Former Capacity of the RAC ??

[slyker]

Does anyone recall the Former capacity of the RAC before they reconfigured the seating ?? I know it is 8000 now ( and the squeeze in a few hundred more on occasion) but I seem to recall the largest crowd was above 9000 for a standing room only game vs West Virginia in 82 or 83. Dont recall what the "official capacity was. And after I was watching some of this video from 2000 of the "old RAC": you can see how many more fans are in the lower sections behind the benches as compared to now... and can understand why myself any many others say the RAC was clearly louder back in those days. With the additional walkways... and the old bench seating, there are significantly more bodies on the sidelines.... and not to mention the section behind the baskets also had many more bodies. All these additional fans down on top of the court certainly account for much of the increased volume.

 

[bac2therac]

It was 9000 back in the day..they jammed packed people in. So many seats got chopped and sliced and thats not even getting to the travesty in 118

 

[slyker]

Hadn't looked at an old game video in a while.... but I was pretty surprised when watching this, how significant the difference in numbers is on the floor as compared to now

 

[PiscatawayMike]

9,050 was the official capacity. The sign hung over the water fountains for decades.

 

[BoroKnight]

It also was 8,800 for a while. Probably in the mid-80s.

 

[ecojew]

IIRC it was listed as 8550 when the place opened in 1977 but they allowed 9050 when the Nets were playing their home games there that season.

 

[Mr Magoo]

...and those extra 1000 people made the place deafening when it was packed. You literally could not talk to the person next to you for most of the game during WVU in ‘82. You had to step over people sitting on the steps to go to the bathroom and without AC you would sweat most of the game...good times.

 

[Polos13]

Great thread. 9000 always stuck in my head ('84 grad) so I also wondered.

 

[knights1212]

At one point I know it was 8,700.and with standing a little over 9,000.

 

[RU_PAYBACK]

According to Carino they had 8300+ in there for the recent Seton Small beat down.

 

[ScarletKid2008]

First time I ever watched that 2000 game vs SHU. Wow what a game. Insane electric RAC. Can't believe we gave one away to SHU with that bonehead timeout call while up 3 (with none left). Got a T and lost it right there. Also missed a bunch of free throws that even got them back into it during OT.

 

[RUChoppin]

I think the capacity from 96-00 was around 8300-8600. The student bleachers were closer to the court and 118 hadn't been reconfigured yet.

 

[G- RUnit]

Still think WVU may have bee the loudest RU crowd. PSU may have been more dynamic but there were probably 1500 PSU fans in the building. There were literally fans watching from the 118 stairwell against Greg Jones and WVU.

 

[rucoe89]

Wonder how many seats the RAC can realistically expand to if you add suites where the offices once were?