The basketball operations center at Littlejohn Coliseum and the new annex will be open for business sometime in October. Associate Athletic Director of Facilities Management, Joe Simon, gave the media a 90-minute tour of the coliseum on Wednesday.
Simon told the media Littlejohn Coliseum itself will be open by Clemson’s first home football game against Troy on Sept. 10. The coliseum and the concourse area will be open to allow fans to come in from the weather, use the restrooms and relax before the game.
The basketball operations center, the coaches’ offices, weight room, players’ lounge, training room and the practice courts will not be operational until October.
The $63.5 million renovation project for Littlejohn Coliseum began in late May 2015. (LINK to photo gallery)
Question: From a players’ standpoint, was this building, especially the annex, built to make it more player-friendly than what the old coliseum was?
Simon: “Everything they need is right here. Obviously, they will be able to practice in there, but they will be able to practice in (the coliseum) quite as bit as well. It is all connected.”
Question: The new practice annex is attached to the weight room and the men’s and women’s coaches offices and training rooms, right? So, is the annex two practice courts or what?
Simon: “It will be oriented with a main court in it, but we will have the ability to run two courts east to west, if you will, if we so desire, but the main court will be north to south. We will have the same kinds of baskets that we do in the coliseum so they will get used to that and all of that sort of thing.”
Question: It seems to me the new coliseum will be more intimate between the players and the fans. Was that one of the goals when you guys decided to renovate Littlejohn?
Simon: “It is definitely steeper than it was. We more than less kept the upper level as it was. We carved out those corners, but the upper levels are all the same. Obviously, we put in new seats, but the rise and the runs are all the same and we put in hand rails. The lower level, this was dirt 10 months ago. That was completely repoured and when it was repoured it was at a little bit steeper angle. So it is more intimate. That was (Brad Brownell’s) observation when he came in here the first time. It really feels like they are right on top of you, but it is a much steeper design than we had previously. Having the students on an entire sideline is huge. Obviously, having them in the end zone where they were previously is going to be good too. Right on top of the court is big. Yeah, bringing it together, bringing the fans closer and bringing the seats closer it makes it louder and makes it a more intimidating environment for sure.”
Question: I noticed the area for the courtside seat members will have a looking glass where those members can watch the players come down the tunnel from the locker room and onto the floor. Where did that concept come from?
Simon: “We kind of took that idea from some NBA arenas. In an NBA arena, there could be 10 different premium levels. I had seen that down in Orlando, the Orlando Magic’s arena, and it was just kind of a neat fan amenity to be able to make a smaller space for about fifty folks intimate, but yet having the glass has it feel a little bit bigger. Obviously, the Dallas Cowboys, NBA teams do it … seeing the teams run on and off the court is a neat thing. It is a neat thing to be able to see. They will be able to see it two times during pregame, then at halftime and then at the end of the game. It is just a neat amenity we thought. Putting glass in here makes it appear bigger and also it provides a neat amenity for those folks sitting in those spots.”
Question: Does any other ACC school do this?
Simon: “I’m not aware of any college venue that has that. It was taken from the NBA model, if you will.”
Question: What is the capacity of the courtside club?
Simon: “Our capacity is fifty (people) so we will have about fifty seats between the sideline and some on the baseline as well.”
Question: How does courtside differ from the club seating area?
Simon: “The gift level to be on courtside is more than the club seat folks. The idea is, and the experience in the club seats and the courtside club, once you are inside it will be very similar from an amenity standpoint … food and drink service and all of that sort of thing, but obviously the location while the game is going on will be different.”
Question: How many student seats will you have available?
Simon: “There will be 350 seats on the side and 650 in the end zone … a little more than a thousand student seats.
Question: Will that be first come, first serve?
Simon: “That’s the game plan right now. Our operation folks are still working through that, but that is kind of thought right now.”