Home Team: BGSU Falcons
Visiting Team: Howard Bison
Venue: Stroh Center (Bowling Green, Ohio)
Game Time: 7:00 p.m.
Fellow Attendees: None
As much as I enjoy BG basketball, tonight the game was secondary. This was the first official game in the brand new Stroh Center, the shiny new state-of-the-art facility built to replace Anderson Arena, the Falcons' nest since 1960. Anderson was one of my favorite places in the universe, but it was time for an upgrade. That being the case, I was anxious to get to the new arena and check it out.
The doors were set to open at 6:00, so I took off from work an hour early to make sure I got there with plenty of time to explore and still find my seat well before tipoff. I had seen the exterior (indeed, during construction I checked the webcam a couple of times per day), and I had seen photos of the interior, but this was my first chance to actually go inside and check it out for myself.
The falcon statue outside the main entrance is incredibly impressive. Again, I had seen photos of this beast, and saw it for myself when driving past, but you really appreciate it when you walk up to it on your way into the building. It's awesome, and the words to the fight song inscribed on the base are a nice touch.
I won't go into detail on all the stuff I checked out or all the features the building offers, but I will note a few things I really liked. One is the availability of restrooms and concessions, which were lacking in Anderson. I also really like how broad the concourses are--there's plenty of room to walk without "high-traffic" areas getting completely crowded, which is another contrast from Anderson. Also, you can actually understand what's being said over the PA system. And there's a big scoreboard/videoboard for replays and in-game stats. And I like that you can see the floor from just about anywhere in the arena, so you aren't going to miss a whole lot even if you get up to get a snack or something.
If I had quibbles, they were in the seating arrangements. I felt a little cramped--not in my actual seat, but whenever I had to stand up to let someone into or out of the row. I kinda miss the bleacher seating, which I think is easier to maneuver. I also think it's more conducive to standing and cheering, which is what Anderson Arena (The House That Roars) was known for. I also wish the students were given a more prime location than behind one basket, and I wish they were right on top of the floor like they were in Anderson.
In all, though, I really dug the place a lot. It's a great place to watch a basketball game. It may not have the charm and soul of Anderson, but hopefully it'll get to roar like the old place did. It's going to be a great home for the Falcons.
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