The RAC is here to stay

[LKAP13]

I was at an event where I had the chance to speak with Hobbs and I asked about the RAC. He said that until he has a waiting list of 5000 fans it doesn't make any sense to talk about a new arena. He also said that there are some great things about the RAC that he wouldn't want to change. He indicated that the steepness of it has a lot to do with keeping the noise in and they would never be allowed to build something that steep with current construction guidelines. He also indicated that they could blow out the back and front so that the seating could completely wrap around and go higher than it does currently which would probably get seating over 10,000.

I think a facelift is in the cards and hopefully with increased interest in tickets they get the seating up by 2000 - 3000 which I think would make for a great home court advantage.

I did say that a power washing would be nice!

 

[rutgersal]

He can't talk about the RAC because he still has to raise $30 million for other facilities. A new RAC will also cost between 300-500 million. It's just something that isn't on the radar yet, but hopefully it will be in the next decade.

 

[FELONIOUSMONK]

He is a wise man.Our incompetence over the past 25 years has put us in a hole that we may never climb out of . But I have faith in Pikiell to at least make the effort .

 

[greenknight]

You can pick up another 1000 seats just blowing out the seats into the lobby behind the backboard. Once they get everyone out of the offices and get those seats in that place will JAM

 

[e5fdny]

Better basketball + a few more people is all we need.

A little facelift inside and out will do wonders for appearance and the showing of commitment.

 

[ouchmyknee]

I always thought it would be cool to box the exterior. In other words, make the building state and get rid of the trapezoid shape. Then for the interior, put two levels of luxury suites where the handicap section is and blue out the area where the student section is and put permanent seats there and enlarge the section. Would be cool.

 

[RUJMM78]

The area where the ticket office and concession stands are located should be moved out approximately 20 feet and new construction should include a promenade entrance and far more room for concessions ,rest rooms and fan movement to the seating areas.A additional 2000 seats to make the RAC attendance at 10,000 should be part of the next RAC renovation.Waiting for a 5000 waiting list means nothing happening until 2021 at the earliest when full B1G funding occurs and Pikiell hopefully shows a consistent winning team.

 

[RUonBrain]

This gets debated all the time, but I hope we NEVER get rid of the RAC.

If the time comes (i.e., if there is a need, and the $ to make it happen), upgrade it, renovate it, whatever you want to call it.

Just don't replace it.

It can be a deadly weapon.

(And the $ saved could be spent in LOTS of other areas.)

 

[RUChoppin]

Right now, there's no point in adding more empty seats. I agree with him - when there's a waiting list, look to expand.

 

[ScarletDave]

The RAC should be expanded when the time comes but a new arena should not be built. See: Duke, the Palestra, the Pavillion, etc. the RAC is iconic and a HUGE home court advantage when we are good. Knock out the back wall and build permanent seats where the student bleachers are now, then add seats to the lobby area/luxury boxes, and we'd be in business forever

 

[soundcrib]

Need bathrooms in the back.

 

[LSRF]

This thread is music to my eyes... keep the RAC build, around it where you add all the needed amenities. If you can consider bathrooms an amenitie.

 

[ru66]

complete rebuild will be more costly than a tear down--both are not happening

 

[RUonBrain]

Someone also made a great point in another thread.

The new practice facility is being built right next to the RAC. (Anyone know if they be connected and accessible to each other without going outside?)

What sense would it make to build a new arena away from the practice facility?

 

[G- RUnit]

Sure you could get a smart architect in there and make a nice 10,000 plus arena which is perfect. The one cool thing/advantage we have and some RU fans want to give it up. It could be our Butler, Dayton, etc as others indicated above. Hate the idea of some generic Nebraska, PSU, Trenton arenas, which are soulless.

Sort of like the Birthplace of College Football and now its unreadable. Penny wise pound foolish. For a LED sign? Would Georgia tear down the Hedges? Clemson take out the rock?

 

[koleszar]

I did say that a power washing would be nice!

Yea they do make some great elastomeric paints now the work well on masonry. Paint the whole Fing thing red. It doesn't show dirt and mold like white. This stuff really isn't that hard to figure out.

 

[Drsupremo]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

 

[Jim_from_RU]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

Um, no.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Sounds like Hobbs expects the RAC to become NJ's Hinkle Fieldhouse. No doubt the RAC will be in the running for the setting of Hoosiers II when it is filmed.

 

[Scarletwoman]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

You are so wrong.

 

[KevH]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

I, and lots of other folks, disagree with you... for several reasons. Most are already mentioned here.

 

[wheezer]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

----
would be a huge waste of money..... huge

 

[jtung230]

Right now, there's no point in adding more empty seats. I agree with him - when there's a waiting list, look to expand.

This is small time thinking. By that standard, we wouldn't have expand in football and no B1G invite. Kids want to play at top facilities. They don't have the same nostalgia as older fans hanging on to the good ole days.

 

[knights1212]

I hope we never go to downtown New Brunswick. It would be a nightmare getting out of a parking garage after a game. There is ample parking by the RAC. The RAC will eventually rock again. I hope we can eventually expand to have 10,000-12,000 seats. That would be great. We also would need more bathrooms, food concessions & wider hallways.

 

[PaKnight]

This is small time thinking. By that standard, we wouldn't have expand in football and no B1G invite. Kids want to play at top facilities. They don't have the same nostalgia as older fans hanging on to the good ole days.

More pressing needs at this time.

