rather than the facility itself. It's always packed. But when it comes down to it, even a dump like the Smith Center at GW is a fun place to see a game on the rare occasion it's packed (usually when it's full of rabid VCU cretins).

[Billiken Rich]

Speaking of atmosphere, I went to the first playoff hockey game I've ever been to at Scott trade last night. Even a sterile big aging arena can be amazing with nearly twenty thousand screaming fans in it. I e never been to anything like that before. My ears are still ringing. Closest experience was at arrowhead to see the Chiefs.  If a sold out 'fets could ever approach something like that.......

[cheeseman]

1 hour ago, Billiken Rich said:

Speaking of atmosphere, I went to the first playoff hockey game I've ever been to at Scott trade last night. Even a sterile big aging arena can be amazing with nearly twenty thousand screaming fans in it. I e never been to anything like that before. My ears are still ringing. Closest experience was at arrowhead to see the Chiefs.  If a sold out 'fets could ever approach something like that.......

A sold out Fetz has sounded like that.

[Billiken Rich]

Ah no.......

[almaman]

3 hours ago, cheeseman said:

A sold out Fetz has sounded like that.

As did Scott Trade during big games for us

[wgstl]

3 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

Ah no.......

You did go to the slu washington game a few years ago right?

 

[drkelsey55]

6 hours ago, Billiken Rich said:

Ah no.......

I'm with You on this one. I was at the hockey game also. I was also a all the Billiken games mentioned here.

To match the hackey games you would have to get everyone at Chaifetz to join in togaether ALL the time during 

 the game. Bsed on my personal observations that has NEVER happened. Hope it will in the future.

Closest was the Billikens victory over Kansas an the trade center way back when.

[brianstl]

First, very few sporting events compare to Stanley Cup playoff games live. Second, even fewer compare to games where the home team comes from behind twice in what is basically a do or die game.  Third, the U Dub game was as loud in the first half as any regular season sporting event that I have ever been to.

[brianstl]

11 minutes ago, drkelsey55 said:

I'm with You on this one. I was at the hockey game also. I was also a all the Billiken games mentioned here.

To match the hackey games you would have to get everyone at Chaifetz to join in togaether ALL the time during 

 the game. Bsed on my personal observations that has NEVER happened. Hope it will in the future.

Closest was the Billikens victory over Kansas an the trade center way back when.

Was at the KU game.  The first half of UW game and when we had the comeback in an eventual loss against Southern Miss in the NIT were much louder.  My ears were ringing two days after that Southern Miss game.

[TJHawk]

Don't know much about the dorm situation at SLU but I would put SLU facilities up against almost any Big 10 or Big 12 schools.

[Deutschkind]

On 4/30/2017 at 1:59 AM, TJHawk said:

Don't know much about the dorm situation at SLU but I would put SLU facilities up against almost any Big 10 or Big 12 schools.

Most of the athletes live in the Grand Forrest apartments next to Chaifetz. They're not very "nice," in terms of amenities, but they're OK

[prebilliken]

This imgur album is from a post about 7 days ago on the College Basketball subreddit /r/collegebasketball.  A user on that subreddit is going through Division 1 conference by conference and posting pictures of each arena in order to spur off season discussion. 

In my personal opinion, the Chaifetz is beyond reproach, it is an absolutely perfect arena. I hope we all realize how good we have it as Bills fans, one of the key reasons I want the Bills to be good again is plainly just how fun much fun a packed Chaifetz is. While I agree that a playoff Blues game is probably louder, a sold out 'Fetz during a close game sounds more like 15,000 than 10,500. There were many games during the Majerus-Crews era that left my ears ringing. While we have some ground to cover as far as being fans goes (a swear to God on high, I get so pissed when people tell me to "sit down" during an important defensive stand), I think we are the premier facility in the A10. 

