Convo Center gets facelift, fan-friendly change
By Roy Ockert Jr.
Nov. 6, 2012
Thanks to new Athletic Director Terry Mohajir, Arkansas State University’s basketball venue, the Convocation Center, is a little more fan friendly. Not long into his tenure, Mohajir (pronounced MO-HA-JUR) ordered the removal of the rails that separated fans from the basketball court.
That’s a little thing, but it could facilitate an all-out celebration the next time John Brady or Brian Boyer lead an ASU team to a conference championship or other big victory. Of course, it could also make it easier for an irate visiting coach to go into the stands, as UALR’s Steve Shields once tried to do.
The change came on top of a $2.2 million upgrade to the 25-year-old arena, which included four new video boards, a new roof covering and a new sound system — all badly needed.
But I’m more encouraged by the little change. I grew up on ASU basketball in the friendly confines of Indian Field House — friendly for A-State fans at least. Everyone walked into the building at floor level and climbed into the stands. One side, with all bleacher seats, was generally for students. The other side, which included some chairback seats, was largely reserved for those willing and able to pay more.
As a member of the press and sometimes the official statistician, I usually sat in the press box up high, where it was easier to see the full court.
The Convo Center is a beautiful facility, much bigger and better in every way.
However, over the years various policies and practices, established in large part by the need to take in more money, have made the center more unfriendly to fans. If Mohajir wants to change that, he has taken a step in the right direction.
In a column last January I offered a few suggestions toward that end, pointing out that the average home crowd for men’s games had fallen below 3,000. That number had been in steady decline for years, in spite of an increasing level of basketball (sometimes accompanied by more victories).
Let’s revisit some of those suggestions.
• Many people buy season tickets in the lower-level sections but seldom attend a game. The result is that the people in the seats closest to the action are well spaced apart.
• Few students attend basketball games. As for football, that seemed to be changing this year until the Thanksgiving break, and the Christmas break is near.
Thus, ASU doesn’t provide its team much of a home advantage. The pep band, mascot, dance team and cheerleaders are excellent, but it’s hard to fire up a small crowd spread out over 10,500 seats.
This situation has been created by the trend toward premium seating, which certainly isn’t unique to ASU.
To get reserved seats for men’s games in three of the four lower-level areas, you must buy season tickets ($125 each for the “end zone” sections, $200 each for all other sections), plus join the Red Wolf Club and make a certain level donation. To explain further would take the rest of this column.
The bottom line is that no one, not even major donors, can buy single-game tickets in these lower levels because, as the reasoning goes, it wouldn’t be fair to those who buy season tickets. That would be fine if all those seats were being filled, but they aren’t.
Meanwhile, the students, who pay pretty high athletic fees, are mostly confined to the fourth lower level, an “end zone” — considered secondary in the premium seating process. Vantage points behind one goal aren’t equal to what students had in Indian Field House.
ASU needs to find a way to fill those empty premium seats on either side of the court. That could be done by giving reduced rates to faculty and staff, reserving some seats for students (honor students, for example) or devising an easy method for season-ticket holders to resell tickets they can’t use (or at least give away).
ASU needs to make each game part of an event to attract more people. Too often the highlight of halftime entertainment is two guys shooting baskets from recliners. There are many other possibilities that would bring people to games: pee-wee basketball, a celebrity exhibition, a Greek competition, a cheering competition for area high schools, a 3-on-3 tournament — you name it.
Could a high school game be scheduled as the first game of a doubleheader? Bring back some “old warriors,” as Brady once suggested. Heck, maybe they could have a contest shooting free throws or 3-pointers.
Students should always be considered in ASU’s athletic endeavors, meaning they should be courted, too. They are the reason we have a great university and athletic teams to watch. It’s always fun to watch the recognition ceremonies for athletes who have made the honor roll. But it’s a little disheartening when most of them leave the gym afterward. ASU needs to find more ways to get students there and keep them cheering for their fellow athletes.
In Indian Field House the students sometimes outnumbered everyone else. And many of us have remained fans for all these years.
Roy Ockert is editor emeritus of The Jonesboro Sun. He may be reached by e-mail at royo@suddenlink.net.