I was on the same team with his brother Jack, when Jack was a freshman. I was the assistant on the varsity just after Jimmy graduated.
Rec Hall Debate…
- Thread starter CSauertiegPSU
- Start date
I was @ bloom 3rd through 6th grade during jimmys time @ Danville. He was an animal. He would ride the bike after his 98 pound match till HWy at least that’s what I remember. Wasn’t he like 85 pounds as a freshman.
He weighed in at states his freshman year at 85 pounds in the 98lb weight class. He always looked really young, even now he looks really young for his age.
They certainly can. They have probably 50 feet of expansion space on the north side where they could have a modern concourse with…you know….more than a 3 holer bathroom and actual concessions.
I went to both duals at BJC this year. I contribute to the NLC (obviously not enough) and had early purchase access (obviously not early enough). I felt way too far from the action. I didn’t even realize Vespa had a cradle locked.
When I later learned about Vespa’s cradle, I told my wife I won’t sit in the upper deck at BJC again. I’ll pay premium for a lower level resale ticket, but that means I won’t be able to take others with me when I do.
I love rec hall. I’m not sure 19-18 happens at BJC.
But I think one BJC meet a year is needed. Not two, but one. The hype of one big matchup at BJC is good for the sport and probably good for recruiting too.
As others have said, a 10k-ish arena with the crowd close (enough) to the action would be ideal. Rec Hall is leaving a lot of ticket, parking and concession revenue on the table, especially as the years go on.
If they could expand Rec Hall, that’d be incredible but I don’t know if that’s feasible. A new facility may be prohibitively expensive if only one sport can fill it 5-7x a year.
When I later learned about Vespa’s cradle, I told my wife I won’t sit in the upper deck at BJC again. I’ll pay premium for a lower level resale ticket, but that means I won’t be able to take others with me when I do.
I love rec hall. I’m not sure 19-18 happens at BJC.
But I think one BJC meet a year is needed. Not two, but one. The hype of one big matchup at BJC is good for the sport and probably good for recruiting too.
As others have said, a 10k-ish arena with the crowd close (enough) to the action would be ideal. Rec Hall is leaving a lot of ticket, parking and concession revenue on the table, especially as the years go on.
If they could expand Rec Hall, that’d be incredible but I don’t know if that’s feasible. A new facility may be prohibitively expensive if only one sport can fill it 5-7x a year.
Rec Hall in a truly heated dual (of which we have so few these days) is worth +2 dual points, easily.
I thought 2nd deck seats were great and could easily see the action. PSUPaul and I both knew Vespa locked up that cradle soon as he did it. Maybe it's your eyes....lol
I'm with you though. Love REC Hall. Would love it more if they could throw another 2500 or so seats on top of it.
I was towards the corner, Iowa side, and only a few rows from the top. So maybe better upper level would have worked. And it’s been a few years since my last eye exam. And its been documented that I had a few white claws pre-match.
No, actually from your seats it would have been hard for you to see it. Just from way the wrestlers we're positioned on mat. I think so anyway.
To be fair, that was right when he was in the middle of writing The Breakfast Club.
@CSauertiegPSU I completely agree. I’d give your post 10 likes if I could. I absolutely love Rec Hall.
Rec Hall and the Palestra, both designed by Charles Z. Klauder, are Pennsylvania treasures and should both be National Landmarks. This place should be treasured, and possibly enhanced. But to move out of Rec Hall would be insane.
My all time favorite wrestling memory was the famous ‘not how we would do it’ PSU-tOSU dual when Kuhn blew the roof off of Rec Hall when he threw Nato through the scorers table.
It shouldn’t just be about the money. The environment there is just absolutely incredible, and the electricity will never be replicated at BJC.
I realize I have a get off my lawn streak at times. But PSU wrestling at Rec Hall is a topic I’m just really passionate about.
Not sure if you’ve been but think you’d enjoy Grace Hall at Lehigh. A bit smaller, but still a really cool feel.
Yes - I had the pleasure of going to a PSU dual there about 6 years ago and really enjoyed it.
...I have season tickets for both PSU and Lehigh but the comparison is a thing of the past...
...Lehigh chose to redo the former "Snake Pit" to accomadate their aging loyal fan base and in the process lowered their crowd base capacity as they passed on...Stabler Arena's increased capacity was heralded as absolutely necessary in the 60's but has become less attractive to both their student fans and also their South Bethlehem citizen faithful since it is located beyond walking distance ...their declining attendance has reflected the erroneous decision to expand at a time when their wrestling performance has also weakened to a
degree and the nearby fan neighborhood has been replaced by an expanding Lehigh campus...🤷🏽♂️
...Lehigh chose to redo the former "Snake Pit" to accomadate their aging loyal fan base and in the process lowered their crowd base capacity as they passed on...Stabler Arena's increased capacity was heralded as absolutely necessary in the 60's but has become less attractive to both their student fans and also their South Bethlehem citizen faithful since it is located beyond walking distance ...their declining attendance has reflected the erroneous decision to expand at a time when their wrestling performance has also weakened to a
degree and the nearby fan neighborhood has been replaced by an expanding Lehigh campus...🤷🏽♂️
They are but there isn't enough room for a growing fan base. I don't get to many matches unless someone is not going and has tickets. I don't think something as big as BJC is what we need but something a little bigger and more modern would be awesome
With NIL rules, as active as they want to be.
