Curious if any BGP folks have ever been to the First Four in Dayton? How was it? I've thought about going for several years now but have never pulled the trigger. I have no rooting interest, but it seems like it would be a fun time.

I'm going tomorrow if you want to join us.

I'm going tomorrow if you want to join us.

 

Thanks :thumb: for the invite but this year isn't really an option for me. I would like to hear from some folks upon completion this year because I really would like to go in the near future.

Thanks :thumb: for the invite but this year isn't really an option for me. I would like to hear from some folks upon completion this year because I really would like to go in the near future.

 

If you go stub hub your seats before teams are announced. I bought mine at 6:45 yesterday and by 10 prices had doubled for worse seats than I got.

Can't comment on the first four, though I imagine it's a good atmosphere and will be really good with UD playing this year.

 

That said, I highly recommend a trip to Hara Arena (no way it's still called that) for a college basketball game though. Awesome atmosphere. UD fans are great fans, loud and they take college basketball seriously. It's not just a pass time to them. Nobody wants to play them there.

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Have been to the first four and it is really well done. UD Arena (that is not the same building as Hara Arena) is a nice, older facility, seats around 13,000, and they draw very well for the First Four regardless of who is playing. Dayton, the school and the city, make hosting the First Four a really big deal and they do a very nice job with it.

 

Hara Arena, a dump that seats around 5,000 in another part of town, I would not recommend a trip to.

When they first started doing the play-in games, why Dayton? Just centrally located?

I've been once and it was a good experience. Have fun if you go.

Can't comment on the first four, though I imagine it's a good atmosphere and will be really good with UD playing this year.

 

That said, I highly recommend a trip to Hara Arena (no way it's still called that) for a college basketball game though. Awesome atmosphere. UD fans are great fans, loud and they take college basketball seriously. It's not just a pass time to them. Nobody wants to play them there.

 

UD has never played in Hara Arena. That place hosted some HS games at tourney time, and a minor league hockey team called the Gems, but the Flyers have never called it home. I'm not even sure its still standing. UD Arena has been UD Arena since I was a kid.

 

That said, I have been to the first four every year. It's a great night and good hoops. I highly recommend it, the people of Dayton treat it like a real tourney event, not just a rat tail game. With the Flyers there, it will be kicked up exponentially. If you've never been to a game there, treat yourself. One of the best kept atmosphere secrets in the country.

I went once a few years ago when Morehead State played in the First Four. I enjoyed it. Getting there and parking were both easy.

When they first started doing the play-in games, why Dayton? Just centrally located?

 

Familiarity with the facility was part of it. I believe UD Arena has now hosted more tournament games than any other facility in history.

 

The locals also managed to convince the NCAA that it was in enough of a hotbed of basketball fandom that neutrals would come to the games.

 

UD Arena loves hosting and puts a ton into it. I went a couple times when I was in school there (when it was still just 16-seeds) and really enjoyed it.

 

I just passed up on 400-level seats for Wednesday's game though. Never let rabid fandom get the better of your bank account, I always say...

Thanks @Getslow. I don't care what @Randy Parker says about you, you seem like a nice guy.

 

I'd probably go Wednesday if I had free tickets given to me. I just don't think I'd pay to go watch teams I'm not affiliated with and don't really know anything about.

Thanks @Getslow. I don't care what @Randy Parker says about you, you seem like a nice guy.

 

I'd probably go Wednesday if I had free tickets given to me. I just don't think I'd pay to go watch teams I'm not affiliated with and don't really know anything about.

 

No one should ever care about what Randy Parker says about anything. He's a little kid; what does he know?

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Have been to the first four and it is really well done. UD Arena (that is not the same building as Hara Arena) is a nice, older facility, seats around 13,000, and they draw very well for the First Four regardless of who is playing. Dayton, the school and the city, make hosting the First Four a really big deal and they do a very nice job with it.

 

Hara Arena, a dump that seats around 5,000 in another part of town, I would not recommend a trip to.

 

UD has never played in Hara Arena. That place hosted some HS games at tourney time, and a minor league hockey team called the Gems, but the Flyers have never called it home. I'm not even sure its still standing. UD Arena has been UD Arena since I was a kid.

 

That said, I have been to the first four every year. It's a great night and good hoops. I highly recommend it, the people of Dayton treat it like a real tourney event, not just a rat tail game. With the Flyers there, it will be kicked up exponentially. If you've never been to a game there, treat yourself. One of the best kept atmosphere secrets in the country.

 

Thanks for politely correcting me on the UD Arena/Hara Arena mistake. My bad, was thinking about a high school game at Hara when I typed my post. As soon as the NCAA broadcast started tonight and they showed UD Arena I thought to myself, "wow, I'm going to get pounded on BGP for calling the place Hara." lol.

 

UD Arena is a great place to watch a game, great atmosphere. I don't remember Hara being the dump you guys mention, but that was a LONG time ago. Maybe it got worse, or maybe I was to dumb to notice at the time.

Thanks for politely correcting me on the UD Arena/Hara Arena mistake. My bad, was thinking about a high school game at Hara when I typed my post. As soon as the NCAA broadcast started tonight and they showed UD Arena I thought to myself, "wow, I'm going to get pounded on BGP for calling the place Hara." lol.

 

UD Arena is a great place to watch a game, great atmosphere. I don't remember Hara being the dump you guys mention, but that was a LONG time ago. Maybe it got worse, or maybe I was to dumb to notice at the time.

 

 

Definitely not pounded.

 

I find that a LOT of Cincinnatians / Northern Kentuckians think UD Arena is Hara Arena and use them interchangeably. I think we all grew up going up there for concerts (Hara and UD), and I'm not sure we were aware enough to know the difference.