New Basketball Practice Facility

[OmahaBeef]

Well, those other schools might be making practice facility improvements and some renovations, but the Schott is still a lot more impressive facility than almost any other arena in the Big Ten.

Really? I think a lot of people find it sterile and corporate. I went to about 6-7 games in the 06-07 season, had season tickets for the 07-08 season have have been to a couple B1G games a year since then, and the only game that I've been to that was actually LOUD for much of the game was in 2007 when Wisconsin came to town.

 

[neilmj]

The schottenstein center is probably one of the better arenas in the Big Ten from a physical standpoint, but it's up to the crowd to make the atmosphere.

 

[OmahaBeef]

The schottenstein center is probably one of the better arenas in the Big Ten from a physical standpoint, but it's up to the crowd to make the atmosphere.

While you're right about the crowd, it doesn't help that the many seats are so far away from the court. The bowl goes out wide, fast. They have the right idea when they built the old arenas like St. John. The crowd is right on top of the action in places like that. (And in many Big 10 arenas, more of the crowd is much closer to the game than in the Schott.)

 

[DZ83CK]

Good grief. I see the "St. John Arena is better than the Schott" crowd is weighing in. Get real people - decibel level is pretty much irrelevant to the question of which facility is nicer. The only arena I've seen in the Big Ten that's in the same ballpark as the Schott as a facility is the Kohl Center. These other schools might be improving their practice gyms and renovating the arenas they have, but it's like your neighbor renovating a $200,000 house compared to you already having a $1,000,000 house. No way is it like these other schools are "catching up." Nebraska's new facility, when it's built and they start playing in it in a couple years, is going to jump into that upper echelon. But right now it's just OSU and Wisconsin in terms of state of the art/top of the line arenas in the Big Ten.

 

[scarletmike]

Not to mention the multi-purpose goal of the facility. I can't think of too many other campuses in the B1G with arenas that are built to handle large, national/international acts. The Schott isn't just a basketball facility, so of course it isn't going to seem as nice a basketball facility as a lot of the basketball/court-only facilities in that respect. But honestly, as a multi-purpose facility, it is really a standout.

 

[OmahaBeef]

Not to mention the multi-purpose goal of the facility. I can't think of too many other campuses in the B1G with arenas that are built to handle large, national/international acts. The Schott isn't just a basketball facility, so of course it isn't going to seem as nice a basketball facility as a lot of the basketball/court-only facilities in that respect. But honestly, as a multi-purpose facility, it is really a standout.

...and this is a basketball forum, so that's the context of the discussion. Clearly, the Schott is far more valuable to the university than St. John -- but that doesn't mean it makes an awesome place to watch a basketball game.

In basketball (and unlike football), size doesn't really matter so much when talking about a big home court advantage because the game is played in an enclosed space. I've been to plenty of high school basketball games that were louder than any OSU game I've been to with the exception of OSU vs Wisconsin in 2007.

 

[OmahaBeef]

Good grief. I see the "St. John Arena is better than the Schott" crowd is weighing in. Get real people - decibel level is pretty much irrelevant to the question of which facility is nicer. The only arena I've seen in the Big Ten that's in the same ballpark as the Schott as a facility is the Kohl Center. These other schools might be improving their practice gyms and renovating the arenas they have, but it's like your neighbor renovating a $200,000 house compared to you already having a $1,000,000 house. No way is it like these other schools are "catching up." Nebraska's new facility, when it's built and they start playing in it in a couple years, is going to jump into that upper echelon. But right now it's just OSU and Wisconsin in terms of state of the art/top of the line arenas in the Big Ten.

How is it irrelevant? It is the most important part of the arena during a game. I'd rather have a loud arena with more seats closer to the court than an arena with fancy lobbies and big concessions areas.

 

[MaxBuck]

Every time we play a game in St John Arena and I'm stuck the entire game crammed into my seat with my knees jammed into the seatback in front of me, I'm reminded that the Schott is so far better a place to spend two hours watching hoop.

 

[OmahaBeef]

Every time we play a game in St John Arena and I'm stuck the entire game crammed into my seat with my knees jammed into the seatback in front of me, I'm reminded that the Schott is so far better a place to spend two hours watching hoop.

