With intimate sideline and baseline seating, John Paul Jones arena has the potential to become one of the most intimidating places to play in the country. Student turnout is a critical factor in developing such a home-court advantage, and last month, the athletics department released the student seating plan for the 15,000 seat arena.
3,200 seats will be made available for students of which 1,600 will be in upper level -- sections 301, 302 and 315. The upper level student seating is open to all students.
The lower bowl plan, however, is more complicated. Overall, there will be 1,600 seats available for students in the lower bowl. At least 900 of these will be open to all students, while as many as 700 could be available for the Hoo Crew. Five sideline sections -- totaling 492 seats -- have been designated for the Hoo Crew. If needed, the first 12 rows of section 118 -- on the baseline-- will also be available for the Hoo Crew. General student seating will be in sections 116-119, with the band located in the lower rows of section 117. Any Hoo Crew seats not taken a half-hour before game time will be opened up to the general student body on a first-come, first-served basis.
If past numbers are any indication, almost all Virginia students should be able to sit in the lower bowl. Last season, an average of 845 students attended men's basketball games. The most heavily attended game was Jan. 19 against North Carolina when 2,019 students saw Virginia beat the Tar Heels, 72-68. In contrast, a mere 405 students saw the Cavaliers defeat Longwood, 91-56, Feb. 15. Even under the best circumstances, it could take several years before Virginia's student body regularly uses up its entire ticket allotment at JPJ.
Two forums were held this spring for students to provide feedback about several different potential JPJ student seating plans. The finalized student seating plan was presented to the Student Council by the athletics department April 25.
The Athletics department and the Virginia Athletics Foundation have made the Hoo Crew an integral part of the plan to fill JPJ. The student-run organization was founded last year in conjunction with both the athletics department and the VAF. According to Hoo Crew President Graham Tucker, about 375 students joined the organization. Currently, the group is still finalizing its policies for next year.
"We're trying to think of what we can do differently this year to hopefully make the most people happy," Tucker said.
Some students, like sophomore David Becker, however, have expressed concerns with the seating plan because non-Hoo Crew students could potentially be kept from front row seating.
"Basically, I feel like they [the Athletics department and VAF] had in their minds the plan that they wanted and that they were just pretending to let us have a say in it at those forums," Becker, who attended one of the forums, said when reached by telephone.
Part of building a winning basketball program is the development of a winning fan base. The grandeur of JPJ's architecture will likely gain it recognition as it one of the most beautiful arenas in country. It will be up to Virginia's students, however, to make it one of the most feared places to play.
The first game at JPJ will be played Nov. 12 against Arizona.
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