Posted on Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.
Michigan's revamped basketball facility now called Crisler Center
By AnnArbor.com Staff
Welcome to Crisler Center.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Known as Crisler Arena for its first 44 years, the University of Michigan this week started using “Crisler Center” as the name for the combined area of the renovated basketball arena and the new basketball facility. The new name appears on MGoBlue.com and in releases from the Michigan athletic department.
Michigan opened a new $23.2 million Player Development Center in October that sits alongside the basketball arena.
Renovation work is ongoing at Crisler Center, and two gates are closed this season.
Comments
Doug
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 3:37 p.m.
I'm sure the decision to rename this facility took months of arduous discussion.
kelly
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 3:37 p.m.
They always said that Chrysler was the house that Cazzie build. How about the court itself be named Cazzie Russell Arena?
KINGofSKA
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 4:09 a.m.
This looks pretty cool. As far as far as names, I'll still call it Crisler Arena. Just like how Franks never went under to English Gardens.
7718
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 3:31 a.m.
What about the "Michigan Tradition"? I hope Brandon isn't going to rename Michigan Stadium anytime soon.
ChrisW
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 11:20 p.m.
What genius thought it would be a good idea to use the name "Crisler Center" when the university already has a "Chrysler Center" on North Campus?
Ruth
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 10:49 p.m.
Looking nice. However, the new scoreboards are hard to see. The angle to see the players names, points, and fouls from the lowest seats is very sharp, making it hard to see individual statistics. I wish there were scoreboards in the ends to see the detail. Entrance steps and steps inside are still a barrier so far.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
When I was a freshman at M. and was required to take two semesters of Phys Ed, I took Marching Band (well-earned credit!) and golf. We got to go out on a few nice spring days and work on our long shots on the grass east of the Stadium. It was great. There was a nice, long, sloping, well-grassed area, and nobody (not even the class B NY state champ) could hit the stadium. What a relaxing way to earn a credit. Point is, of course, that they ruined that place by building a huge basketball arena there and converting Yost Arena (where roundball was played up to and including Cazzie Russell) into a hockey arena. Toward the end of Yost as a basketball setting, they had to come out regularly during the games and wipe the snow drip off the court. Anyhow, to me it's just Crisler. It has no last name. Glad they fixed it up. The new facility should help a lot with recruiting.
kef
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 8:55 p.m.
as I wrote on the 'community wall' yesterday: I just attended my first men's basketball game of this year's season. Michigan played Bradley. Michigan won! The arena was almost full. It was a great game, the crowd had fun and almost everyone stayed to the end. The new scoreboards are wonderful and the seating is, after years of springs in my backside, comfortable. However alterations are continuing. Doors have been boarded over. For the entire south and west sides there is only one exit and that exit leads to a wooden stairway (where people are forced to move slowly and carefully). On the east side an exit has been removed to accomodate the new practice/recruiting facility. At the end of the game the crowd was totally gridlocked for fifteen minutes. For fifteen minutes we stood tightly packed in the outer rim hallway without moving at all. Total gridlock. What would have happened if there was a fire? Is this a disaster waiting to happen? Should we be taking a gamble that there will be no fire? U of M can do better. During this construction phase the flow could be one-way after the game. All vendors could be shut down a few minutes before the end of the game. Another south end stairway could be added. Dr. Coleman, Mr. Brandon, if there was a fire or a panic, the liability you are exposing U of M to could bankrupt our wonderful institution. People are being put at risk. Please, act now. Fix the inadequate egress before anything terrible happens.
Ross
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 12:40 a.m.
Yeah, that was pretty awful, huh? If someone had even just yelled fire, or bomb, or whatever, the crowd would have trampled and killed dozens of people. It was almost getting scary the detectable unease and nervousness that started to build in the gridlocked crowd as we stood motionless for 15 minutes. I think the fire marshall should probably be notified of this terribly dangerous condition. I was ready to punch holes through the drywall covering over the exits int he one corner that was closed and see if we could get out. To seal off an entire zone of exits during a nearly full basketball game is reckless and irresponsible behavior by the university. Shame on them.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
allow me to be the first to comment....ummm......errrr.......arena has 5 letters yet 3 syllables and center has 6 letters yet 2 syllables . 5x3=15 and 6X2=12. 15+12=27 which would be a swell number of wins at the old arena..errr...center.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
I guess I'm not the first after all.
mr_annarbor
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
I like the renovations. Crisler [whatever you want to call it] was getting pretty shabby.