Game 15: GMU (10-4 / 1-0) at Rhode Island (11-2 / 0-1) on Saturday, January 4, at 2:00 PM.

[theblueram]

Rhody fan here. Good game. You guys play tough defense and gave us fits. Circus shot won us the game. On a different note, do you guys have issues getting into the Eagle Center? We are discussing this issue on the Rhody board. We find it inexcusable the lines we have, but just need another perspective. The lines were like 1/4 mile to get in last Saturday. The concession lines are just as bad. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.

https://x.com/rhodyrams33/status/1875615916047921378?mx=2

 

[Patriotsince81]

Rhody fan here. Good game. You guys play tough defense and gave us fits. Circus shot won us the game. On a different note, do you guys have issues getting into the Eagle Center? We are discussing this issue on the Rhody board. We find it inexcusable the lines we have, but just need another perspective. The lines were like 1/4 mile to get in last Saturday. The concession lines are just as bad. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.

https://x.com/rhodyrams33/status/1875615916047921378?mx=2

No, we don't have issues getting into EBA. We have issues with no one attending games at EBA. Currently averaging about 3,000 in a 10,000 seat arena.

 

[NewPatriot]

In Haynes defense, he has an injury to his fingers on his shooting hand

Wes Unseld, a similar size player, was a 55% free throw shooters with 2 fingers wrapped and 2 regularly drained knees late in his career.

 

[GSII]

Wes had slightly better incorporation of legs into his free throws shot. Whereas Haynes appears to hault it, then throws ball. There is video of Wes on YouTube.

WES was also a 63% ft shooter.

 

[GunstonsGhost]

do you guys have issues getting into the Eagle Center? We are discussing this issue on the Rhody board. We find it inexcusable the lines we have, but just need another perspective. The lines were like 1/4 mile to get in last Saturday. The concession lines are just as bad. Let me hear your thoughts.

The issue getting into the Ryan Center is that you guys have TSA style security outside the doors. Some old lunch lady was about to make me take my belt off in that subartic temp. We have metal detectors at EBA, but I'm pretty sure they're just a prop.

 

[Verdad]

Rhody fan here. Good game. You guys play tough defense and gave us fits. Circus shot won us the game. On a different note, do you guys have issues getting into the Eagle Center? We are discussing this issue on the Rhody board. We find it inexcusable the lines we have, but just need another perspective. The lines were like 1/4 mile to get in last Saturday. The concession lines are just as bad. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.

https://x.com/rhodyrams33/status/1875615916047921378?mx=2

Having been to Ryan Center, its kind of an apples to oranges comparison. Our physical building is so much larger with multiple huge entrances and a very wide concourse vs Ryan being tucked into the side of another building seemingly with narrow concourses and much less sf.

Our concessions are pretty slow due to poor management - nor real hustle or organization, but we haven't had more than 3500 at a game besides homecoming in what seems like years, so that probably helps.

We also have a lot of concession places, so they can open more when they know the crowd will be larger.

 

[hoopsjunkie75]

The issue getting into the Ryan Center is that you guys have TSA style security outside the doors. Some old lunch lady was about to make me take my belt off in that subartic temp. We have metal detectors at EBA, but I'm pretty sure they're just a prop.

Not props, unfortunately. Every game it dings me, my single truck key, and my Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Also every game, I try to take it out of my pocket to put on the table and they tell me "no, just keep it on you." Then the buzzer goes off, I take it out, and have to go back through.

They never believe me when I tell them it's going to go off, like I haven't danced this dance every game since the detectors were instituted.

 

[theblueram]

Thanks for all the feedback. People waited 30 minutes to get inside the building in 18 degree weather. Just insane.

 

[Verdad]

Thanks for all the feedback. People waited 30 minutes to get inside the building in 18 degree weather. Just insane.

That is insane - the new metal detectors that just allow you to walk through without emptying your pockets (unless you are hoopsjunkie75) are a huge plus. Probably single biggest thing you all could do to help with that if you don't have them.

 

[Jack Strop]

I just hope they NEVER deploy
Italian sub-sammich detectors.

 

[TweederGMU]

Rhody fan here. Good game. You guys play tough defense and gave us fits. Circus shot won us the game. On a different note, do you guys have issues getting into the Eagle Center? We are discussing this issue on the Rhody board. We find it inexcusable the lines we have, but just need another perspective. The lines were like 1/4 mile to get in last Saturday. The concession lines are just as bad. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.

https://x.com/rhodyrams33/status/1875615916047921378?mx=2

I've been to your arena and no offense but you should be asking a GW or vcu fan group how they do... you all's arenas are kinda similar in layout structures and size/capacity.

We have a 10K arena that is more like a "coliseum" type structure rather than your type of gymnasium arena. Our arena moves pretty smooth since there are multiple locations to enter and exit. Also, another key item no one has mentioned is our fans who enter are very spread out (time wise) before the game starts. The majority of people who come to the game stagger in time that they arrive to the arena. We have 2 hospitality rooms where season ticket holders can access that open hour / hour and half before game time where a lot of people get there an hour or 45 mins or 30 mins to go to the rooms which helps diversify the attendance and spread it out over an hour before game time.

Does URI have any pregame options like this where fans can go before or do you all arrive 15-10 mins before the game and all try to get in at this time?

The attendance at our game last week said around 5,800 attended. Would email your AD and see how they can get people their earlier and spread out times people arrive. That could help.

 

[GSII]

What was the attendance at Rhody? Looked pretty full on tv.

 

[rf1]

I've been to your arena and no offense but you should be asking a GW or vcu fan group how they do... you all's arenas are kinda similar in layout structures and size/capacity.

