Arena Makeover

[schoolsportsfan]

I was pleasantly surprised seeing the new seats and party boxes. However, I'd love to know who had the final say on the seats with those awful cup holders. They are absolutely worthless. So typical ISU. We finally get to buy a beer and the cup holder is about 1 inch in depth...not to mention the aluminum beer bottle will tip over at the slightest nudge. Get ready to have beers, soda, water spilled on you. Whoever was in charge of signing off on the seats with the cupholders failed miserably.

 

[birdsflyhigh]

Are they ever going to turn the lights back on in the upper bowl? IMHO it makes the whole arena look a bit dingy

 

[WeLoveTheBirds]

Yes the cup holders are terrible. That is probably the first and so far, only complaint. It just doesn't make sense. No cup would ever work in there. And they are not comfortable to use as an arm rest. Might as well not even have those at all. Feels like a salesman did his job of selling the "upgrade" without explaining they are only an inch deep and can only hold a hockey puck... Maybe!
Didn't even work to hold my phone. Dropped on the floor a half dozen times until I leared my lesson all while giving people a heart attack around me each time it bounced off the metal floor board (including myself).
Ok one more small complaint... I could not see my own section number I was sitting in when I turned in my seat and looked back. This is due to the new loge boxes covering the view. (This was more of a problem at V-Ball when I was trying to text somebody where I was sitting. After randomly finding a seat to watch the game).

 

[ricohill]

Larry said the cupholders were the difference maker to increasing attendance.

 

[WeLoveTheBirds]

Larry said the cupholders were the difference maker to increasing attendance.

Can you get me a list of those people. I have a cup holder attachment for my jackhammer I would like to sell them. I guarantee it will work as good as the cup holder in the new seats.

 

[jamminjamarsmiley]

Probably got a deal on the cup holders. Gotta save money for the indoor football facility. Why are u guys being critical about this? Larry and isu don’t make mistakes

 

[CB2K]

Agree on the cup holders. I was absolutely shocked when I saw them. Who would have ever seen this as an upgrade? I am placing my drinks on the floor because there is no way they are safe in these cookie holders. It usually boils down to cost so perhaps most of the renovation dollars were spent on the cushioned seat upgrade and there wasn't enough leftover for standard cup holders.

I thought they may have improved the leg room but it still is a tight fit.

I am not sure if it is me but it also seems that you are not sitting as high up from the rows in front of you that you were with the older seats. When an average-sized person sat in front of me it actually blocked my view. I couldn't see over him without sitting up straighter. He was probably 5-9 or so and I am 6-0 --- don't remember having that much of an issue with the previous seats. Maybe it's me and that is how it was before but just don't remember that.

I felt bad for the band -- They don't have a platform or anything to all sit next to each other and were strung up the rows. They sounded good though. I always enjoy the band when they play and it is nice that the students were right next to them. There were two loud students harassing the Truman players. They were funny at times but crossed the line when they started yelling to one of the refs that "he was short." No need to be derogatory and belittle someone. They piped down all of a sudden after that and I was wondering if they were asked to cool it.

The padded seats are a plus and I do appreciate the extra expense to put those in. The mote is not as big either as the seats are pushed closer to the court.

I like the loge boxes -- heard a section worker tell someone they could go into an empty one briefly but could not sit or stay there.

Overall, the arena does look nice with the new seating upgrades around the lower bowl and the newly added fiery shooting pyro display they installed on the two pillars where the Redbirds enter the arena.

 

[ricohill]

The funny/sad thing is the next AD will have to raise money to clean up this mess. They should have focused on putting in nice seats with space instead of worrying about the boxes. This is a typical half-done effort by ISU. They don't need the loge boxes. ISU can't provide a premium experience for customers so why not use the space for nice seats for the true fans?

 

[SgtHulka]

Ahh...First World problems. Horrifying

Thoughts and Prayers
Thoughts and Prayers

 

[TheTruth]

The funny/sad thing is the next AD will have to raise money to clean up this mess. They should have focused on putting in nice seats with space instead of worrying about the boxes. This is a typical half-done effort by ISU. They don't need the loge boxes. ISU can't provide a premium experience for customers so why not use the space for nice seats for the true fans?

