@KSU

[mbenecke]

The best word to describe our current status..almost across the board athletically...is "moribund"

1. Excellent word.

2. I wouldn't say that about the entire department, though. Football at least is having winning seasons, even if they aren't the best program in the MAC. Stay tuned on that one, though. Hockey has as much life and excitement as they have had in about 5 years now. Men's soccer rocks. Volleyball has a new coach now, but they were having unprecedented success. Baseball came back from the dead and won the MAC last year with a bunch of exciting players. I'd actually say it's mostly the basketball programs that are lacking currently. And it's absolutely something we need to get figured out.

[hammb]

I agree its bad, but not as bad to me as the dark days when we had BG hall of famers Erger and Kraus on the team.

Those teams came soon after the Frack money. Orr once talked about how good Erger was at inbounding the ball. In hindsight it’s remarkable how terrible the program has been since the Stroh was built and the Frack money arrived. The only constant other than losing has been Jim Elsasser. The Stroh was his baby.

https://www.sent-trib.com/2011/01/25/st ... mestretch/

No standards.

Other than the concessions I still overall enjoy the Stroh center. I think it's a fun place to watch a game. I've been to nearly every arena in the MAC and I'm biased but I'll take the Stroh over any of them. I just love open concourses so much more than the closed off arena architecture of places like OU, BSU, and EMU. And Savage continues to be a total dump, I can't believe they spent as much to renovate that place as we did to build a new arena and that's what they ended up with.

There are certainly issues, and for a project that came in under budget they definitely cut some corners to do so. The lack of cupholders is glaringly stupid. And I know when I was speaking with one of the architects back then he said how they saved a ton of money to have those corner sections face straight instead of angled, but it rubbed him the wrong way. I've never sat over there, but I would hate it if I did. And, like everything BGSU, the parking situation is just asinine.

Now the product on the court? Yeah...that's been mostly garbage. And it really is mind blowing. We've routinely spent near the top of the MAC in basketball thanks to the Frack money, and we've got one of the best arenas in the conference. Certainly the community/students don't support our program like some of the others in the conference, but I think they would if we ever had a consistent winner. No doubt it's hard to win in this sport, especially the way the MAC "commits" to it. But dammit there's no reason we can't be consistently one of the haves in conference. UT, OU, Akron, Kent are all at the top of the standings nearly every year. Zero reason we can't be right there with them.

[BG816]

I agree its bad, but not as bad to me as the dark days when we had BG hall of famers Erger and Kraus on the team.

Those teams came soon after the Frack money. Orr once talked about how good Erger was at inbounding the ball. In hindsight it’s remarkable how terrible the program has been since the Stroh was built and the Frack money arrived. The only constant other than losing has been Jim Elsasser. The Stroh was his baby.

https://www.sent-trib.com/2011/01/25/st ... mestretch/

No standards.

Other than the concessions I still overall enjoy the Stroh center. I think it's a fun place to watch a game. I've been to nearly every arena in the MAC and I'm biased but I'll take the Stroh over any of them. I just love open concourses so much more than the closed off arena architecture of places like OU, BSU, and EMU. And Savage continues to be a total dump, I can't believe they spent as much to renovate that place as we did to build a new arena and that's what they ended up with.

Unpopular opinion: I was actually impressed with the Savage renovation. It’s still way too dark, and I can’t speak to any other parts of the renovation other than the seating and luxury box reconfiguration, but it’s a nice place to watch a basketball game. Add to that UT’s great attendance figures and public support and it makes for an architecturally and atmospherically pleasing experience. The seating capacity is perfect for Toledo, unlike that capacity at Ball State, EMU, Miami, and especially NIU.

I like the Stroh, too, though I do hope it continues to make some changes so it stands out in a way Anderson Arena did. It’s much better than it was, but I’d love to see more character. And while this was a big complaint during construction of the Stroh, UT did well not to skimp on the corners of the lower bowl, where the seating actually faces the court. Apparently, not having that in the Stroh was a money-saving architectural move if I remember correctly. As complaints go, however, it’s not on the same planet as those of Anderson Arena. The place will always be my all time favorite place to attend a basketball game.