We have a 10K arena that is more like a "coliseum" type structure rather than your type of gymnasium arena. Our arena moves pretty smooth since there are multiple locations to enter and exit. Also, another key item no one has mentioned is our fans who enter are very spread out (time wise) before the game starts. The majority of people who come to the game stagger in time that they arrive to the arena. We have 2 hospitality rooms where season ticket holders can access that open hour / hour and half before game time where a lot of people get there an hour or 45 mins or 30 mins to go to the rooms which helps diversify the attendance and spread it out over an hour before game time.

Does URI have any pregame options like this where fans can go before or do you all arrive 15-10 mins before the game and all try to get in at this time?

The attendance at our game last week said around 5,800 attended. Would email your AD and see how they can get people their earlier and spread out times people arrive. That could help.

The Ryan Center at URI was opened in 2002 at a cost of $54M. It has an official capacity of 7,657 and all seating is chairback with no bleachers. Its capacity is just a bit above vcu but nearly twice the capacity of GW. The Ryan Center has just two entrances (North and South behind the baskets). You enter on the court level where you can access Section 100's seating. The school souvenir shop is at the north entrance on this level. The wrap around 360 degree concourse with most amenities (concessions and rest rooms) is on the second level. Access to seating in the 200's and 300's (upper balcony) is from here. The third level is only on the east side and contains the individual luxury suites.

There are large parking lots to the south and to the north. More people however choose to use the north entrance as the parking is closer and it is easier to exit after games. It was the north entrance that had the long wait this past Saturday during semester break.


Exterior of the North Entrance

Arena Seating Bowl from the SW corner

 

[jessej]

The Ryan Center at URI was opened in 2002 at a cost of $54M. It has an official capacity of 7,657 and all seating is chairback with no bleachers. Its capacity is just a bit above vcu but nearly twice the capacity of GW. The Ryan Center has just two entrances (North and South behind the baskets). You enter on the court level where you can access Section 100's seating. The school souvenir shop is at the north entrance on this level. The wrap around 360 degree concourse with most amenities (concessions and rest rooms) is on the second level. Access to seating in the 200's and 300's (upper balcony) is from here. The third level is only on the east side and contains the individual luxury suites.

There are large parking lots to the south and to the north. More people however choose to use the north entrance as the parking is closer and it is easier to exit after games. It was the north entrance that had the long wait this past Saturday during semester break.


Exterior of the North Entrance
View attachment 2538

Arena Seating Bowl from the SW corner
View attachment 2539

Nice Arena, nice photos
GWU's Smith Arena seats 5000, making Ryan 50% larger than Smith, or
Smith is 2/3rd the size of Ryan or 33% smaller than Ryan

 

[rf1]

Nice Arena, nice photos
GWU's Smith Arena seats 5000, making Ryan 50% larger than Smith, or
Smith is 2/3rd the size of Ryan or 33% smaller than Ryan

The Smith Center no longer has a capacity of 5,000. Its official capacity per the GW game notes for the last game against Dayton list it at 4,057. Modifications that have included converting bleacher into chairbacks and adaptions for ADA have reduced capacity in recent years.

Several A-10 venues have seen capacities reduced over time with renovations. These include SBU, DU, LaSalle, GW, and Fordham. The biggest reduction has been in Pittsburgh at Duquesne. Their facility first opened in 1988 with a capacity of 6,200 in nearly all bleacher type seating. Chairback replacement of bleachers eventually brought it down to about 4,500 just before its latest makeover that totally transformed it with modern amenities. It now has a capacity of 3,500.

 

[EXpatriot13]

We have a 10K arena that is more like a "coliseum"

Put us in the history books right next to that "other" coliseum in Rome.

 

[GunstonsGhost]

The school souvenir shop is at the north entrance on this level.

I was impressed by the school store. I wish we had something like that EBA. The folding table we borrowed from the Boy Scouts is embarrassing.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I was impressed by the school store. I wish we had something like that EBA. The folding table we borrowed from the Boy Scouts is embarrassing.

Isn’t Mason’s School store in the Johnson center?

 

[GunstonsGhost]

Isn’t Mason’s School store in the Johnson center?

Yeah, I guess "school store" was poor wording. It was team apparel in the Ryan Center.

The Johnson Center is kinda inconvenient. For one, it's not open during the winter break.

 

[TweederGMU]

The Ryan Center at URI was opened in 2002 at a cost of $54M. It has an official capacity of 7,657 and all seating is chairback with no bleachers. Its capacity is just a bit above vcu but nearly twice the capacity of GW. The Ryan Center has just two entrances (North and South behind the baskets). You enter on the court level where you can access Section 100's seating. The school souvenir shop is at the north entrance on this level. The wrap around 360 degree concourse with most amenities (concessions and rest rooms) is on the second level. Access to seating in the 200's and 300's (upper balcony) is from here. The third level is only on the east side and contains the individual luxury suites.

There are large parking lots to the south and to the north. More people however choose to use the north entrance as the parking is closer and it is easier to exit after games. It was the north entrance that had the long wait this past Saturday during semester break.


Exterior of the North Entrance
View attachment 2538

Arena Seating Bowl from the SW corner
View attachment 2539

LOL...... 2 entrances on a 8,000 person arena!?

If you average, let's say, 5K a game and majority of people are coming 30mins to 10 mins before the game.....you are trying to cram 3K in the north entrance and then 2K into the south entrance in that time span.... yea, that ain't happening. No wonder the long lines.

Do they have engineering majors at URI? 2 entrances.... that's your problem.