Inside Furman Athletics - Bob Richey, Jason Donnelly (March 1st 2023)

[FU Hoopla]

Our smallest crowd all season was about 1,500 against High Point, so even at 3,000 seats a crowd of 1,500 would feel fine.

If you go by what JD says it seems they are still trying to figure it out, otherwise he would have given a specific number.
We need 3,000 in the bowl, with luxury style boxes above the bowl.

That would be nice, but they would need to raise the roof level to do that, and that is not happening. It sounds like the renovations will be made within the present confines of the arena, which I assume means no walls knocked out and the roof not being raised. Otherwise, we would need to double the amount already raised.

Raise the roof for 3,000? No way

Nothing like that specifically has ever been said so why say that? Do you have proof of this or is that just an assumption?

[apaladin]

They would not need to raise the roof level. The roof level is fine. If you had the same seats as now in the lower section there would still be plenty of room. At 2500 the lower level will only be 12 rows where it is currentky 20+.

[FU Hoopla]

To do a 'full bowl' no way can the arena be anything less than 3,000, I've looked at hundreds of arenas and not seen any 'full bowl style' arenas that are only 2,500 seats lol

[Flagman]

Samford’s arena has a full bowl. Very intimate and intimidating. Capacity about 3,500.

[FU Hoopla]

Samford’s arena has a full bowl. Very intimate and intimidating. Capacity about 3,500.

Exactly! So definitely needs to be bare minimum 3,000.

[FU Hoopla]

Take this Liberty Arena for example, it already has a small look, yet its only 4,000 all in a lower bowl style

[Roundball]

Our smallest crowd all season was about 1,500 against High Point, so even at 3,000 seats a crowd of 1,500 would feel fine.

If you go by what JD says it seems they are still trying to figure it out, otherwise he would have given a specific number.
We need 3,000 in the bowl, with luxury style boxes above the bowl.

That would be nice, but they would need to raise the roof level to do that, and that is not happening. It sounds like the renovations will be made within the present confines of the arena, which I assume means no walls knocked out and the roof not being raised. Otherwise, we would need to double the amount already raised.

Raise the roof for 3,000? No way

Nothing like that specifically has ever been said so why say that? Do you have proof of this or is that just an assumption?

Hoopla, I have no proof of anything, except what JD has said. Based on his comments so far, seating capacity will be about the same as it is now, which is 2,500. The only logical way to put in box seating is to put them where the upper seating is now, but I don’t know that for sure. I also wonder if the court and seating can be turned completely different than we have now. The good news is that we will all know sometime this year. There is no reason for any of us to complain about seating capacity. JD and the administration will do the right thing with what we have to work with.

[FU Hoopla]

Our smallest crowd all season was about 1,500 against High Point, so even at 3,000 seats a crowd of 1,500 would feel fine.

If you go by what JD says it seems they are still trying to figure it out, otherwise he would have given a specific number.
We need 3,000 in the bowl, with luxury style boxes above the bowl.

That would be nice, but they would need to raise the roof level to do that, and that is not happening. It sounds like the renovations will be made within the present confines of the arena, which I assume means no walls knocked out and the roof not being raised. Otherwise, we would need to double the amount already raised.

Raise the roof for 3,000? No way

Nothing like that specifically has ever been said so why say that? Do you have proof of this or is that just an assumption?

Hoopla, I have no proof of anything, except what JD has said. Based on his comments so far, seating capacity will be about the same as it is now, which is 2,500. The only logical way to put in box seating is to put them where the upper seating is now, but I don’t know that for sure. I also wonder if the court and seating can be turned completely different than we have now. The good news is that we will all know sometime this year. There is no reason for any of us to complain about seating capacity. JD and the administration will do the right thing with what we have to work with.

The interior of building will be gutted and the court will be moved from where it currently sits, that has been stated.
3,000 is still roughly similar to 2,500 in size when talking about circular bowl seating so most likely that will still easily fit.

[FUBeAR]

Don't have to raise the roof. Get out the shovels and pails...and go down.

Here's one plan to expand Hoops seating by about 40% by going 4.5 feet deeper than it was.

https://www.pilotonline.com/government/ ... 5777b.html

...and they released the Kraken in Seattle by dropping the floor 15 feet!

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/c ... on/607484/

[FU Hoopla]

Don't have to raise the roof. Get out the shovels and pails...and go down.

Here's one plan to expand Hoops seating by about 40% by going 4.5 feet deeper than it was.

https://www.pilotonline.com/government/ ... 5777b.html

...and they released the Kraken in Seattle by dropping the floor 15 feet!

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/c ... on/607484/

[Sad Din]

Kimmel Arena... only has bottom bowl.

Rows = 14. Capacity 3200. Perfect. Plus according to wiki, it cost $9M in 2021 dollars

[FU Hoopla]

Kimmel Arena... only has bottom bowl.

Rows = 14. Capacity 3200. Perfect. Plus according to wiki, it cost $9M in 2021 dollars

Good example!

[FU Hoopla]

Never been a better time to be an FU Basketball fan, as big as college basketball has become in this day an age its awesome to see us capitalizing on success to build something even bigger and better with each passing season!