Do We Have A Weak, Inferior Basketball Arena?
By Cody McClure
How do you feel about the Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center?
Is it too quiet? Is it a good home-court advantage?
Because many people are saying it sucks.
People (mostly online) have been complaining — and it seems it’s been building in recent years — that Tennessee’s arena leaves a lot to be desired.
Now, some of these people are just radio callers. And some just like to bitch online.
But there seems to be a variety of reasons people have for feeling not-so-great about the “Tommy Bowl” which we have now been instructed to call “Food City Center.”
Traffic patterns suck. Students in the wrong place. Bad cell reception. Not loud enough. Too many old, quiet folks in the lower sections. Donors not showing up. The ramps.
You’ve probably heard complaints about some of these things.
There are some legendary basketball arenas out there that are known for their tremendous home crowds. Cameroon Indoor at Duke, Allen Fieldhouse at Kansas, and Pauley Pavilion at UCLA are some of these.
Now, all of these places are smaller than TBA. Our arena is one of the largest in college basketball.
Does that help or hurt when it comes to sound? I’m no expert. Maybe our acoustics are bad?
The point is, some folks are clamoring for changes. And much of that seems to start with a restructuring of the student section.
Will Tennessee do something different going forward? Should they? They at least seem to be trying to get fans more involved.
The Vols still seem to be pretty dominant on the home floor, so perhaps that’s all that really matters.
Below are some complaints from fans in just the last 24 hours.