Improve Mason home game experience discussion

[Patriot Blue]

Anyone else think they should add a BIGGER selection of beers at EBA? I wish there was more to choose from.

And $1 beer

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

What kinds of beer should EBA have?

Anyone else think EBA should also have coffee and wine also?

EBA needs to have tables for people to sit down and eat at

 

[mkaufman1]

What kinds of beer should EBA have?

Anyone else think EBA should also have coffee and wine also?

EBA needs to have tables for people to sit down and eat at

Last time I checked EBA is a sports arena not Starbucks or a restaurant.

 

[psyclone]

This has always been this way and always will. Comparing Mason to G.W., not an exact match,( because the G.W. is a true "City School"/Urban Campus whereas George Mason is a Suburban Campus/Commuter) but its close enough. Students Mason faces many of the same obstacles as G.W. students. In essence, the Constant Horrible D.C, traffic: Neither Foggy Bottom nor a 'Suburban Commuter School' located just off Capital Beltway with no direct access to a main thoroughfare, provides the optimal environment in which build school spirit. Also, social environment of both of both G.W. and Mason is dominated by the myriad of alternative presented by Metro D.C.. Its interesting to note that the only school that Mason is above "in game day attendance" is located in Downtown Manhattan, arguably the only place in the A-10 with "worse game day traffic" than D.C.. Richmond and Dayton are not true comparisons because of their "semi-real redneck environments. vcu is also not truly analogous to Mason, in that as the City of Richmond's social environment often makes a vcu student's weekend choice 1. A road trip back home to Northern Virginia to do their laundry, 2. .Doing their laundry in one of the Dorm Laundromats or 3. Attendance at a vcu Basketball game. Which would you chose?

Small fact check: Fordham plays its home games in the Bronx (Rose Hill). That is an 85-acre campus that is more a mini-version of Mason's campus than that of GW. It has 4,000 students living on campus. Indeed, it still would have traffic issues, but the main reason for poor attendance has been poor performance of their teams.
Fordham does have a Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, but I'm pretty sure no basketball facilities there.

 

[mkaufman1]

Small fact check: Fordham plays its home games in the Bronx (Rose Hill). That is an 85-acre campus that is more a mini-version of Mason's campus than that of GW. It has 4,000 students living on campus. Indeed, it still would have traffic issues, but the main reason for poor attendance has been poor performance of their teams.
Fordham does have a Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, but I'm pretty sure no basketball facilities there.

Correct- Fordham has attendance problems because of poor attendance. I assure you they don’t get game day traffic much at least from when I have gone to games there. I will say they at least have spruced the gym up since my original visit.

 

[Portlandian]

And $1 beer

 

[GM Logo Guy]

If Mason wants to improve the game-day experience, it starts with the concourse. That’s the first thing fans see, and right now it just doesn’t bring any energy. The soft yellow walls make it feel more like an academic building than a basketball environment. A concourse should feel like a party the second you walk in — music, Mason pride everywhere, and a buzz that carries into the seats. If you fix the concourse, a lot of the atmosphere issues fix themselves.

 

[mkaufman1]

If Mason wants to improve the game-day experience, it starts with the concourse. That’s the first thing fans see, and right now it just doesn’t bring any energy. The soft yellow walls make it feel more like an academic building than a basketball environment. A concourse should feel like a party the second you walk in — music, Mason pride everywhere, and a buzz that carries into the seats. If you fix the concourse, a lot of the atmosphere issues fix themselves.

Interesting. Have you been to an arena for college basketball that this has been the case?

I admit I haven't been to so many arenas specific for basketball and many of the ones that I have been to have been glorified gymnasiums that are even worse than what we have at EBA.

 

[GM Logo Guy]

Interesting. Have you been to an arena for college basketball that this has been the case?

I admit I haven't been to so many arenas specific for basketball and the many of the ones that I have been to have been glorified gymnasiums that are even worse than what we have at EBA.

l
Fair enough, JMU’s arena is really nice, but basketball just isn’t a big thing in Harrisonburg. I’d love to see a game at ODU. I’ve heard good things.

 

[Where's the party?]

Interesting. Have you been to an arena for college basketball that this has been the case?

I admit I haven't been to so many arenas specific for basketball and the many of the ones that I have been to have been glorified gymnasiums that are even worse than what we have at EBA.

