Rec Hall Basketball Game

[Crimson's Ghost]

I don't watch much PSU basketball, but I did attend the Pitt/PSU game with a buddy of mine, who is the only true PSU basketball fan I've ever met.

We got to talking about this Rec Hall game today, and honestly why not play their games there? I mean are the upper decks even open at the BJC? It's so dark in there, you can hardly tell if there is 1,000 or 10,000 people in the place. It just doesn't seem like a condusive environment to college basketball, especially for the state of that program. I mean their wrestling program in one night probably outdrew their men's basketball non conference slate in one night.

Why not refurbish Rec Hall a little? It would create a home court advantage, give the fans and team more excitement. It would look better on TV.

I mean plenty of teams still play in Halls and Gyms, and they do just fine. Indiana, Duke...why couldn't Penn State?



We also came to the realization why would any program leave an arena to play in a tiny little gym. But, it would be a cool idea to think about.

[Coach]

They need to play at least 5 games there. Use the BJC for big B10 games and concerts, etc. I think playing at Rec Hall would be better for building the program. I'm excited to watch today's game.

[El-Moldo]

Penn State has "the bigger the better" mentality. And, of course, money is an issue. They would rather have 7,000 at the BJC, than 6,400 at Rec Hall. That would mean 600 less paying customers (but a lot more discount wieners).

[Crimson's Ghost]

They need to play at least 5 games there. Use the BJC for big B10 games and concerts, etc. I think playing at Rec Hall would be better for building the program. I'm excited to watch today's game.

That might make sense, but wouldn't you want a lively atmosphere for Michigan and Indiana?

Before Pitt had the PEC, they played in Fitzgerald Field House normally, and moved the big Big East games to the Civic Arena, and most people I talked to, said that probably hurt their home court advantage.

[Eaglealum]

Penn State has "the bigger the better" mentality. And, of course, money is an issue. They would rather have 7,000 at the BJC, than 6,400 at Rec Hall. That would mean 600 less paying customers (but a lot more discount wieners).

The wrestlers get 6850-6911(fire marshal stopped em there) in rec hall . How many games did they go over 7000?

[S Cube]

I was at the Pitt/PSU match at BJC and have been to matches at Rec Hall, and I must say the atmosphere at Rec Hall is better.

[Crimson's Ghost]

PSU has had 6 home games this season, only one time have they drawn an announced crowd of over 5,000. The BJC listed capacity is 15,000.


PSU played four ranked teams at home last season, and the crowds hovered around 8,000 for those games.

[abpk2903]

I love my university but they over the years got thus notion that have to have the biggest, newest, most elaborate of anything they have. When e built the BJC who in their wildest imagination thought they could sell 15,000 seats to 20 basketball games in the State College winter. Anyone who has attended a basketball game up there knows its absolutely brutally cold. I can't remember a game where I didn't sprint from the parking lot to the gate. Plus basketball games are only 2 hours long and the majority of them are weeknights or during the holiday season. Unlike Pitt, Penn State has a very unsuccessful program, the population is spread out, and has a ton of more fan interest in other winter sports like wrestling (and now hockey). Yet for some unknown reason they decided to build a 15,000 seat concert venue to play basketball in. Even the few times its full, the atmosphere is very crappy. Penn State did the same with the football field. They made it too dang big and now can't sell the last 20,000 seats. The already had a 7,000 seat venue in rec hall and a 15,000 seat venue in the BJC but now they built a 9,000 seat venue for hockey. What happens when that luster wears off?

[Crimson's Ghost]

The BJC does draw attention to State College. They have hosted some really good concerts and events that normally wouldn't play in Central PA. I understand it's good for the area in that regard, but it does hurt the basketball program.

[Manfred]

Just to throw this out there, regarding the football stadium non-sellouts. Not that it would routinely happen, but Happy Valley can thank prisoner Sandusky for souring a LOT of people on PSU. Otherwise, the numbers, and by extension, $$$ would still be there. And I personally really don't care one way or the other.