I should probably add that I'm a recent OSU student, so age, energy level and healthy knees probably have something to do with me caring more about decibel level than comfort.

 

[MaxBuck]

I should probably add that I'm a recent OSU student, so age, energy level and healthy knees probably have something to do with me caring more about decibel level than comfort.

If you're happy sitting in St John, you must also be a pretty small person. Even my wife is uncomfortable there, and she's under 5 feet.

 

[DZ83CK]

How is it irrelevant? It is the most important part of the arena during a game. I'd rather have a loud arena with more seats closer to the court than an arena with fancy lobbies and big concessions areas.

I used the word "nicer" to describe the Schott in comparison to it's counterparts in the Big Ten. Nicer, as in you know, a higher class of facility. It's like comparing a $1,000,000 house (the Schott) to a $200,000 house (Crisler, Mackey, etc.). No question the 60's era cookie-cutter arenas in the Big Ten are not comparable to the Schott as a facility, so while some other schools have renovated and are building new practice facilities, they are still well-behind OSU in terms of the class of the building.

 

[OSU_D/]

While you're right about the crowd, it doesn't help that the many seats are so far away from the court. The bowl goes out wide, fast. They have the right idea when they built the old arenas like St. John. The crowd is right on top of the action in places like that. (And in many Big 10 arenas, more of the crowd is much closer to the game than in the Schott.)

Good grief. I see the "St. John Arena is better than the Schott" crowd is weighing in. Get real people - decibel level is pretty much irrelevant to the question of which facility is nicer. The only arena I've seen in the Big Ten that's in the same ballpark as the Schott as a facility is the Kohl Center. These other schools might be improving their practice gyms and renovating the arenas they have, but it's like your neighbor renovating a $200,000 house compared to you already having a $1,000,000 house. No way is it like these other schools are "catching up." Nebraska's new facility, when it's built and they start playing in it in a couple years, is going to jump into that upper echelon. But right now it's just OSU and Wisconsin in terms of state of the art/top of the line arenas in the Big Ten.

Good grief? Please stop the ridiculous defending of a sterile, corporate arena. Decibel level is affected by the design of the arena as well as the crowd. Nice amenities does NOT equal great arena when thinking about it is a home arena advantage over the opponent. The Schott is top of the line if you want to consider asthetics, but if you want a home arena advantage it is at the bottom.

I am excited for the new practice facility for what it means to the team and recruiting. But the "best" arena in the big 10 for a home advantage is in Minneapolis. Too bad their teams have been pretty bad for quite some time now.

 

[DZ83CK]

Good grief? Please stop the ridiculous defending of a sterile, corporate arena. Decibel level is affected by the design of the arena as well as the crowd. Nice amenities does NOT equal great arena when thinking about it is a home arena advantage over the opponent. The Schott is top of the line if you want to consider asthetics, but if you want a home arena advantage it is at the bottom.

I am excited for the new practice facility for what it means to the team and recruiting. But the "best" arena in the big 10 for a home advantage is in Minneapolis. Too bad their teams have been pretty bad for quite some time now.

You know, OSU was 20-0 at home last year. Some would look at that and think there's a good home arena advantage at work there. But I don't want to be dragged into a decibel-level debate - as far as I'm concerned that's a red herring here. The topic was improvements in practice facilities and renovations, and there was some thought that OSU needed to renovate the practice facilities to keep up with the rest of the league. The facts are the facts: OSU already had the nicest facilities for basketball in the Big Ten prior to the pending expansion to the practice facility. So to me it's a case of the rich getting richer and keeping their distance ahead of the pack.

 

[MaxBuck]

Please stop the ridiculous defending of a sterile, corporate arena.

Please stop whining about a visually impressive, player-favorite, comfortable and effective arena.

See? Arguments could go on for quite awhile in this fashion.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

How about this?

The Schott is one of the nicest and most comfortable facilities in which to watch or play a basketball game, but it doesn't necessarily promote the most enjoyable basketball experience if you enjoy a loud, raucous crowd.

St. John is noisy and small and uncomfortable, but it makes for a better atmosphere and it's a helluva lot of fun to watch a basketball game there (every once in a while).

If St. John was the everyday arena still, I think people's opinions of it would change a bit.