Facility Madness 2014: Semifinals

Details: by AB Staff; April 2014

After more than 30,000 votes were cast in the quarterfinals, Athletic Business's search for the best arena in college basketball is down to just four. Similar to the men's NCAA Tournament, our bracket has only one one-seed remaining. Will Nebraska's beautiful new Pinnacle Bank Arena advance to the finals? Will Butler's fans continue to hit the polls in record numbers? We'll find out. Voting for this round is open through the end of Sunday.

Voting in this round is closed. Click here to vote in the championship round.

Facility Madness Semifinals

(1) Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena vs. (6) SMU's Moody Coliseum

Pinnacle Bank Arena
Opened: 2013
Capacity: 15,147
Construction Costs: $180 million
Special Features: 36 luxury suites, two private club lounges, high-definition video board, plus home crowds at the new arena helped Nebraska make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Moody Coliseum
Opened: 1956
Cost: $2.5 million
Capacity: 7,000
Renovation Year: 2013
Special Features: Expanded lobby and concourse area, club seats, loge boxes, private and group suites, new team offices, locker rooms, meeting space and "Moody Magic," the home court advantage offered by the Mustang faithful. Plus, as one reader took the time to email us, beer and wine are served during games.

Which facility is better?

Moody Coliseum (SMU)
Votes: (0%)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Nebraska)
Votes: (0%)

Total Votes:
First Vote:
Last Vote:

(6) Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena vs. (6) Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse

Bud Walton Arena
Opened: 1993
Construction Costs: $30 million
Capacity: 19,368
Special Features: The arena is home to an Arkansas athletics museum, has 47 luxury suites, ribbon boards and an HD video scoreboard.

Hinkle Fieldhouse
Opened: 1928
Capacity: 10,000
Construction Costs: $750,000
Special Features: Nothing says "old-school" like being a National Historic Landmark, which Hinkle is.

Which facility is better?

Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas)
Votes: (0%)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)
Votes: (0%)

Total Votes:
First Vote:
Last Vote:

Voting closes at 11:59 pm central time on Sunday.

Arnold Layne Friday, 11 April 2014

You mean the Bud Walton Arena with the scoreboard so low that it interferes with play? THAT Bud Walton Arena?

Jonathan Friday, 11 April 2014

you must be a Kentucky fan...

Arnold Layne Friday, 11 April 2014

No. Just someone who watches games and has traveled around a bit. Not a Cat fan; Opposite, in fact.

Bryan Friday, 11 April 2014

I've been in BWA many, many times, and just by eye balling it off the pics above - Tinkle's scoreboard looks to be about the same height off the floor. This looks like a no-brainer to me except for the people who vote based on popularity contest rules.

Will Friday, 11 April 2014

You mean the scoreboard that hangs down and ONLY interferes with play with someone lobs the ball 50 feet into the air? That one? Yes, that one. That's precisely why it's one of the best in the country, people hardly beat Arkansas at Arkansas.

Neal Friday, 11 April 2014

I'm sorry, but this early 90's arena has NOTHING on Hinkle Fieldhouse. The place has ZERO character, no history, and the school cares far more about Football than hoops... bla. Hinkle on the otherhand, should win this whole "tournament" hands down based on the architecture, history, and ambiance.

Bryan Friday, 11 April 2014

No character? LOL. A National Championship was won the 1st year the arena was opened, and BWA was a *huge* part of that.

Neal Friday, 11 April 2014

Interesting, did BWA host tournament games that year? I'm having a hard time understanding how the venue your home games were played in had anything to do with a tournament run, or preparing the team for playing so well those 3 weeks? I'd better call Nolan Richardson and tell him I can no longer give him credit for that great team, it was after-all, the design and ambiance of the arena during the regular season that sealed their fate that year!

Jonathan Friday, 11 April 2014

your an idiot.. Hinkle is childs-play compared to BWA. we are comparing apples to oranges here. a $750K gym doesn't compared to a $30 million arena

Kyle Friday, 11 April 2014

You do realize that that's how much the fieldhouse was built for in 1928, right? And that the purchasing power of a dollar in 1928 was greater than the purchasing power of a dollar in 1993? Good, glad we cleared that up. Now, to address the idea that Hinkle is somehow child's play let's look at the opinions of some others on the topic.

Both make this list from Travel Channel: www.travelchannel.com/interests/sports/p...tball-venues?page=15

This USA Today Article by Scott Gleeson lists Hinkle at #6. Bud Walton Arena does get an honorable mention. ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/the-8-best-game...-college-basketball/

Then there's this poll of 12 sportswriters who cover college basketball. Hinkle comes in third in aggregate with one first place vote. Bud Walton Arena is not listed by any of the writers. athlonsports.com/college-basketball/coll...2-individual-ballots

So sure, Arkansas may have a pretty good arena. But if we're looking at what's being said generally by others, it's clear that folks think Hinkle is the better venue.

Brian Saturday, 12 April 2014

If I wanted to go to a high school gym to watch some b-ball I would just stay in my own town .Hinkle can't even hold a candle to barnhill arena in my book.

Neal Friday, 11 April 2014

Ah, Jonathan. Unfortunately I just don't know how to respond to whatever that was. Your intelligence and whit are on par for what I would expect from an Arkansas fan. Well done.

I welcome you to venture north of the Mason Dixon line sometime and out of the Arkansas thicket to see what real basketball, and a REAL basketball venue is all about. When does spring football start?

Gus Saturday, 12 April 2014

Neal, before you comment on anyone's intelligence, you might make sure you can back your statements up with fact.

Fact is, more than half of the arenas in the Bracket are below the Mason Dixon line. Additionally, 2 of the Final Four are below the Mason Dixon line.

