Iowa Field House (please don't move to ISR)

[Senolcyc]

I bet you were really ****** when the Yankees moved into New Yankee Stadium from Old Yankee Stadium. How about when the Cardinals moved out of Old Busch Stadium and into New Busch Stadium? The Astros from the Astrodome to Enron Field? Those bastards for throwing away history, especially in St. Louis and the Bronx where they knocked down the buildings!

The outside of the building (with the exception of the addition) looks exactly like it did before, but instead of totally craptastic windows, it has new ones. And yeah, once the "new" wears off students will just be outraged...you know, just like Lied? Students might get sick of it, but we're only here for 4-5 years. Take care of the buildings (like Lied has been for the most part) and make a few improvements every now and then and students will be just dandy.

Your stadium analogy doesn't hold up. If I was saying ISU should still be playing its basketball games in State Gym, then it would hold up. But I'm not, so it doesn't.

If you would simply simmer down and comprehend what I am saying, we'd be golden. I'm not saying State Gym shouldn't have been renovated/expanded. But the execution was botched, just like with Iowa's Fieldhouse.

 

[CtownCyclone]

The Field House hasn't quite lived out its usefulness, but it's close. It'll be torn down once Phase II of the CRWC is complete (Getting racquetball/badminton/squash, etc. facilities, plus probably some other stuff as well.).

I agree that it's been gutted, though. There really isn't much left that's recognizable, at least on the Main Deck (where the basketball games were played). The pool is pretty much the same as it ever was, with a few minor modern upgrades (timing system for swim meets).

In regards to the pool, I remember a few things:
1) The long walk through the tunnel from the locker room to the pool. Typically, pool areas are loud without the crowd needing to do much but since it was the state meet, the crowd was actually making noise. Hearing that noise get louder and louder as you walked up the tunnel really got you fired up and ready to compete.

2) The crazy catwalk that crosses the shallow end of the pool. That thing was just nuts. I kept expecting it to fall down. Of course, we would set up our camp right underneath it to kind of hide from people spectating at us.

3) The bulkhead floats a bit. Not much, but when you are holding set, you could feel it move a bit under your feet.

 

[RayShimley]

Your stadium analogy doesn't hold up. If I was saying ISU should still be playing its basketball games in State Gym, then it would hold up. But I'm not, so it doesn't.

If you would simply simmer down and comprehend what I am saying, we'd be golden. I'm not saying State Gym shouldn't have been renovated/expanded. But the execution was botched, just like with Iowa's Fieldhouse.

What specifically don't you like about the State Gym renovation? What do you wish they would've done differently? I'm curious because it sounds like you must have some intimate details on the interior renovations that us Joe Schmo's don't know about.

 

[drlove]

What specifically don't you like about the State Gym renovation? What do you wish they would've done differently? I'm curious because it sounds like you must have some intimate details on the interior renovations that us Joe Schmo's don't know about.

Personally, I didn't like what they decided to build a recreation pool with no consideration to the facility across the street in Beyer Hall. Now I understand that this is a facility that is being built with student funds, so my hope of building a new competition pool was a long shot at best and very expensive, but somehow they made it work in Iowa City with their new aquatic center. The women's swim program isnt' going anywhere due to Title IX, and now they will be stuck Beyer Hall for a long time without much of a chance for a renovation.
Just one guys opinion.

 

[jay moe]

I'm writing a profile story on the Iowa Field House for my final story in my sportswriting class, and was wondering if there are any ISU fans who saw either some basketball games or wrestling meets there, and what their experience was like? I'm just looking for some input from an opponent's perspective, as I've already got tons of sources from Iowa's corner.

*I posted this in the basketball forum because I know it gets more traffic than ISR, so please, don't move the thread, at least for a little while.

I saw the last men's basketball game ever played there when Iowa played USC I was a kid at the time and my family had tickets right behind the USC bench, we knew somebody who worked for USC. The game was nationally televised on CBS, didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but now that I look back, the atmosphere was neat. It was loud and cramped, I could see where it would be tough for a team to win there. Iowa won the game, I think Micheal Payne got in a fight with Gerry Wright and got kicked out, kind of ironic, because Gerry Wright would transfer following that year and play at Iowa.

 

[RayShimley]

Personally, I didn't like what they decided to build a recreation pool with no consideration to the facility across the street in Beyer Hall. Now I understand that this is a facility that is being built with student funds, so my hope of building a new competition pool was a long shot at best and very expensive, but somehow they made it work in Iowa City with their new aquatic center. The women's swim program isnt' going anywhere due to Title IX, and now they will be stuck Beyer Hall for a long time without much of a chance for a renovation.
Just one guys opinion.

I think you said earlier you were an ISU swimmer, so I respect that. I don't know about what happened in IC, but I'm guessing it would be a tough sell to the reagents to use student funds specifically earmarked for recreation facilities to build a new competitive pool facility. Even more so if the differences in cost would be significant (diving pool, platforms, seating, etc). Probably going to need a large donor to step up (see the track facility) or wait until we get some serious B12 TV money rolling in (fingers crossed) before that happens. Apples and Oranges imo.

 

[majorcyfan]

I'm writing a profile story on the Iowa Field House for my final story in my sportswriting class, and was wondering if there are any ISU fans who saw either some basketball games or wrestling meets there, and what their experience was like? I'm just looking for some input from an opponent's perspective, as I've already got tons of sources from Iowa's corner.

*I posted this in the basketball forum because I know it gets more traffic than ISR, so please, don't move the thread, at least for a little while.

I saw some BB games there but hard to see around the posts there. LOUSY ARENA AT BEST

 

[tm3308]

I think you said earlier you were an ISU swimmer, so I respect that. I don't know about what happened in IC, but I'm guessing it would be a tough sell to the reagents to use student funds specifically earmarked for recreation facilities to build a new competitive pool facility. Even more so if the differences in cost would be significant (diving pool, platforms, seating, etc). Probably going to need a large donor to step up (see the track facility) or wait until we get some serious B12 TV money rolling in (fingers crossed) before that happens. Apples and Oranges imo.

The CRWC has two pools. One is strictly recreational, while the other is a competition pool (though it is used by students/public when the S&D teams aren't using it) with a diving well. VERY nice facility, but it is mainly for the swimming and diving team.

 

[RayShimley]

The CRWC has two pools. One is strictly recreational, while the other is a competition pool (though it is used by students/public when the S&D teams aren't using it) with a diving well. VERY nice facility, but it is mainly for the swimming and diving team.

Was it funded separately or with student funds or what? That's the main question.

 

[tm3308]

Was it funded separately or with student funds or what? That's the main question.

I believe it was pretty much just with student funds. Like I said, it is a public facility, but the S&D team uses it too.

 

[RayShimley]

I believe it was pretty much just with student funds. Like I said, it is a public facility, but the S&D team uses it too.

Hmm yeah that seems to be the case from what I read. Well then I guess it is a fair question to ask why it wasn't incorporated here and I don't know the answer.

 

[RayShimley]

Couple things I did notice:

Cost of the CRWC: $69 million

Cost of State Gym renovation: $53 million

Also consider the cost disparity between building a completely new facility and renovating a building that is nearly 100 years old (State Gym built in 1913). Both were designed by the same firm (RDG).