Seating changes at JSU

[Clarksdale_Wildcat]

New seating arrangement in works at AAC


By Mark Alexander
malexander@clarionledger.com


The Athletics and Assembly Center, home to Jackson State's men's and women's basketball teams, will soon have a new look.
The portable bleachers that now surround the court will be replaced by individual seats that will be placed on a permanent platform leading from all four walls down to the floor.

"We hope to have it all put together and in place by Feb. 6," JSU athletic director Roy Culberson said.

The new, 1,200 blue seats will give the 8,000-seat arena, which has an oddly-shaped configuration for basketball, a "different appearance all together," Culberson said. Fans no longer will be able to walk around the concourse during games as has been the case in the past.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a long time," he said.

Plans call for the new seats to be reserved seating next season, with hopes of selling more season-ticket packages. The upper-level seating will remain general admission.

First-year JSU men's basketball coach Tevester Anderson thinks the addition of the new seating is a positive for the program.

"It should be more conducive to us having a better homecourt advantage," Anderson said. ...

JSU fans who have been on campus recently may have noticed the two newly installed electronic signs complete with message boards. One is located on Terry Road near the Walter Payton Drive entrance and the other is located in the Athletics and Assembly Center parking lot.

 

[Clarksdale_Wildcat]

Do you think that this will really change anything???

And out of curiosity, what are the seating capacity of other SWAC gyms?

 

[j-state_tiger06]

Originally posted by Clarksdale_Wildcat
Do you think that this will really change anything???

Not much as far as capacity is concerned. They were mainly installed to discourage fans from "parading around" during the game, making an atmosphere more suited for basketball than loitering and to give us an actual homecourt advantage when we play at home. Plus the old bleachers needed replacing.

 

[C-LeB28]

Originally posted by Clarksdale_Wildcat


And out of curiosity, what are the seating capacity of other SWAC gyms?

The Moreland Center (formally known as the Health & Physical Education Arena) seats 8,100.

 

["NOISE TALKA"]

Yea I happened to be over at the AAC when the trucks pulled up. I'm not sure how that's gonna work. Think about it....1,200 seats all the way around the court...? and extending from the permenent wall all the way to the court? Doesn't sound right.... I gotta see it. i'm not understanding the design. I know folks are going to be mad that they can't make the circle anymore. That's usually where 40% of our crowd is at any given point during the game....It's going to be different.