State Farm Center

[WizardBill]

People have been complaining about the fans close to court being quiet for ages. Had season tickets in the mid 2000s and remember all the old rich farts in 'A' section would barely stand up and make noise. I remember being yelled at to sit down when we were lucky enough to have a chance to find a way down there.

This difference then was that we still had an extremely rowdy student section to make up for that. At one point in the mid 00's we were ranked in the top ten of rowdiest student sections, up there with the Cameron Crazies.

Now we have a pathetic student section mixed with the old farts near the court.....not a recipe for a loud, exciting environment no matter how good the team is. Also explains why our best crowds are at neutral site games.....who do you think is filling up those venues now? Hint, its the kids or students who were crazy in Krush/at the games back in those days that still remember how to cheer.

Here's the entire problem. The people with the money, the old curmudgeon types, want the best seats, have the money to pay for them, expect to not be bothered by fandom, and, since they paid the most, they get what they want. The real solution is put them in boxes. This way they still feel entitled, they can clap, and they do not have to complain about people enjoying the game.

Getting ushers to tell people to sit down is STUPID. But, they paid the big money and they expect to get what they want. It is too much of a status symbol. This is why luxury boxes work.

 

[Illini IndyCar Fan]

Here's the entire problem. The people with the money, the old curmudgeon types, want the best seats, have the money to pay for them, expect to not be bothered by fandom, and, since they paid the most, they get what they want. The real solution is put them in boxes. This way they still feel entitled, they can clap, and they do not have to complain about people enjoying the game.

Getting ushers to tell people to sit down is STUPID. But, they paid the big money and they expect to get what they want. It is too much of a status symbol. This is why luxury boxes work.

This is why the placement of the Traditions Club and suites section makes so much sense ... the big money, old curmudgeon types have their elevated special area immediately behind the student section where they can police polite upper-class attendance norms.

The part that I don't understand about the refreshed State Farm Center layout is the Loge Boxes, which take up SOOO much space for few actual seats and make up bulk of the background during free throws on that side of the court. I wish that space would have been used to bring student overflow back down closer to the court, and then moved the loge seating concept to around to rim the top of the 100 level / bottom of the 200s. It's really bad for games when the recruiting section is empty, so there's only about 200 total people and the band on sitting on that side of the court.

I do have a question for everyone though - what's causing this discussion? From my season ticket seat perspective, it's clear we're not the loudest home court in the B1G, but we're plenty loud when we need to be, and the design of SFC funnels noise towards the court and not towards the other seating sections. Is this something where the sound mixing on TV makes it seem like this is an issue for those watching from the sofa sectional section?

 

[IlliniFaninHoosierLand]

Getting ushers to tell people to sit down is STUPID. But, they paid the big money and they expect to get what they want. It is too much of a status symbol. This is why luxury boxes work.

This is clear by that woman who sits across from the home bench. I have no problem with fans near the court being passionate and supporting the team. But acting like you're an unofficial "coach" is where I'd draw the line.

The irony is that the ushers will be more hardass about stuff at other events like the state tournament.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Random thought, and I understand this will literally never be fixed (and a "fix" might make the view from C Section way too bad anyway), but does anyone know why Assembly Hall was built to have such a more gradual slope for A Section than higher up? Below are a few photos that show how much steeper the stands get as you go up from a few different angles so as to hopefully not distort things only one way:

(The navy A Section stands directly in front of the workers clearly start out super gradual and then get steeper, and the B Section stands look very steep by comparison)

(Look at how gradual the navy stands to the left are compared to C Section)

(This pre-renovation photo shows the pretty dramatic change in slope that starts after the concourse between A Section and B Section)

Again, it would probably make the nosebleeds too far away, but it would be cool to see a rendering that lowered the court and redid A Section so that it descends toward the court at the same, steeper angle as B and C Sections. Total pipe dream, of course, but all of the best arenas have steep stands, IMO.

What's kind of interesting is that it seems like the renovation actually did make the Krush seats behind the basket at a steeper angle, but the seats on the TV side are still at a more gradual slope. I'm guessing this is because the original design wanted extra space on either side for moving stuff around?

(Seats in the back of this photo behind the opposite basket seem to go up at a steeper incline closer to B Section, while the Krush seats on the left are much, much more "flat")

 

[Sheldon Ram]

I am once again asking for Creed to not be a singalong choice.

The PA cutting sound for play vs the constant at NBA games probably has some influence. The Krush was noticeably lackluster last night. No speculation why or thoughts on how to change.

Cmon man, I knew every word to that song

 

[blackdog]

Cmon man, I knew every word to that song

So do I but you wont ever catch me acknowledging that in public

 

[Curbelo Fanboy]

The renovation to Assembly Hall (I will forever call it that) definitely took away some homecourt edge. I've never had season tickets but went to several games in the late Kruger, Self, early Weber era & the Hall was a veritable hellhole for the opposing team. It was loud, it rocked.

