Best Gyms in the State

[The Professor]

38 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

This thread got me wondering what are the largest high school gyms in the state. Here's the capacity of some of the gyms mentioned in this thread and a few others that I figured had large capacity: 

Marshall County ..... 6,000

Henry County ..... 5,400

Mason County ..... 5,400

Pulaski County .... 5,000

Hopkinsville ..... 4,800

George Rogers Clark ..... 4,500

Breathitt County ..... 4,000

Clay County ..... 3,800

Bourbon County ..... 3,800

Bowling Green ..... 3,500

Holmes ..... 3,000

 

Breathitt Coliseum doesn’t come remotely close to seating 4,000. More like 2,800. It has the appearance that it seats more because of its dome design but their rows of seats shorten in width as you climb higher to the back rows. 
 

The largest gym in the 14th region is Knott County Central, which seats 5,000. 

[Voice of Reason]

32 minutes ago, The Professor said:

Breathitt Coliseum doesn’t come remotely close to seating 4,000. More like 2,800. It has the appearance that it seats more because of its dome design but their rows of seats shorten in width as you climb higher to the back rows. 
 

The largest gym in the 14th region is Knott County Central, which seats 5,000. 

I pulled those numbers off the KHSAA school directory. They have 4,000 listed for Breathitt.

[OlDog75]

6 hours ago, Runcible Owl said:

Holmes has a big Indiana high school size feel to it. When I first saw it, I couldn't believe how high the rafters were. This photo is from the 1972 35th District tournament - Holy Cross vs Cov Cath. There's an owl somewhere in that crowd and Evans Fieldhouse is a great place to watch a game.

When I caught a game there back in those days,  you had to get there early to get a seat and I always sat in last row below the "prison" windows shown in the background just to stand up and get some air.  Place got hot at times.

[CincySportsFan]

4 hours ago, OlDog75 said:

When I caught a game there back in those days,  you had to get there early to get a seat and I always sat in last row below the "prison" windows shown in the background just to stand up and get some air.  Place got hot at times.

Haven't they had issues in the past with someone opening one of the exteriors doors (because it's been so hot) and the cold air condensing all the moisture inside and making the floors slippery?  Maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else.

[TheDeuce]

Frankfort actually has a pretty big gym, especially considering the school size. I believe it's just shy of 3,000 for capacity. 

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

11 hours ago, punttheball said:

Interesting roof construction. What would you call that in the construction business?

Are the beams wood? Or just covered with wood?

 

11 hours ago, punttheball said:

It could be that simple. LOL.

I figured CWB would know if there is a more technical name for the type of construction. Being a retired firefighter I spent a lot of time learning about building construction and how different types of structures react to fire load. I don't recall studying that type of structure.

There are a variety of different construction types for domes...some of them have different "overlaps" in the way they're designed/engineered, and I think honestly some of the design-type names can even be used somewhat interchangeably. I did a little reading online about the dome down at Breathitt yesterday afternoon/last night, and it sounds like the current roof is at least the 3rd one it's had: the original, the replacement after a collapse in the 80s, and now the roof they have after the fire in 2020. The pictures I'm seeing of what they have in place right now look like what I've heard called a radial wood dome - also kind of generically called an "umbrella dome". The large radial beams appear to be wooden glulams, but they could also be wood-wrapped metal beams. Just kind of depending on the engineering of the beams, sometimes it's less expensive to go with a wooden glulam, and sometimes it's less expensive to go with metal and wrap it with a wood facing. I can't exactly tell from that black & white picture from the original construction what material the beams were when the coliseum was originally built, but looking at the current pictures I would suspect that what are currently in place are glulam beams.

[mcpapa]

15 hours ago, Randy Parker said:

What a huge pile of poopy.

You sit with Parker and this is a representative sample of the intellectual level of discourse that you’re in for. 

The voice of experience speaks. 

[Bluesport]

This is a cool thread. I guess I need to get out more and see some of these. As a homer for CovCath, USA Today had them ranked as the #11 place  in the country to watch a game at. Obviously that was not the case in 2021, but hope so next year.

[The Professor]

13 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I pulled those numbers off the KHSAA school directory. They have 4,000 listed for Breathitt.

I know that’s what they have listed but it won’t seat that many. Maybe 3,000 if you really pack them in and also count standing room. But it is a beautiful gym. One of the nicest looking ones in the state. 
 