Indeed! They need to get Larry out of there ASAP!

 

[Phantom]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou1eF_hy--g

We made it 30 years at the arena without cupholders. If that's the biggest problem at the arena this year, we are going to have a great season!

 

[birdlife]

anyone have a picture of these cookie holders?

 

[schoolsportsfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou1eF_hy--g

We made it 30 years at the arena without cupholders. If that's the biggest problem at the arena this year, we are going to have a great season!

It's not that the cupholders will be the biggest problem at the arena this year. It's that this is so typical of ISU and our athletic administration. How anyone can sign off on the purchase of these seats with those cupholders is amazing. There is going to spillage galore and adding beer to the mix will only make it more apparent that someone really screwed up by approving the seats. I believe the administration will have to do something to fix the issue. If we ever get the lower bowl filled, the building service workers will have their hands full after the game cleaning up the mess.

 

[Hamdonger]

*

 

[Hamdonger]

CupholderGate is actually a marketing strategy presented to you by Learfield IMG. Spill a beer, buy a beer. And, it's great for playing quarters! Hence, more beer.
(not denying the fact the cupholders, well, suck)

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

if the cupholders are inadequate/nonfunctional it sounds similar to what happened when the united center opened....after the first (maybe 2) blackhawks/bulls season(s) they cut off the cupholders that were attached at the end of each arm rest. And when I say cut off I mean they literally cut them off and put some type of tight tape over the area where they were removed. Fans were better off without them vs having them as they were basically nonfunctional or caused a lot of spills. After another season or two they had new cupholders installed

 

[ricohill]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou1eF_hy--g

We made it 30 years at the arena without cupholders. If that's the biggest problem at the arena this year, we are going to have a great season!

It's not that the cupholders will be the biggest problem at the arena this year. It's that this is so typical of ISU and our athletic administration. How anyone can sign off on the purchase of these seats with those cupholders is amazing. There is going to spillage galore and adding beer to the mix will only make it more apparent that someone really screwed up by approving the seats. I believe the administration will have to do something to fix the issue. If we ever get the lower bowl filled, the building service workers will have their hands full after the game cleaning up the mess.

Now I get why Muller hasn't won championships, gone to the NCAA Tournament, and put together a bottom tier team in the MVC. Knew the cupholders were coming, would be an issue, and making sure the lower bowl isn't filled. Dan and Larry are playing chess when we are all playing checkers.

 

[Metamoron]

Can someone please change the title of the thread to “Cupholdergate”.

 

[IHateWSU]

As we drove home from the game on Wednesday, as good ISU Alum, our group decided to try and and problem solve the cup holder issue. Here is what we came up with:

A- Bottles - My wife and I are Ultra/Bud Light drinkers. So we thought that if we would just save a couple of twist off caps from our Aluminum bottles at home and bring them to the game. Just put them on the beer when we get back to our seat.

B - Cans - Our friends are 312 drinkers and got theirs in cans. They are going to try and bring some of the older thicker cozies and hope they fit tight in their cup holder. If not, the arm rests go up, they will put their arm rest up and place it on the floor, you know, like what we have done with our water and soda the last 20 years.

I loved the padded seats, and smaller "Moat" area bringing us closer to the floor. I wish we had a little extra leg room, but it is the same as the past so I will deal with it (and as a taller person it is what we run into everywhere). I also like the fact that you can put the arm rest up to create a little extra room if needed. As far as the boxes go, I am thinking they are a work in progress. I would think our handicap fans love to have the space where people are not just coming up to you and standing next to them during the game.

I will give a B+/A- grade on the Arena upgrade. Now lets worry about winning some games!

 

[SgtHulka]

A- Bottles - My wife and I are Ultra/Bud Light drinkers. So we thought that if we would just save a couple of twist off caps from our Aluminum bottles at home and bring them to the game. Just put them on the beer when we get back to our seat.

Smart man. I do the same with venues that allow water bottles, but confiscate your cap. I just carry an extra cap in my pocket, problem solved