images of all of the members we will face from a reddit post showing them from a while ago:

I mean I don’t think we are THAT behind to be honest. Think about the high school gyms we play at on the road. We have a legit arena compared to those.

I've never liked the huge gaps and reduced seating capacity. There had to be other options. I believe Aggie6thman (?) suggested a 'tunnel' configuration that served both purposes, retain 90% of the lost seats.

Supposedly the loss in seats also diminished (or eliminated) the ability to attract big concerts. (We've now lost the Pavilion (seating too limited), and Freeborn.)

I also lean towards preferring the upper bleachers that pulled inward when not in use, making a more intimate 3,000 - 3,500 bowl area and reflecting noise.

I also lean towards preferring the upper bleachers that pulled inward when not in use, making a more intimate 3,000 - 3,500 bowl area and reflecting noise.

What do you mean by this? To reach that 3,500

How did they reduce the capacity of the gym from fitting over 7,000 to 6,000? what changed?

Let's live within our means, guys. We're going to have enough $$$ issues just getting players around the conference next year - commercial or charter flights. But maybe MW $$ is enough to cover that? These ARE student athletes.

The original Rec Hall configuration had the running track, and then tall wooden bleachers that folded together - maybe 6' wide and 25' or 30' tall? These wooden bleachers effectively created a wall between the running track, and athletic areas behind them - for badminton, volleyball, etc. Those bleachers were ocassionally used for rock concerts (Elton John, Pat Benatar), graduation, and Picnic Day. It seemed a more comfy venue with that setup and keeping the sound in. There also weren't huge gaps in the upper sections for Fire Exits - exits were the four corners each with multiple doors.

The current configuration has the upper stands pushed back against the exterior wall, letting the noise escape.

The remodel - with the new upper stands - also decreased seating in the upper areas, I believe partly to create additional, closer Fire Exits. The current gaps in the upper areas didn't exist before. It was just large banks of wooden bleachers. I don't know if the ASUCD Entertainment Council or whoever gave any feedback on how it would negatively impact the ability to book large acts (bands)

They could also selectively use the upper sections - one side opened for an overflow crowd, but the other closed (folded up) so we had a full arena feel. (Not lots of empty stands.)

Adding cutouts in the cement wall between the lower and mid-tier sections was a good enhancement.