It's a combo of the building renovation pulling some students away from the lower bowl, our decade plus in the wilderness of college hoops & thus far Brad's teams have shown a tendency to spit the bit at home a few times per year. At the time I thought the Nebby loss at home this year was an example of that. As the season has gone on, it's more a case of we had a B/C effort that day against a real good team.

It's more the first 2 factors than the 3rd one but IMO, all of them play a role. For a long time it was the expectation at home that we were gonna kick your !!! no matter who you were. The Self years really kicked that into high gear. It takes a while to bring back what was lost.

As to the stadium environment, I went to the Washington game & it seems the pep band has a lot less involvement during the game than they used to. It's random rap & pop songs during the time outs while the promo bits are going on. Those time outs used to be a lot more pep band involved which I think also helps the atmosphere. That may just be the musings of an old man on my part so do with what you wish.

 

[fuddrules]

This right here

Just looked at tickets. Home game vs Wisconsin very top row of the hall... 100.00!

Now Northwestern is 61.00 but still way to much for a nosebleed seat against a bottom big ten team

So if a family of 4 wanted to go you're looking at 250 vs Nw and over 400 vs Wisconsin.

Closer to game day prices drop.

To get in the door - Northwestern is now $12 and Wisconsin is $40.

Indiana and Michigan are still high. They will come down some but being a Sunday and Friday game will keep prices somewhat elevated.

 

[Zorak]

no discussion on ticket prices and how the DIA is likely pricing out some of the diehards? lower bowl season tickets (and even middle tier) are insanely expensive

Diehard here, priced out of tickets this season. I'm still mad about it

 

[mattcoldagelli]

Would be cool if we had a home environment that influenced officials to make some egregious crunch-time decisions. Just throwing that out there, for no reason.

 

[Chase321]

Would be cool if we had a home environment that influenced officials to make some egregious crunch-time decisions. Just throwing that out there, for no reason.

Yep. Looking at you Krush and community.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Would be cool if we had a home environment that influenced officials to make some egregious crunch-time decisions. Just throwing that out there, for no reason.

Yep. Even when SFC gets loud … I can’t say it’s seemed “intimidating” at all this year. We’ll see when Michigan comes to town, but I’m pessimistic we’ll rival the pure mania of the MSU crowd last night.

On that note, I think I’d objectively call Breslin my favorite home court atmosphere even above Mackey. The setup of the students puts it at #1.

 

[sitka]

Yep. Even when SFC gets loud … I can’t say it’s seemed “intimidating” at all this year. We’ll see when Michigan comes to town, but I’m pessimistic we’ll rival the pure mania of the MSU crowd last night.

On that note, I think I’d objectively call Breslin my favorite home court atmosphere even above Mackey. The setup of the students puts it at #1.

Josh Whitman needs to find ways to get the crowd more engaged….

 

[Username]

Would be cool if we had a home environment that influenced officials to make some egregious crunch-time decisions. Just throwing that out there, for no reason.

agree and it was even more intense when UM was at Breslin. Last night was a somewhat watered down version of what that place is capable of compared to when UM plays there.. Our crowd can and should (and needs to) do better.

 

[hooraybeer]

i see a lot of people saying that the crowd at SFC needs to do better… but what do all of you suggest as solutions? move the perceived “quieter”/higher paying and loyal season ticket holders higher up (and ultimately lose the DIA money)? ban season ticket purchases by senior citizens? pass out stimulants to the krush? pump in fake audio?

i want people to come to me with problems, but really admire when they also come with possible solutions

 

[sitka]

i see a lot of people saying that the crowd at SFC needs to do better… but what do all of you suggest as solutions? move the perceived “quieter”/higher paying and loyal season ticket holders higher up (and ultimately lose the DIA money)? ban season ticket purchases by senior citizens? pass out stimulants to the krush? pump in fake audio?

i want people to come to me with problems, but really admire when they also come with possible solutions

Expand and make the Keush bigger—have them surround the entire court…

 

[Chase321]

Expand and make the Keush bigger—have them surround the entire court…

Yes. But the Krush already there needs to be more active. Not just at the start of the game or just when the camera is on them or just when the Illini go on a run. Am I being unfair? I don’t think so.

 

[moonpies]

Anytime feel like ohio st home arena/atmosphere is very NBA like? Feels very corporate

 

[illini80]

Yep. Even when SFC gets loud … I can’t say it’s seemed “intimidating” at all this year. We’ll see when Michigan comes to town, but I’m pessimistic we’ll rival the pure mania of the MSU crowd last night.

On that note, I think I’d objectively call Breslin my favorite home court atmosphere even above Mackey. The setup of the students puts it at #1.

The arena eats noise. If it echoed like many others, it would much more intimidating. It takes 16000 yelling to really get loud. Not news I know, but we just will never have that. Still a great place to play and watch a game.

 

[21ChampaignSt]

There's no one single solution because there's not a single problem to solve. There are multiple problems that have contributed to the slow erosion of our home court. Some problems are more systemic and societal than others.

In general though, I think it's a bit like losing weight. Everyone knows how. Diet, exercise. Calories in, calories out. But you have to actually want to be healthier. It starts with a shift in mindset not a shift in behavior. A willingness to do the difficult thing.