I haven't been to too many other places, but two that come to mind as better "vibed" are Richmond and Duke. Richmond has great concessions and great seats. The crowd hangs out in the concourse before the game. Duke is, well, Duke.

 

[Old Man]

Fair enough, JMU’s arena is really nice, but basketball just isn’t a big thing in Harrisonburg. I’d love to see a game at ODU. I’ve heard good things.

Charter Arena is pretty ok/good. It's one of arenas where the concourse is sort of open to the court. The sightlines are good and, the seats have cushions. There are also a few suites, and the popcorn isn't bad.

Downside: their Big Blue room charges for food and beverage and I don't like the way they display stats ... and their DJ is annoying.

 

[mkaufman1]

l
Fair enough, JMU’s arena is really nice, but basketball just isn’t a big thing in Harrisonburg. I’d love to see a game at ODU. I’ve heard good things.

Although it was almost 20 years ago, I went to a game at the TED. I don't remember anything specific other than their arena was newer and we were able to be in a pseudo-box of some sort.

 

[pm57WOW]

Mason iI stand corrected..

Small fact check: Fordham plays its home games in the Bronx (Rose Hill). That is an 85-acre campus that is more a mini-version of Mason's campus than that of GW. It has 4,000 students living on campus. Indeed, it still would have traffic issues, but the main reason for poor attendance has been poor performance of their teams.
Fordham does have a Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, but I'm pretty sure no basketball facilities there.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

We need cup holders for each seat in EBA

We also need more selections of beer to choose from. And also to serve coffee in EBA

 

[pm57WOW]

Go walk around on a Saturday afternoon and tell me if it feels like there’s that many students on campus. The beds are there, the community is not.

Even during my days in the early eighties I would often be on campus on Friday at about 5:00 pm. It was interesting to see the Quad go through several changes in an hour or so. I'd sit in the front of the glass widow on the second floor of Sub-I and watch the "Ballet" of Friday Evening. First you'd see all professors and staff rushing for the parking lots and theirs cars at 5:00 pm. Then you'd see the professional students, all dressed in their shirt sleeves , Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy streaming in from the parking lots all carrying big brief cases of varying types. Then about 15 minutes later later the Quad would transform into a small school environment, of students throwing frisbees, The hustle and bustle of Sub-1 was gone until Monday morning. I guess that "ballet" doesn't take place anymore.

 

[jkh1978]

I went to my first women's game yesterday. If they can't even open the concessions with chicken, my kids are not as interested.

 

[EXpatriot13]

Went to the Georgetown game Saturday night. Playing in an NBA arena doesn’t help, but their crowd/atmosphere is absolutely horrible and it was a Big East matchup. Significantly worse than what I experienced at the Mason game today.

We no doubt have a lot we can improve, but there’s certainly worse out there.

 

[tblack33]

You spend a lot of time prowling campus on the weekends looking for undergrads? Tweeder is mad you haven't invited him.

lol I walked into that one.

Point stands though, whenever I see people quoting the lines about biggest public school in the state, most beds on campus, etc. they just have no idea what the current demographics of the student body look like and why that is never going to translate into more student butts in seats than what they have seen the last couple of years. I just think our student participation is what it is at this point until something changes with the university.

 

[DRK331]

The gear trailer outside EBA is good, lots of people buying hats and shirts.

 

[TweederGMU]

lol I walked into that one.

Point stands though, whenever I see people quoting the lines about biggest public school in the state, most beds on campus, etc. they just have no idea what the current demographics of the student body look like and why that is never going to translate into more student butts in seats than what they have seen the last couple of years. I just think our student participation is what it is at this point until something changes with the university.

lol I walked into that one.

Point stands though, whenever I see people quoting the lines about biggest public school in the state, most beds on campus, etc. they just have no idea what the current demographics of the student body look like and why that is never going to translate into more student butts in seats than what they have seen the last couple of years. I just think our student participation is what it is at this point until something changes with the university.

Exactly. Of over the 6,000 students on campus, I'd say at least 1500-2000 are from within a circle radius of 30-minutes from Fairfax. Thus it is easy for them to go home on weekends to see family and/or friends.
I remember 3/4 of my floor in President's Park would be gone each weekend, they would go back home Thursday nights or Friday mornings and then return Sunday night.

Then throw in the kids who do stick around on weekends but have jobs on weekends, they won't be able to make day games, or even night games, if working on weekends around NOVA.