(03-28-2020 03:45 PM)HerdZoned Wrote:  

PAAcocahesAssociation Wrote:  Marshall has always had a solid fanbase in hoops, and the community really seems to embrace the teams playing at the Cam Henderson Center. The renovations y'all have made since joining CUSA are noticeable, whether it's the baseline club level or the hanging video board. I really like the court now, though I used to hate the one from a decade ago with the wood inside the arc being really dark. If I'm not mistaken, I think y'all recently replaced some of the lower area chair back seating as well?

Once the baseball stadium is complete, the next beg athletic project/facility should be the replacement of the Cam Henderson Center/Frederick A. Fitch Natatorium. The natatorium is located in the Cam so they would have to both be replaced.

The Cam opened up in 1981 so next year it will be 40 years old and I know that isn't to old for some facilities. But the Cam has many issues going back to the building of it. In 1977 that State of WV appropriated money to both WVU and Marshall, WVU money was going to build Mountaineer Field while the Marshall money was going to build the Cam. WVU started on Eer Field almost immediately where Marshall waited a year to start on their project. Both facilities were suppose to be ready to be used for the 1980 season, Marshall was to start almost a year later on the Cam was a big mistake, ten months after WVU started they were starting to run over and the state then took 3 1/2 million of the 12 million appropriated to Marshall and sent it up north. At that time the architects and builders who were already in pace walked off the job and new ones had to be hired which set the Cam back a year. The reason it took so long to get a jumbo board in the Cam is because the roof wasn't built the way it was suppose to be. It was never reinforced and until recent when boards started to become lighter was when they could actually put one in. The heavier boards would have likely collapsed the roof. Also a year after it was built the Cam had a crack go right down the middle of it because of the downgraded concrete they had to use.

The Cam has aprx 9400 seats, with no luxury boxes. I would like to see a 9200-9300 seat arena with luxury boxes of 200-300 seats.

All the above could have been avoided had the City of Huntington and the Marshall admin put on their big boy pants in the mid 1970s and built a joint arena. The two sides couldn't agree on anything though and I still blame the City of Huntington for most of this. I mean they are the same people that rejected the redevelopment of what was then known at the time as "The Super Block" when the developers wanted to put in The Huntington Mall. The city said no and blocked that idea. Those developers went to the town of Barboursville 17 miles away and built the Huntington Mall and they have been reaping the benefits ever since.

Instead of building an arena of maybe 12-14K together the city of Huntington got two sub par arena's that can't get larger conventions to come. They ended up with the Cam Henderson Center which was org. 10,400 seats, dropped to 9400 in the 90s and the Huntington Civic Center now known as The Mountain Health Arena and from 2002-2019 as The Big Sandy Arena. A 7,500 seat arena with poor lighting and not big enough to draw bigger concerts or conventions. Most concerts that come to the Charleston Civic Center (13,500), The Mountain Health Arena can't even compete with to get those acts.

I had read on the construction process of the CAM at once point, but that is very insightful. I didn't realize it was in such a condition, as you state. I will say y'all have done a good job making it look decent on broadcasts.

What would be a realistic timeline of getting a new arena built?

(03-29-2020 07:34 PM)Dracorex Wrote:  

(03-28-2020 02:36 PM)PAAcocahesAssociation Wrote:  You are right on about the attendance woes at Bartow. It's been difficult to watch. I remember thinking they had attendance issues in CUSA 2.0, but it's really gotten bad in the last few years.

The UAB administration has shown that they are complacent with .500 football/basketball until the fans stop showing up. They won't fire a coach unless we stop coming. We know it looks bad. But we did what we had to do.

As you should. I know there was sympathy for the guy from the outside because of the timing with the onset of the virus situation. But it was much needed, and glad it happened now. Best of luck to the Blazers!

#FreeUAB