You can try every trick and gimmick in the book, but the fans in the stands have to actually want to be loud. They have to want to get out of their cushioned seats and get loud. They need to have a willingness to do the difficult thing and not just sit back and be entertained.

I do think it starts with the students. It's a smaller, more accessible, more impressionable group than the general population of single game and season ticket holders.

We need to get one, foundational cohort of Krush students bought into the mission to become the best student section in America. Hell, pay for them to go to games at Mackey or the Breslin and see how other student sections behave. Then keep passing that torch down to successive classes each year.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

i see a lot of people saying that the crowd at SFC needs to do better… but what do all of you suggest as solutions? move the perceived “quieter”/higher paying and loyal season ticket holders higher up (and ultimately lose the DIA money)? ban season ticket purchases by senior citizens? pass out stimulants to the krush? pump in fake audio?

i want people to come to me with problems, but really admire when they also come with possible solutions

I promise you an actual post tomorrow, but I agree with others that it starts with the students (in their current numbers and placement) being better. And my first idea to get to that solution is so simple … have the DIA communicate to Krush leadership that there is room for improvement.

If someone from the DIA (higher up, the better!) had a meeting with representatives from Krush, I think it would do a lot more than some might assume. A gentle reminder that the DIA gives up a lot of potential premium ticket revenue to give the students some of the best seats in the house BECAUSE this placement is expected to improve our home court environment? Such a soft “warning” and an ensuing relaying of that message from Krush leadership to the rest of the students would have a lot more bored looking Krush members worrying that they need to prove they deserve their seats!

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

I promise you an actual post tomorrow, but I agree with others that it starts with the students (in their current numbers and placement) being better. And my first idea to get to that solution is so simple … have the DIA communicate to Krush leadership that there is room for improvement.

If someone from the DIA (higher up, the better!) had a meeting with representatives from Krush, I think it would do a lot more than some might assume. A gentle reminder that the DIA gives up a lot of potential premium ticket revenue to give the students some of the best seats in the house BECAUSE this placement is expected to improve our home court environment? Such a soft “warning” and an ensuing relaying of that message from Krush leadership to the rest of the students would have a lot more bored looking Krush members worrying that they need to prove they deserve their seats!

BTW, in case a DIA intern posts here, lol…

“Hi! Thank you for meeting with us. We value the Orange Krush so much, and that’s why we wanted to chat. As you know, the changing landscape of college sports has created new financial pressures, and the DIA has been forced to constantly reevaluate our strategic position. As YOU know, the Orange Krush currently takes up some very good seats, as we want to prioritize a home court atmosphere that gives our Illini the best chance at success. We just want to reiterate how important that investment in the Orange Krush is. While it yields no near-term monetary value to seat you guys there instead of high-dollar donors, we HOPE to remain confident in our current setup continuing to prove itself worthwhile. We have no plans to change any seating arrangements, and we look toward to the energy and passion of the Orange Krush during our remaining home games confirming that decision.”

 

[sitka]

BTW, in case a DIA intern posts here, lol…

“Hi! Thank you for meeting with us. We value the Orange Krush so much, and that’s why we wanted to chat. As you know, the changing landscape of college sports has created new financial pressures, and the DIA has been forced to constantly reevaluate our strategic position. As YOU know, the Orange Krush currently takes up some very good seats, as we want to prioritize a home court atmosphere that gives our Illini the best chance at success. We just want to reiterate how important that investment in the Orange Krush is. While it yields no near-term monetary value to seat you guys there instead of high-dollar donors, we HOPE to remain confident in our current setup continuing to prove itself worthwhile. We have no plans to change any seating arrangements, and we look toward to the energy and passion of the Orange Krush during our remaining home games confirming that decision.”

Excellent fighter!! Thank you!

 

[BashCtIllini]

There's no one single solution because there's not a single problem to solve. There are multiple problems that have contributed to the slow erosion of our home court. Some problems are more systemic and societal than others.

In general though, I think it's a bit like losing weight. Everyone knows how. Diet, exercise. Calories in, calories out. But you have to actually want to be healthier. It starts with a shift in mindset not a shift in behavior. A willingness to do the difficult thing.

You can try every trick and gimmick in the book, but the fans in the stands have to actually want to be loud. They have to want to get out of their cushioned seats and get loud. They need to have a willingness to do the difficult thing and not just sit back and be entertained.

I do think it starts with the students. It's a smaller, more accessible, more impressionable group than the general population of single game and season ticket holders.

We need to get one, foundational cohort of Krush students bought into the mission to become the best student section in America. Hell, pay for them to go to games at Mackey or the Breslin and see how other student sections behave. Then keep passing that torch down to successive classes each year.

You want the krush to be loud? free happy hour before all games.

 

[pweo]

Closer to game day prices drop.

To get in the door - Northwestern is now $12 and Wisconsin is $40.

Indiana and Michigan are still high. They will come down some but being a Sunday and Friday game will keep prices somewhat elevated.

The Indiana and Michigan games may stay high. One Piece fans are nuts