IUPUI Sport Complex

I’m somewhat of a regular to IUPUI men’s basketball games for quite a few years now. This is my first time commenting on their very humble facilities for a NCAA Division I school. Their sports are for profit in the over all institution of a non-​for-​profit school and hospital complex. I just wonder how the heck they expect to turn one in that 1960’s era gymnasium. It kind of feels like I’m watching high school all-​stars here and you don’t actually appreciate sometimes that these guys are big time hoopers, if not hoops stars.
They’ve made some nice upgrades to the seats to make actual, well, seats, replacing the old gymnasium style stands. They still fold up and go against the wall. They don’t seem like they were desinged for anyone over average weight. I haven’t seen any of them break, but they will bend and groan every once in a while.
IUPUI is an intersting team to watch play men’s basketball. The frenetic pace of Coach Ron Hunter’s constant motion offense, his animated barking and pacing on the sideline, and the barrage of three point shots make this type of team more like Loyala Marymount circa1989, but actually playing defense. (Anyone remember Paul Westhead’s defensiveless Denver Nuggets experiement?) The interesting thing about Coach Hunter is he very rarely goes after the officials, but constantly after his players for putting themselves in position to make a referee a factor of the game. He believes that perfect execution is possible and he gets after players for being out of position, not understanding the situation, and taking poor shots. You will quickly get yanked out of a game, and if you’re in his doghouse, forget about playing time till next year. I saw a freshman named George Hill who got his first action of the season (as a true freshman) and got pulled in less than two minutes because of what most would call a freshman mistake (a turnover of some sort I can’t recall the specifics.) He never got back in that game until the second half. He eventually made it to the NBA. Made a boatload of money.
The biggest annoyance, and borderline ripoff, that IUPUI athletics should seriously reconsider, is the fact that you pay for parking in a pretty old and cold garage and walkway. Granted, it is just three dollars this year, but I have paid as much as ten in the past. I thought at the time that that some of the parking attendants might be pocketing some of the money because there was no parking sticker or receipt issued to me until this year, and the attendents are different and in uniform. Anyway, paying for parking is a deterrent for someone to attend a basketball game. I would choose a place to park for free, i.e. the city streets near Hinkle Fieldhouse to watch a game given the admission prices were roughly the same (plus they have an awe inpiring venue.)
Also, another deterrent for me is the price of their concessions. The prices are waaay out of line for the quality of their food. Yes the hot dogs are big, but not four dollars big. And $ 3.50 for a dasani is highway robbery. Here’s the real kicker: They sell candy at the concession stand, but the candy in the vending machines around the corner is about half of what they charge. Popcorn is outrageously expensive whether at a theater or ball game, so I don’t really flinch at that price. But there is no way that two hot dogs, popcorn, M&M’s and Dasani should have set me back $ 18.50!!! So much for father and daughter time on the cheap.
Unfortunately, in cold, snowy Indiana, basketball is the only thing we have to keep us sane. So to keep my wits and because of my genuine love of college basketball I will continue to pay through the nose to go to games. But maybe my frequency will be reduced until many of the small and mediocre college’s realize that making money at college athletics at the expense of athletes’ bodies really is a (socially) poor business model.