Michigan Basketball's Facebook page has a Crisler Arena construction update featuring several photos of the new seats that are being installed. They look like nice enough seats, but no cup holders?
Note also the new handrails:
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Photos of New Seats at Crisler
July 15th, 2011 at 1:17 PM
#1
Photos of New Seats at Crisler
July 15th, 2011 at 1:21 PM
#2
Courtside
So, are the areas not filled in with seats courtside still going to be bleachers for the Maize Rage?
July 15th, 2011 at 1:35 PM
#3
bleachers
Yes, the one side will still be Maize Rage bleachers while I'm guessing the other side will go to the season ticket-holder types. The only thing I'm unsure of is where the entrance from the PDC is going to come in, but from what I understand our (the Maize Rage's) bleachers should be on the opposite side of that. Everything is getting flipped around.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:40 PM
#4
So are they flipping the
So are they flipping the court's logos too? It's important to have the Maize Rage on TV behind the bench.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:42 PM
#5
I think the new entrance is
I think the new entrance is going to be in the corner next to what is currently the opposing team's bench.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:23 PM
#6
I'm still concerned with how
I'm still concerned with how they're going to organize seating for students to create a better home court advantage, but those seats look comfortable. Cupholders would be great, but I'm usually a bare minimum guy when it comes to a sports environment. I'm pretty encouraged, it looks good.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:06 PM
#7
I like the bare minimum
I like the bare minimum too....they should have just forgotten the seats and left the concrete. THAT would have been unique.
July 15th, 2011 at 6:01 PM
#8
Make it like the terraces in
Make it like the terraces in Germany and what they used to have at English soccer stadiums. See what happens!
July 15th, 2011 at 1:28 PM
#9
I still dont get how
I still dont get how replacing the seats and the scoreboards will make for a better homecourt. The old seats were in fine condition, and throwing money at Crisler isn't going to give it any sort of uniqueness that defines venerable college basketball venues. Should've just built a new arena next to Crisler or converted Yost to hold bball and hockey temporarily.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:46 PM
#10
We really needed the Russian
We really needed the Russian dudes with the big Metallic Dandelion to test it out, but I'd be willing to bet the new seats don't absorb as much sound as those old pillowy auditorium-style seats.
July 15th, 2011 at 6:09 PM
#11
The old seats were in fine
The old seats were in fine condition
Are you kidding? Only if "fine" means having lots of broken springs in the seats and decade-old stains everywhere.
July 15th, 2011 at 6:54 PM
#12
You aren't kidding. They
You aren't kidding. They were terrible! Beyond that, I'm hoping they re-work the rows opposite the student bleachers as Row 1 (the first row of "stadium seats" after the on-court seats) were actually lower that court level. So, the excitement at sitting in "row 1" turned into "I can't see shit" as soon as you got to the seat. My guess is that they eliminate that entire row.
July 22nd, 2011 at 12:41 AM
#13
Um, what? There are no seats
Um, what? There are no seats "below court level" at Crisler. If you've ever been to Crisler during or before/after a practice or at any other time not a basketball game, you know the floor is one level, from wall to wall. In fact, I think you can see it in the third pic above.
There's no seats below floor level, unless I'm completely misunderstanding what you're saying.
July 22nd, 2011 at 9:21 AM
#14
You're probably
You're probably misunderstanding. "Row 1" is actually lower in height than the "courtside" seats (IIRC there are 2 or 3 rows of those). So, if you sit in "Row 1", your seat is actually below the level of courtside seats. Even if you're tall (I'm over 6') the view is tremendously obstructed.
I probably was unclear as I meant "courtside" instead of "court level". In any event, I've been in those seats a number of times. They need to go.
July 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 AM
#15
Ok, that makes much more
Ok, that makes much more sense, thanks.
Still, how much high can they be? They're folding chairs on some rubber. We can only be talking 2-3 inches right? That does make the biggest difference though when you're not looking up at something, so maybe that's all that is necessary.
July 22nd, 2011 at 10:40 AM
#16
I don't know the exact
I don't know the exact difference, but I'll put it this way. In order to see clearly, you need to lift your seat bottom up and sit on the front (now, top) edge. Because that would be kinda shitty to the people behind you (because you'd then be blocking their view), you're torn. If you have a puffy enough winter coat, you can try to sit on that, but it still won't suffice. My guess is that they eliminate that row. They're often giveaways to guests of the program anyway...and given that they're obstructed view, the purpose of the favor is kinda defeated.
July 15th, 2011 at 7:30 PM
#17
The chairback seats are nice,
The chairback seats are nice, but I have to agree that that was not Crisler's problem.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:32 PM
#18
Any chance the cupholders
Any chance the cupholders will be going on the back of the seats of the row in front? That's what the Joe and other arenas do. Can't really see the back of the seats.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:40 PM
#19
I realize that's a
I realize that's a possibility, and I hope you're right. Not seeing any cup holders was just one of the first things that jumped out at me when I saw the photos.