I’m quite active. Fitness is a huge part of my daily life.
Most duals are still held at Grace, right? It’s pretty tiny but I can’t imagine demand is *that* much is it? I know they hosted Cornell there recently. I’m not old enough to know much about it pre-2003 reno. How much did it used to seat?
agree. can remember watching pa. state championships there as a teen. seemed big then
.Get ready for a seat license for wrestling similar to football. Rec hall is sold out. Younger alumni/fans have been on waiting list for season tickets for over 7 years and still waiting. While many old timers have their seats near mat and pay same price as last row seats. Having those in lower bleachers paying a $100 season seat license would generate enough $ to paid all coaches salaries. Law of supply/demand should apply. Current $30/match for season tickets is a bargan. Many of these season ticket holders are not even members of the Nittany Lion Club.
For comparison tickets for Iowa wrestling in Carver Hawkeye range from $34 to $59 per match depending on seat location. PSU is leaving a LOT of $ on table with wrestling ticket
Pricing.
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Yes! I understand the economic side of BJC of having the larger matches there, and maybe that's what Kraft ultimately envisions too, but the 2018 match with OSU was lights out at Rec Hall (thank you Cassar and Nevills)... and could not be replicated at BJC.
Rec Hall in a truly heated dual (of which we have so few these days) is worth +2 dual points, easily.
Rec Hall will always be a special place.. from when I was a kid in the early 90's sneaking in the side door with my Dad to grab a free seat in the corner to watch Sanshiro Abe, McCoy, Kolat and Hughes brothers. Those were the days!
Let me know my friend. I'm sure I could wrangle up a couple of Tix for you.
You also missed seeing all the Iowa takedowns, oh wait so did everyone else. Must have been the white claws
They changed pricing this year for season tickets. Based on location the season tickets vary in price. Quite dramatic from lowest to highest as well. Highest prices now 70$ ish per match.
I remember around 1987 for the Center County tournament. BEA was #6, PO was #11 in the State. State College won the Tournament. But at States Bellefonte finished the highest with the Walker twins and Fishburn (I think 10th).
I got lower level resale seats via Ticketmaster in 131L, which is the temporary bleachers on the basketball floor right behind where the PSU wrestlers run out, for $100 each. That was great. We were really close and had a great view of everything, and it wasn't an arm and a leg.
Build a new facility, we have the fan base and the program to fill it. Don’t need to hold onto and old out of date facility for nostalgia sake. They can build a modernized , better facility.
Already happening. A semi-tiered pricing system for season tickets went into effect this year. My front row, mat side seats tripled in cost this year. I'm paying about three times what my friend sitting behind me now pays. I expect further tweaks to that approach in future years as I saw no turnover among those that saw the highest price increase. Even with that unprecedented bump, there appears to still be substatial money left on the table.
Let me know if you have a dual available. I would enjoy sitting there one time.
Speaking solely as a photographer, holding every match in the BJC, where I can sit on a chair matside, as opposed to having to kneel on a designated 2'x2' patch of floor in front of the students at Rec Hall, I strongly support the former. Not to mention that while the lighting in Rec Hall is better than most venues, the lighting in BJC is outstanding.
But personally, I agree that there'd be something lost if Rec Hall ceases to be the place. But I also like @HOCKEYGOD11 's suggestion of a sub 10k venue for wrestling and other sports b/c Rec Hall is relatively ancient and not ideal. The new venue should have a raised platform for wrestling, and matside chairs for photographers.
But personally, I agree that there'd be something lost if Rec Hall ceases to be the place. But I also like @HOCKEYGOD11 's suggestion of a sub 10k venue for wrestling and other sports b/c Rec Hall is relatively ancient and not ideal. The new venue should have a raised platform for wrestling, and matside chairs for photographers.
Don’t forget the beer taps and bbq for photographers.
OK, so what are our requirements for a new wrestling arena?
A few thoughts:
- enough mat space for Kuhn's headlock
- extra ceiling space for banners
- not enough seating for Ohio State fans
- penalty box for Terry
- beer fridge for Willie
- elevated mat
- safety net for Lehigh and OKST
A few thoughts:
- enough mat space for Kuhn's headlock
- extra ceiling space for banners
- not enough seating for Ohio State fans
- penalty box for Terry
- beer fridge for Willie
- elevated mat
- safety net for Lehigh and OKST
Apparently there wasn't enough seats for Ohio State fans this past weekend either...
Also dog shock collars for the opposing coaches for when they traverse the mat
The seats are hard and compete with economy airline seats for being narrow. The visiting locker room is small and reminds one of the kind of place the Philadelphia Athletics would have used in the 1940’s. What can I call them …. the alley behind stands is narrow, crowded, and has a feel as old as some of the team pictures …. which stretch back to the early 1900’s. Our fans are packed so tight around the visiting team that coaches are unfairly restricted in what they say to their wrestlers. The A/C which was installed about 10 years ago does not alleviate the heat or bodily emissions. IN OTHER WORDS, ….. it’s perfect! When I think of Pennsylvania wrestling, I think of a cold winter night, faithful fans packed in tight holding their heavy coats, and yelling “right onto the mat”. Rec Hall fulfills all those dreams. Like I said, …. It’s PERFECT!
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