Please, please I’m begging whoever makes the decision to have the upper bowl seats pushed in during men’s basketball games to stop doing it! It looks completely horrible! You’ve taken a decent looking arena and turned it into a terrible looking arena. When the seats are pushed in the place looks more empty than not having people in the seats. You’re always recruiting and this looks bad. I always say act like what you want to be not like what you currently are. I don’t get how people who are running things think making the convo into a small time venue is good for attracting more fans. Have the damn seats out act like you’re surprised it’s not full get rid of your stupid, lazy defeated attitude.

I'm with you 100% but I gave up this argument years ago.

It saves money so it's not going to change.

It's 2nd rate, small school BS. If you want to be big time you have to act big time.

Here here! And there there, even.

If it costs money, would it be too much to pull out the seats and leave them out? Out, and they encourage any wandering fans to try a different court view perspective. At least roll out the upper-level seats in the five sections on each side facing the full court.

BTW, bounced around on ESPN+ watching a lot of various MAC-SBC Challenge games, including many of the WBB away games. NONE of the seating sections anywhere else were folded up, no matter how many fans were there (or not).

I completely agree with this. The arena looks so much better with all of the seats pulled out. It can’t possibly save that much money.

Students will come when they feel it’s the thing to do and so will Dekalb/Sycamore and others. You by pushing the seats in are telling everyone it’s not the thing to due you’re damaging your own product. App St brought a decent crowd not they and all away fans come here and I’m sure comment about the arena and the seats pushed in. You always are recruiting players and students so don’t give this negative view for people to repeat to others around this state and country. I’m sorry but this production of men’s basketball games in general reeks of laziness people at NIU doing the least possible they can putting on an event. Tomorrow night another Illinois school will be here and they will bring fans and think this place looks big time on the outside but looks like D3 on the inside

Somebody in this athletic administration must have access to The Dog Pound. PLEASE share these observations at your next meeting! For once, listen to your true supporters!!

100% agree, even just the two big sides out, and leave the end zones tucked away, would make a HUGE difference.

it looks bad on TV, and is so defeatist to viewers and fans alike. Sean Frazier and his team at their best.

Exactly! Just have the two sides out and the place looks so much more professional and it gives the appearance that we have a big time facility

Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Is it just easier to clean? If they wanted a 2,000 seat arena, they should have just revamped the FieldHouse in 2002.

(11-12-2023 03:39 PM)Big_Man Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Is it just easier to clean? If they wanted a 2,000 seat arena, they should have just revamped the FieldHouse in 2002.

Hell, Evans Field House held just over 6,000. A revamp with movie theatre style recliners could probably have fit 4,000 plus which is 2,000 more than we get now for most games. And let's face it, some of those Convo seats already need to be replaced.

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

This is just an athletic department philosophy, smaller venues create a more intimate atmosphere.

(11-12-2023 03:54 PM)uiniu57 Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 03:39 PM)Big_Man Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Is it just easier to clean? If they wanted a 2,000 seat arena, they should have just revamped the FieldHouse in 2002.

Hell, Evans Field House held just over 6,000. A revamp with movie theatre style recliners could probably have fit 4,000 plus which is 2,000 more than we get now for most games. And let's face it, some of those Convo seats already need to be replaced.

“Already”?…….. The Convocation Center is now 21 years old.

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Track practice occurs on the upper level, hence the seats need to be pushed in

(11-12-2023 04:48 PM)MPython Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Track practice occurs on the upper level, hence the seats need to be pushed in

I've also been to events (job fairs and whatnot) that are set up on the upper level.

(11-12-2023 04:48 PM)MPython Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Track practice occurs on the upper level, hence the seats need to be pushed in

Can't be that difficult to pull them out for 15 or so home basketball games. The space was obviously designed for track to share with basketball.

(11-12-2023 05:15 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 04:48 PM)MPython Wrote:  

(11-12-2023 01:37 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Is there any reasoning as to why they leave them pushed in? This is a topic that has been discussed for many years. Even when I was a student they had them pushed in. Is the mechanism to pull them out and push them in broken?

Track practice occurs on the upper level, hence the seats need to be pushed in

Can't be that difficult to pull them out for 15 or so home basketball games. The space was obviously designed for track to share with basketball.

It's not difficult. My assumption is 1) they can cut down on custodial costs by concentrating any cleanup to the lower bowl as opposed to randomly spread out throughout the lower and upper levels and 2) the concentrate those in attendance into the lower bowl which, theoretically, provides a better atmosphere as opposed to having people scattered about not sitting near each other.

So, no, it's not difficult. It's done on purpose and, presumably with a purpose in mind.

You still have to clean up the whole track area. I watched the game on replay and it look’s just horrible! It’s so dark on the broadcast. If this is done on purpose then whomever is doing it should be fired! It’s embarrassingly damaging to your product. If we can’t afford to have the seats out then we need to get rid of sports because we can’t afford it. There is no excuse for this except being bad at business

(11-12-2023 06:31 PM)CollegeMan33 Wrote:  You still have to clean up the whole track area. I watched the game on replay and it look’s just horrible! It’s so dark on the broadcast. If this is done on purpose then whomever is doing it should be fired! It’s embarrassingly damaging to your product. If we can’t afford to have the seats out then we need to get rid of sports because we can’t afford it. There is no excuse for this except being bad at business

I understand you are quite passionate about this topic but just because you don't care that it costs more man hours to go row by row cleaning the entire upper level as opposed to running a giant vacuum cleaner on the flat surface doesn't mean that people who are pinching pennies don't have a valid reason to keep the seats back.

And yeah, I do agree that it looks better to have them out and wish they would.

But its hard to say its damaging to recruiting when we have another post and gamethread talking about how his team has the most talent and depth than we've had in years. It's possible that where the seats are on a particular day don't weigh all that heavily on a kid who's getting recruited.

And I'll say that everyone talks about how it looks bad on tv. Honestly, I barely notice it unless I look for it in the top portions of my screen when a camera that is on the floor on the baseline is being used. Otherwise...you can't really tell.

But again, I do actually agree with you and would like them out. I'm just not sure how it makes sense to be calling for the person who makes the decision to be fired (it's probably Frazier, btw and you don't have to call for his head because most around here already are) to save some money for an already cash-strapped program, department and school.

I doubt there's some rogue ne'er-do-well who is doing this without authorization.

Ultimately, get people to fill the seats and then the seats will be pulled out.

Right before covid, I went to a couple games to see the last couple of games by German and to see him top 1,000 points and the seats were pulled out for those games.

Why?

Because of big crowds.

If we're going to average less than 1,000 azzes in seats each game, it makes no sense to yell about adding more seats. This isn't the Field of Dreams.

Keep doing what they did this weekend and there won’t be any other option than having them out.