I truly believe, in terms of the facility itself, not so much atmosphere, that the Chaifetz is one of the best built facilities in college basketball. The acoustics, the angles, the video boards, the ease of access in and out of the seating, the amenities, are all so so well done. Its clean, its aesthetically pleasing, and its hard to think about anything SLU missed when they built it. I have sat in the student section, I have sat in the center court seats close to the floors, and I have sat in the absolute back row, and I don't believe that there is a bad seat in the house. 

Let's pack the Chaifetz this year. Bring home the Bills! 

As far as the rest of the A10 goes, I have only been to UD Arena personally, but the Rhodey, UMass, and Richmond all have gorgeous stadiums. While I haven't seen a game at UR, it is a very nice arena, complimented by what I have often stated is the most beautiful campus in America. 

What UD and VCU lack in terms of facilities, they make up for in atmosphere. UD fans are loyal, no matter what your arena looks like, it looks better when it is sold out. VCU looks like a ballroom at a hotel but those games are loud and they fill it out, I personally feel that VCU fans deserve a better arena. 

The Philly schools, the Bonnies, and the Dukes don't have Arenas, they have gyms. There are definitely two distinct tiers of facilities in the A10.

Also, weird sidenote: On this same subreddit post, I got into a civil conversation with a Mizzou fan, he informed me (take this for what you will) that many Tiger fans feel Mizzou arena was poorly done. Lack of space between rows, tough to get in and out of seating, and on odd seating arrangement. I think many people long nostalgically for the old Hearnes atmosphere.  I was actually shocked to hear that. 

[Bobby Metzinger]

1 hour ago, Deutschkind said:

Most of the athletes live in the Grand Forrest apartments next to Chaifetz. They're not very "nice," in terms of amenities, but they're OK

Don't Gump to conclusions; it's just Forest.

Also, Grand Forest was the place to be 2003-2005, especially during home soccer game nights. Grab a couple frosties, walk across the  old astroturf to the game.

[hsmith19]

7 hours ago, prebilliken said:

Also, weird sidenote: On this same subreddit post, I got into a civil conversation with a Mizzou fan, he informed me (take this for what you will) that many Tiger fans feel Mizzou arena was poorly done. Lack of space between rows, tough to get in and out of seating, and on odd seating arrangement. I think many people long nostalgically for the old Hearnes atmosphere.  I was actually shocked to hear that. 

There are even some Mizzou oldheads who still pine for Brewer Fieldhouse, just because it supposedly got so outrageously loud in there.

[TheA_Bomb]

On 4/24/2017 at 2:59 PM, AnkielBreakers said:

From those pictures you think VCU is equivalent to SLU's stadium and practice facility? The pictures look like they have to be put together by SLU.  Ours look head and shoulders better than anyone's.  No contest. 

It would be interesting to see the pictures of SLU compared with the Big 12 and Big 10.  I bet we would do better than people think.

Of the Big 12 facilities I've been to Texas, Texas Tech and TCU.  TTU is on par with SLU, it was built around the same time. One feature they have that I like is the concourses are open.  You go to buy a pretzel and you can still see the game because it's all open.  That might not help with sound but it's different.  Texas venue is dated, they will upgrade soon.  TCU is nothing special.

Chaifetz is great on par or better than many P5 facilities.  At least in my experience.

[prebilliken]

1 hour ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Of the Big 12 facilities I've been to Texas, Texas Tech and TCU.  TTU is on par with SLU, it was built around the same time. One feature they have that I like is the concourses are open.  You go to buy a pretzel and you can still see the game because it's all open.  That might not help with sound but it's different.  Texas venue is dated, they will upgrade soon.  TCU is nothing special.

Chaifetz is great on par or better than many P5 facilities.  At least in my experience.

Baylor and TCU leave A LOT to be desired. They are like smaller versions of Mackey Arena at Purdue or Assembly Hall at UofI with way less atmosphere. Circlurlar seating plans for basketball have always rubbed me the wrong way. Obviously Allen Fieldhouse is beyond reproach. 

The Chaifetz does indeed hold its own against a plethora of P5 facilities.