I think Perry Central is 4,000. Knott Central is the largest in the region as I mentioned. 5,000. 

[Voice of Reason]

22 minutes ago, Bluesport said:

This is a cool thread. I guess I need to get out more and see some of these. As a homer for CovCath, USA Today had them ranked as the #11 place  in the country to watch a game at. Obviously that was not the case in 2021, but hope so next year.

There is only one reason CovCath would rank that high and it has nothing to do with the gym. There is nothing special about the gym facility that gets them that ranking IMO.

[allsport71]

Of course as a Holmes guy, I put Holmes up near the top, a shooters gym, always bright unlike some of the gyms, I really like Montgomery County’s, Henry County and Mason, call me crazy but that small gym in Latonia (the Finn) is also one of my favorites, the atmosphere is what high school ball is all about. Also I would have to add Scott County to my list that I have attended a game in.

[mcpapa]

34 minutes ago, The Professor said:

I know that’s what they have listed but it won’t seat that many. Maybe 3,000 if you really pack them in and also count standing room. But it is a beautiful gym. One of the nicest looking ones in the state. 
 

I think Perry Central is 4,000. Knott Central is the largest in the region as I mentioned. 5,000. 

This happens more often than you would think.  They used to say that Mason County held 6,500; but the 5,400 I think is accurate.  The daughter of the guy that built the place was a supervisee of mine for years and was in a position to know, so I'm comfortable with the number.

I've seen where the Montgomery County gym is supposed to be able to hold 7,000 (Wikipedia); but it's smaller than the Fieldhouse.  Something along the lines of 4,500 is more realistic.

[The Professor]

37 minutes ago, mcpapa said:

This happens more often than you would think.  They used to say that Mason County held 6,500; but the 5,400 I think is accurate.  The daughter of the guy that built the place was a supervisee of mine for years and was in a position to know, so I'm comfortable with the number.

I've seen where the Montgomery County gym is supposed to be able to hold 7,000 (Wikipedia); but it's smaller than the Fieldhouse.  Something along the lines of 4,500 is more realistic.

Yeah, they embellish the numbers in most of them. 

[Runcible Owl]

2 hours ago, Bluesport said:

This is a cool thread. I guess I need to get out more and see some of these. As a homer for CovCath, USA Today had them ranked as the #11 place  in the country to watch a game at. Obviously that was not the case in 2021, but hope so next year.

#wastwnd

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

There is only one reason CovCath would rank that high and it has nothing to do with the gym. There is nothing special about the gym facility that gets them that ranking IMO.

I agree with this. The gym is pretty modest by today's standards. It seats 1200+, but when it (and New Cath's gym) was built in 1954 it was the largest in the Greater Cincinnati area. Even with the later additions, it doesn't have a "wow" factor.

What makes it special?

The quality of play on the floor is one part of it. Ongoing rivalries within the 9th region, the GCL schools, and back in the day, visits by the legendary 60's and 70's Central and Male teams.

The second, and for some the best part, is watching the student section. From groups like "The Back of the Bus Club," to "The Bourgeoisie," sprang today's "Colonel Crazies." For me, the generations of the kids in the stands have made an ordinary gym special.

Here are a few pics from the Feb. '73 home game vs. New Cath (with *gasp* cheerleaders). Can't make it to Park Hills? The "home team" travels well too.

[punttheball]

11 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

 

There are a variety of different construction types for domes...some of them have different "overlaps" in the way they're designed/engineered, and I think honestly some of the design-type names can even be used somewhat interchangeably. I did a little reading online about the dome down at Breathitt yesterday afternoon/last night, and it sounds like the current roof is at least the 3rd one it's had: the original, the replacement after a collapse in the 80s, and now the roof they have after the fire in 2020. The pictures I'm seeing of what they have in place right now look like what I've heard called a radial wood dome - also kind of generically called an "umbrella dome". The large radial beams appear to be wooden glulams, but they could also be wood-wrapped metal beams. Just kind of depending on the engineering of the beams, sometimes it's less expensive to go with a wooden glulam, and sometimes it's less expensive to go with metal and wrap it with a wood facing. I can't exactly tell from that black & white picture from the original construction what material the beams were when the coliseum was originally built, but looking at the current pictures I would suspect that what are currently in place are glulam beams.

Great information! Thank you.