July 15th, 2011 at 1:42 PM
#20
Cupholders? We don't need no
Cupholders? We don't need no stinking cupholders. #flaskofwhiskeyinpants
July 15th, 2011 at 2:07 PM
#21
That's not
A flask of whiskey.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:36 PM
#22
Damn, I was hoping they
Damn, I was hoping they picked the one with the block M on top of the seat back. :(
July 15th, 2011 at 2:49 PM
#23
better student section
Better seats are nice but the set up for the student section is terrible. The maize rage is tiny and the best student sections either wrap around the court or form an entire wall behind a basket, we have neither and the student section is a bit of a joke because of it.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:51 PM
#24
???
I think the student section looks great on TV. Not sure what you're complaining about.
July 15th, 2011 at 6:00 PM
#25
Uh
Yeah, there's the bleachers behind the benches, but that's only half the students that actually attend games. The rest are next to the band behind the basket and sort of disconnected from the main maize rage section. As a result, those fans are not really into the game. Overall, the environment at Crisler isn't near where it should be. Especially now, sicne the program seems to be turning the corner.
I think if they changed the way the sections were organized to better, the arena would be louder and more intimidating.
July 22nd, 2011 at 12:21 AM
#26
They are suppose to be moving
They are suppose to be moving the band this year to above the tunnel (the current tunnel not the PDC tunnel). Maybe that means the maize rage will fill in the seats there as well. Time will tell.
July 15th, 2011 at 7:55 PM
#27
I think the Maize Rage
I think the Maize Rage currently looks good . . . but the view behind the baskets doesn't. I really hope we can put them behind at least one basket. They can work their distracting mischief better there.
July 15th, 2011 at 2:58 PM
#28
I thought the student section
I thought the student section was being extended behind one of the baskets. See the third photo above--the far end in the photo looks like it's going to be all bleachers.
July 15th, 2011 at 7:48 PM
#29
Not sure why my post got
Not sure why my post got knocked as flamebait, I am part of the maize rage and enjoy basketball games and while its great that it looks good on tv my point was more to do with how the student section impacts the atmosphere of the game. I am from Maryland which has the largest student section in the country, it wraps all the way around the court and an entire wall behind the basket. You can get into an argument about the some of the chants but they clearly have an impact on the atmosphere and make it a tough place to play. Crisler on the other hand strikes fear into the hearts of nobody if you are honest with yourself. Just look at these chants utah state does and tell me you think we could pull that off with the way the student section is set up, the fact is right now there is a cap on how good the maize rage can be and its not very high.
July 16th, 2011 at 10:42 AM
#30
The problem with the student
The problem with the student section is the lack of students attending the games. Back in my day (when we walked five miles, barefoot, both ways, to school) students lined up long before tipoff to get into the arena. Of course, my freshman year was the freshman Fab 5 year...so there was a bit more excitement...
In any event, students went from the floor to the very top row. Now, we have...what...ten rows of students? And then, the students kinda chastise the alumni with that stupid "on your feet" chant at the end of the games. Best to push other students to attend games rather than yelling at alumni who attend but (understandably) don't get as rabid as an 18 year-old face painter.
July 22nd, 2011 at 12:47 AM
#31
The Alums should be on your
The Alums should be on their feet. It's kinda weak sauce to bring that into your argument. Also, those diehards in the Rage (I was once one of them) do a TON of recruiting and put a lot of effort into expanding basketball's relevance on campus. Getting on them for wanting the other fans in the stadium to actually (GOD FORBID) stand during big defensive stops or at the end of the game is stupid. That's what they're there for - to create atmosphere.
A couple years ago I attended a meeting with some of the higher-ups as a representative of the Maize Rage. There were about 8 students there with some admin people. What they WANT to do is one of the following:
Wrap the student section from where it is to behind one of the baskets.
Or put bleachers in the other side in addition to the current bleachers.
The problem? The students haven't come through and attended games (all games, not just big ones) at the rate that the athletic department can sacrifice their high-paying alum seats for students. They want to do it, but the students have yet to come through.
July 15th, 2011 at 3:05 PM
#32
Upper Rows...
Apparently, above the student section, you have to sit on a spike. Might make for interesting gamewatching.
July 15th, 2011 at 5:59 PM
#33
Where's the Clamour
. . . for the old seats as memorabilia. Could even raise some money for 'M' charities, pick one.
July 15th, 2011 at 8:34 PM
#34
eh
Who wants to buy a stained, faded, seat with malfunctioning springs? Not me.
July 15th, 2011 at 7:23 PM
#35
cup holders are prob on the
cup holders are prob on the back of the seat in fron of you..
July 15th, 2011 at 8:28 PM
#36
ohh sweet
Are they going to put wooden benches on both sides? BIGGER MAIZE RAGEEE
July 15th, 2011 at 8:56 PM
#37
No!
Not another cloth lined seat, why not just have an all hard material (plastic, metal) seat? Personally, I thought the cloth seating was the reason Crisler felt like an auditorium. Thats just my humble opinion.
July 15th, 2011 at 9:26 PM
#38
So....
It would appear no more "Gold/MAIZE!" upper bowl and "Blue" lower bowl. It's all blue now...
July 21st, 2011 at 3:22 PM
#39
Good call
According to a Crisler Arena construction update video, all the seats will indeed be blue.