Now, regarding "real basketball"... of the 14 teams who have won more than 2 NCAA Men's Championships, 11 of those schools are below the Mason Dixon line. Moreover, 4 out of the top 5 teams who have the most NCAA Men's titles are below the Mason Dixon line (or, possibly 3, as Duke and Uconn are tied for the 5th spot).

Finally, the #1 and #2 Teams with the most NCAA Men's Titles are... you guessed it, schools below the Mason Dixon line.

Timothy Mastic Saturday, 12 April 2014

$750K in 1928 is equivalent to almost $6.5M in 1993. Not the same, but at least significantly closer. That was also money spent only on a place to play basketball, not some HD screen or a separate freaking museum. Calculate how much was actually spent on the building, court, stands--you know, the things that actually directly impact the game being played--and then we can start comparing apples to apples.

Rob Puma Saturday, 12 April 2014

If I'm understanding this poll correctly, it's basically based off pure fan experience. And since Hinkle is so unique, makes you feel like you stepped back in time. The non glitz and glamour of the arena brings Basketball to its purest form- love of the game. Name one other arena where you can sit right behind the basket - literally- on the second level and truly look on top of the action? No where. My favorite seat by the way. And my favorite seat because you can look down on everyone, be five feet away from the floor, on the second level and can't sit in it in any other arena It's just a feeling you get when you walk in the place. An energy of the human spirit that makes you think 'something special and unique has happened here!'. Even if you're not a huge basketball fan. Similar vibes to Old Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and old Boston Garden. THAT is what makes Hinkle so special.

dave Saturday, 12 April 2014

Arnold Layne wrote:

You mean the Bud Walton Arena with the scoreboard so low that it interferes with play? THAT Bud Walton Arena?

Come on, are you kidding me, some cookie cutter arena vs a classic fieldhouse where even John Wooden played high school and college games, where the likes of Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and virtually every other Hoosier legend played at least once. Where one of the first USA-USSR basketball games was played. Where there is not a bad sight line in the entire fieldhouse. Speaking of which, for those of you in Walton in the upper decks, you should be throwing a huge THANKYOU to the fieldhouse' namesake, Coach Tony Hinkle, for developing the orange basketball so fans could follow the ball/action more easily. Would be virtually impossible to follow those old dark balls from a distance. He developed it because when built and for probably the first 30 years of its existence Hinkle was the largest fieldhouse in the nation. Give her some props. VOTE HINKLE.

Ryan Sunday, 13 April 2014

Rotnei Clarke left Arkansas for a reason!

Jeremiah Monday, 14 April 2014

why would you rig a contest like this? you could have had a lot more fans like your page but you would not let Arkansas fans vote! smh

Ed Monday, 14 April 2014

Hinkle voters can't get in either, seems to be a problem this round.

Michael Gaio Monday, 14 April 2014

Jeremiah and Ed, the voting is certianly not "rigged." As the article states, voting in this round closed at 11:59 pm last night. The championship round will be posted later this morning.

Ed Monday, 14 April 2014

I didn't imply it was rigged, quite the contrary - it appeared both sides were having trouble voting, which I hope can be resolved in the final round.

Michael Gaio Monday, 14 April 2014

Ed, I understand. I was replying to Jeremiah's comment that it was rigged. The polls just automatically closed last night at midnight so any attempts at voting today wouldn't have worked. We'll have the championship round posted here shortly and the polls will be working.

The fan experience has rarely been in sharper focus than at the University of South Carolina this week, after low water pressure at Williams-Brice Stadium caused issues in restrooms and at concessions stands during the Gamecocks’ home game Saturday against Kentucky.

A 445-word letter to fans from USC director of athletics Ray Tanner explained Tuesday that a valve on an underground water line outside the stadium caused the problem, which was addressed immediately and since rectified. It also mentioned that long lines at concessions stands would be mitigated at future games with additional kiosks set up to offer specific items. The letter even went on to address complaints that DJ music in the stadium was too loud.

“I have heard from many of you concerning issues about your experience on game day. You should always have an enjoyable time when you visit one of our venues, especially Williams-Brice Stadium,” Tanner wrote, adding later, “We invest a lot of time and effort planning to create a better atmosphere and game day experience for all of our fans. From concessions to the 2001 entrance to in-game music and videos, we want to make Williams-Brice Stadium the best place to watch a game and the toughest place for opponents to play.

“Our goals are high. I want us to be the best at everything we do. When we don’t reach our goals, it is disappointing. I promise you, we will work diligently to make your visit special to watch the Gamecocks play.”

The letter failed to go far enough for most fans responding to its appearance on Twitter. Individuals chimed in with claims that fans fell down in restrooms where toilets overflowed, as well as tales of sold-out concessions points of sale and traffic concerns. Some claimed the DJ music was too loud, while others said it wasn’t loud enough — and that at least it was better than the USC band. Video board operation came under fire, as did a malfunctioning flame-thrower.

“Talking season is over,” tweeted one individual. “You had all year to plan better experiences for the fans. This was a complete failure. Get it together please.”

The fact that Kentucky won the game (23-13) was not lost on the USC fan base, and one fan opined that defeat drove much of the fan experience backlash: “Such complainers...some valid complaints but Had we won I bet all this nit pickey crap would of been a non issue.”

Another assumed an even greater glass-half-full perspective, tweeting, “Lets be thankful and appreciate what we have for a moment. The results aren’t always a win but we have a great thing here. Spurs up!”

The Gamecocks — and Williams-Brice Stadium — get a chance to bounce back Saturday when USC hosts Louisiana Tech.