I’m in the pressbox at the new Campus Center Ice Arena on the campus of Oswego. I’ll get to the action between Elmira and St. Thomas in the opening game of the Pathfinder Bank Oswego Classic in a few minutes, but for now, I’m taking in this gorgeous facility:
1. It’s big, bright and open. If you’ve been to Cheel Arena at Clarkson, this building is on par with that one.
2. The acoustics are great.
3. The pressbox has great vantage points. I’m sitting on the redline about 50 feet up.
4. Not much atmosphere, but it’s the early game and the Lakers aren’t playing yet. Even so, school is out so I don’t expect a sellout tonight – officials here are hoping for 1,500 in an arena that seats 2,513. That’s one area where the old Romney Fieldhouse is going to be tough to replace – it could get electric in there.
5. I’m not a big Steve Levy fan, but he did donate what is apparently a large sum (matched by his employer, ESPN) for the pressbox. The six figure donation apparently called for Levy’s name to be splashed in foot-high letters across the back wall of the box. So props to Steve for the donation…but dude, low key would have been the way to go. I guess he wanted to make sure everybody in Oswego County could read it.
Back later with more on the game(s).
