Schottenstein Center (official thread)

[buckeyeboy]

Originally Posted by Golferdow01

I know our football tickets are nearly $30 but seriously, for an event lasting under two hours and doesn't have nearly the popularity. You can't be charging students that kind of $. Start with $8-10 dollar tickets.

I agree. And I think that for the non-conference games against teams that no one's ever heard off (see this Monday), tickets for students in the upper bowl should only be $5 or maybe should even be free. No way in the world is a student going to pay over $10 to go see Florida A&M.

[MaxBuck]

Things I support:

1. Bringing down the cost of student tickets.
2. Making it easier for students to get to games (e.g., more campus transit)
3. Moving press upstairs, and replacing them behind the basket with student seating.
4. Finding ways to encourage student fans to make more noise once they are in the house.

Things I will NEVER support:

1. Moving PSL holders or faculty/staff aside so that students get only primo seats.
2. Reserving all seats behind the benches for students, unless and until they evidence support for the team in both good times and bad.

Things that are absurd:

1. Claiming that the Schott is a poor home-court advantage only because we haven't reserved courtside seats exclusively for students.
2. Claiming that St John Arena was a superior venue to the Schott.
3. Claiming that students are uniformly louder, better fans than anybody else in the building.

Unfortunately, Kirk Herbstreit has led the cacophony of the absurd regarding this issue.

[OH10]

Originally Posted by MaxBuck

Things that are absurd:

1. Claiming that the Schott is a poor home-court advantage only because we haven't reserved courtside seats exclusively for students.
2. Claiming that St John Arena was a superior venue to the Schott.
3. Claiming that students are uniformly louder, better fans than anybody else in the building.

Unfortunately, Kirk Herbstreit has led the cacophony of the absurd regarding this issue.

Press should be moved upward. PSL holders should be put where the press was. Students should be put behind the benches. I can't think of ONE DAMN BIG TEN TEAM that doesn't have students behind the benches. This is ridiculous.

Students are, as a general rule with few exceptions, much louder than the regular fans at the Schott. I don't see the PSL holders on tv standing and cheering unless there's less than 2 minutes left and its a tight game. I watched Michigan and Iowa fans (who were students by the way) up and cheering the entire game. They were all seated in the large area behind the benches, and they were (get this) together and not separated.

The "whine and cheese" crowd serves no purpose being on my tv seating on their hands. This is not an NBA team. This is a college team, and its students are future alumni. Take care of them.

[jwinslow]

I've watched our lower bowl, and they rank right up there with the calmest fans I've witnessed at this level.
I've watched our student section, and watched them cheer their heads off all game, even when the rest of the bowl is silent.

So why exactly would more students in the lower bowl be anything but an improvement?

Originally Posted by MaxBuck

Things that are absurd:

1. Claiming that the Schott is a poor home-court advantage only because we haven't reserved courtside seats exclusively for students.

This is a backwards argument. Just b/c there are other reasons that the Schott is a poor home-court advantage doesn't change the fact that those that sit courtside make very little noise in general.

2. Claiming that St John Arena was a superior venue to the Schott.

What is your definition of superior venue? Nice looking building? Teams hated to come to St John's. I haven't heard anyone say that about the Schott, nor is there a reason to think that way.

3. Claiming that students are uniformly louder, better fans than anybody else in the building.
Unfortunately, Kirk Herbstreit has led the cacophony of the absurd regarding this issue.

oo, someone call up our opponents, we have a nice-looking venue. I'm sure that will be intimidating. Who wouldn't want to play in a gorgeous arena where the opposing fans are only heard when their team is doing well. Call a timeout and that cheering is over until the next big play by OSU.

You are seriously contending the statement that students are uniformly louder? No, you're right, you could probably find a few students that are quiet and a few PSL holders that are not. Just like you could find old people that love to stand all game at the shoe, and youngsters who do not. Outliers do not dispute the general trend

[jimotis4heisman]

oo, someone call up our opponents, we have a nice-looking venue. I'm sure that will be intimidating. Who wouldn't want to play in a gorgeous arena where the opposing fans are only heard when their team is doing well. Call a timeout and that cheering is over until the next big play by OSU.

their was a stretch a few years ago when we had one of the most indtimidating buildings in the country.

the reality is, when the barn rocks, it rocks. when it doesnt rock, its like church.