 

[sct1111]

Hobbs is 100% correct with his analysis. Expand and renovate the RAC. The concrete trapezoid is ugly as sin but it makes for a great home court advantage. Build a new lobby, new concessions, new bathrooms, renovate the concourse and expand to 10,000 seats and you have yourself a great college atmosphere.

They were spot on when they designed this:

 

[RU848789]

The RAC sucks. It's a high school gym on steroids.

Let's build something like the Prudential Center and put it right next to the train station in New Brunswick.

The Livingston Campus, despite the new construction, is as desolate, depressing and ugly as it was when I lived at the North Tower 40 years ago. Renovating the RAC is akin to flushing your money down the toilet.

Once we get the full B1G $$ we should build a new stadium.

I was in the Towers 37 years ago and it was desolate. No more - in fact, if you talk to current students (and I do, a lot, in my work, as I recruit at Rutgers for my company), all of them like the new campus and a decent % of students think it's the best campus, with all the amenities that are there now.

If money were no object and they built a great hoops-only building in downtown NB, I'd take it in a heartbeat. It's just not very likely to happen, so expanding and upgrading the RAC for much less $$ is our best shot.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

There is ZERO reason to build a new arena IMHO. THE RAC - at ITS BEST - is a Top 10 Home Court Advantage nationally. Filling in the corners of the student section, and throwing in another 1000 seats at the other end, would make it even louder and better. The rest - concessions, VIP, et al - will take care of itself when the money is available.

NO THANK YOU to a "sterile" multi-purpose facility.

 

[Jim_from_RU]

There is ZERO reason to build a new arena IMHO. THE RAC - at ITS BEST - is a Top 10 Home Court Advantage nationally. Filling in the corners of the student section, and throwing in another 1000 seats at the other end, would make it even louder and better. The rest - concessions, VIP, et al - will take care of itself when the money is available.

NO THANK YOU to a "sterile" multi-purpose facility.

Amen!

 

[greenknight]

Better basketball + a few more people is all we need.

A little facelift inside and out will do wonders for appearance and the showing of commitment.

What they need to do is put scarlet red leLED sconces shooting down the facade of the building. Or shoot scarlet LED lighting up the side of RAC

 

[SirScarlet]

This gets debated all the time, but I hope we NEVER get rid of the RAC.

If the time comes (i.e., if there is a need, and the $ to make it happen), upgrade it, renovate it, whatever you want to call it.

Just don't replace it.

It can be a deadly weapon.

(And the $ saved could be spent in LOTS of other areas.)

This this this

Oh...and this!

 

[PiscatawayMike]

Capacity at the RAC can be increased simply by using the original architectural drawings. Here you can see what the lobby/section 118 portion of the RAC was supposed to look like...

 

[jtung230]

This gets debated all the time, but I hope we NEVER get rid of the RAC.

If the time comes (i.e., if there is a need, and the $ to make it happen), upgrade it, renovate it, whatever you want to call it.

Just don't replace it.

It can be a deadly weapon.

(And the $ saved could be spent in LOTS of other areas.)

its so deadly, it almost killed the basketball program twice.

 

[G- RUnit]

That looks cool! Just do it!

 

[RU MAN]

I was at an event where I had the chance to speak with Hobbs and I asked about the RAC. He said that until he has a waiting list of 5000 fans it doesn't make any sense to talk about a new arena. He also said that there are some great things about the RAC that he wouldn't want to change. He indicated that the steepness of it has a lot to do with keeping the noise in and they would never be allowed to build something that steep with current construction guidelines. He also indicated that they could blow out the back and front so that the seating could completely wrap around and go higher than it does currently which would probably get seating over 10,000.

I think a facelift is in the cards and hopefully with increased interest in tickets they get the seating up by 2000 - 3000 which I think would make for a great home court advantage.

I did say that a power washing would be nice!

I already heard about this before and think it's a great. When we win consistently the RAC will be unbelievable again. And yes, an architect has already put together plans that show up to 12,500. I think the 10,000 seats would be ideal.

 

[sct1111]

I already heard about this before and think it's a great. When we win consistently the RAC will be unbelievable again. And yes, an architect has already put together plans that show up to 12,500. I think the 10,000 seats would be ideal.

Do you know if there is a render of those plans?

 

[RU MAN]

Do you know if there is a render of those plans?

Yes. Go to: michaelgraves.com/portfolio/rutgers-univeristy-athletic-center

 

[Sir ScarletKnight]

Hobbs is 100% correct with his analysis. Expand and renovate the RAC. The concrete trapezoid is ugly as sin but it makes for a great home court advantage. Build a new lobby, new concessions, new bathrooms, renovate the concourse and expand to 10,000 seats and you have yourself a great college atmosphere.

They were spot on when they designed this:

Yes. But I'm not sure how much I trust someone who can't spell university.

 

[NickKnight 1]

I was at an event where I had the chance to speak with Hobbs and I asked about the RAC. He said that until he has a waiting list of 5000 fans it doesn't make any sense to talk about a new arena. He also said that there are some great things about the RAC that he wouldn't want to change. He indicated that the steepness of it has a lot to do with keeping the noise in and they would never be allowed to build something that steep with current construction guidelines. He also indicated that they could blow out the back and front so that the seating could completely wrap around and go higher than it does currently which would probably get seating over 10,000.

I think a facelift is in the cards and hopefully with increased interest in tickets they get the seating up by 2000 - 3000 which I think would make for a great home court advantage.

I did say that a power washing would be nice!

What was his reply to the power washing idea?

 

[RUonBrain]

its so deadly, it almost killed the basketball program twice.

?

The RAC nearly killed the program?

What are you talking about?