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Inside Iowa State, a newspaper for faculty and staff, is published by the Office of University Relations.

Nov. 3, 2006

Hilton is ready for hoops season

by Erin Rosacker

Headed to Hilton Coliseum for the season's first basketball games this weekend? If you haven't been to a volleyball match this fall, or followed the progress of renovations at Hilton, you may be surprised when you take a look around the arena.

Sections renumbered

Check your ticket; the sections have been renumbered. Arena circle and parquet seats are 100-level sections, balcony seating is designated as 200-level sections.

When you find your seat, note that it is red -- not 1970s orange. All of the cushioned chairs were refurbished or replaced, a process made difficult by the fact that there were three different sizes to change out.

The chairs located in the east and west bleacher areas behind the baskets remain unchanged, but the configuration on the west side will mirror the east side. The walkway splitting the west stands will be filled in and fans will enter and exit by going under the bleachers on either side.

The basketball court isn't new, but it did get a facelift. The Cyclone logo at center court is bigger and the endlines were repainted. Press row, which lined the south side of the court, was partially relocated to the north concourse and replaced by "Court Cy'd Club" donor seating.

New scoreboard system

A new "ring beam" -- a continuous videoboard that encircles the arena at the balcony level -- displays messaging, advertisements, and video graphics. The center-hung video scoreboard is new, weighing in at 21,500 pounds. It took an estimated 40,000 pounds of added steel reinforcement in the ceiling to support the new equipment.

"There was major structural work accomplished this summer in order to accommodate the scoreboard and not really change the capacity of the ceiling," said Randy Baumeister, director of operations at the Iowa State Center. "It's been engineered and reworked."

A new sound system has been installed, delivering sound more evenly throughout the arena, including the balcony. But the biggest change in sound will be the location of the band. A new Big 12 Conference men's basketball rule has moved pep bands away from the visitor benches. In Hilton, that will relocate the band from the northwest corner to the south end of the bleachers behind the west basket, the same spot it occupies for women's games.

Men's basketball plays host to EA Sports in an exhibition matchup Friday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. The women's basketball team faces St. Cloud State at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, in its first preseason tuneup.

Summary

Refurbished seats, a repainted floor and a new scoreboard system that includes a ring beam around the concourse and central video board await basketball fans this winter.