[BuckTwenty]

Being that I have a parent that has been working at OSU hospitals for 25+ years, we've had both football and basketball tickets for as far back as I can remember. This year, we had our best seats EVER at the Horseshoe and the Schott. Our b-ball tickets are 10 rows up in the lower bowl behind the visitors bench, and looking at the games later on after recording them, we're ocassionally seen when the camera pans out to show more of the crowd. I'm pretty close to the situation being talked about.

I've seen a few games this year when I was home (our 1st exhibition game, LSU, Michigan St, Penn St). I've seen games where there was no one present... even students (like the exhibition game, Penn St-when the kids were still on break), and I've experienced the full-house (LSU, MSU, Illinois the past two years). A lot of the exitement and decible levels come from that student section. A good part of the time, I find that both me and my dad are the only two people in my section standing up, yelling, and participating as the student section does. The faculty and "big whigs" of the university generally sit on their hands and clap, maybe give a "yay!" when we score a nice basket... unless that is, the game is a REAL game and is coming down to the wire in the 2nd half. In that case, my section and the sections around it can and usually are JUST as loud and racous (sp?) as the student section- no joke. That wasn't too hard to see during MSU and LSU games on TV this year.

When the crowd was noticably "silent", it was commonly a game where we were playing a team that was small or "not good" that year. Not only were there noticable absences in the regular attendance, but the student section was a fraction of what it should have been. I feel that we DEFINETLY need to get more students at the games, whether they be put darn-near on the floor or packed to the rafters. If by putting the students in the first 10 or so rows all the way around the court, it better be guaranteed that they will actually SHOW UP to the game- whether it be Illinois or SW Montana State Tech- and make the Schott a feared place for opponents. If not, it would be worth it for the university to keep those seats available for valued members of the school and faculty. Being able to even BUY tickets is seen as a big perk, ESPECIALLY to the faculty, and they DO show up to the games... no matter how loud or softly they cheer. Also, remember that some of those seats are also reserved for visiting recruits, who might not be sitting behind OSU's bench if they were used by the students.

I am ALL for moving the statisticians behind the other hoop and turning that into another student section. Even if it was used for general admission, it would be HUGE as far as a "home-court advantage" is concerned to put more people in those seats to cheer for the good guys. The increased revenue from those seats would be very nice too. The statisticians need a good view of the floor to be able to do their job, but those are PRIME seats that need to be better utilized for the good of our school.

Even if the students take part of the lower bowl, I don't think that will be quite enough influence for them to fill it up by themselves. A lowering of ticket prices, even if its just a small change, would help them insure that students will show up. The students are the heart and soul of The Schott, and the stadium won't come alive if the students don't come. As much as we have to "appease" the faculty and "big whigs" of the university, we hvae to also "appease" the students coming out to the games. We'll be getting a lot more attention next year when Oden and company come to town, which MIGHT be enough to fill The Schott on a regular basis, but lowering ticket prices would ice the cake, without a doubt.

Even though the situation would have a pretty major impact on the placing of my family's two tickets, I could still approve the placing of the students around the floor- with conditions that MUST be met. 1) They better cheer like hell and the crowd seem like every game is Michigan State, 2) they better show up in droves to the game and pack the house, 3) they better make the Schott shake every game night (no matter WHO the opponent) and 4) give us a serious home-court advantage and make opponents fear playing against us at home. It would be a sacrifice that our family would be willing to take for the good of our basketball team, but ONLY if the students fulfill their end of the bargain!

Just remember that the faculty are just regular people like you are. I mean, it took 22 years of season tickets in basketball for us to finally have seats in the lower bowl! It's certainly a privlige to sit down there, and our family feels honored to have the views that we do during the games. The students better feel the same way if the seating arrangement is indeed changed next year!

[BuckeyeKev]

Move the press from under the basket up to press box , get the students behind the bench , lower the price for students . These have to be done to get a rowdy atmosphere . The cheerleaders could also help get the crowd going , instead of doing cartwheels during timeouts , get the crowd going with the wave or different cheers to fire up the fans. In the student section, designate someone to lead a ongoing chant and clapping like the Dukies do .
And why can't those in the upper bowl buy beer ? The lower bowl can get beer. Beer sales in the upper bowl would make money and liven the place up a bit.Also when they throw those T-shirts in the crowd - have some cheerleaders go to the upper bowl and toss them in the crowd on each side of the upper bowl.
And ALL fans - and yes mostly the ones behind the bench , need to give Motta a standing ovation when he walks on the floor . I remember we did that when Gary Williams walked on the floor at ST Johns, and he'd acknowledge the crowd by waving - made you as a fan get into the game and the coach made you feel good .