NOOOO!!!! There are architectural plans from the Pernetti days to expand the RAC up to 12,500 and make it state-of-the-art. We have such an advantage playing in there, rather than playing in a 15,000 seat mausoleum like PSU plays in.
Shack read my post. During the Pernetti days we had an architectural plan to reach a capacity of 12,500 at the RAC. Personally I think if we added 2,000 to 2,500 (10,000 to 10,500) that IMO would be ideal and the place would be even louder.
Renovate it based on the pernetti plan. Make the concourse area easier to navigate. This treasure needs to be preserved
Will people stop referring to Pernetti's plans? It was a drawing. None of it was realistic and the main point of it was to build onto the RAC and add the practice courts. It was not based in reality, architecturally or financially. It was a joke.
I know about the front part of the drawings. But you're dead wrong regarding it was just a drawing. There was an architectural firm that not only showed the inside of the new RAC, but also created a feasibility study, so I don't know where you got your info from but you're mistaken.
I recall that and this link from the architects (Michael Graves) is all I could find. It doesn't show much regarding seating upgrades other than one pic (below) showing the current student section being significantly larger with some of the "gaps" filled in (providing a new opportunity for "gap-tard" discussion, lol) and clearly the old 118 section being much larger. I assume the improvements to the entrance area, lobby, concessions, etc. could still be somewhat in play, as well as seating expansions (and premium seating), but I would imagine the 2nd part, below, about new facilities, has already been accomplished via the new RWJ Barnabas building. Some cool pics in the link.
"When the University joined the Big 10 athletic conference, the University commissioned a feasibility study for phased modernization of the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) and basketball arena to attract recruits, honor student athletes, boost school pride and improve athletic department revenue. A public plaza and eastern addition create a new front door to the arena. A dynamic public lobby, ticketing and Hall of Fame precede an upgraded arena with increased concessions and fan support. Alterations to the seating bowl improve circulation and sight lines and provide premium seating and club facilities to increase revenue from a dedicated fan base.
Improving the RAC goes beyond the fan experience. New facilities – from a training table and informal food service to a learning center for academic support – cater to the needs of the student athlete and students at large. Renovations and additions provide strength, conditioning and training facilities, locker rooms and state-of-the-art basketball courts for practice and recreation. With its improved image and programmatic offerings, the new RAC will be seen as a center for student life as well as athletics."
https://www.michaelgraves.com/projects/louis-brown-athletic-center-addition-renovation/
Numbers, that's it. But I'm glad you included the part about the feasibility study done by Graves Architects. They also had drawings of a new opening to the RAC, but that also included practice facilities on both sides of the entrance. I still think they can incorporate the middle portion of that, as it would be a very cool entrance and probably expand the concession area as well.
Colonel is right. There is no Pernetti Plan. There was a feasibility study conducted by Michael Graves that was primarily focused on an addition to the exterior of the RAC to provide practice facilities and a new entry way. The feasibility study also looked at the feasibility of adding additional premium seating to the arena.
Graves provided a bunch of concept illustrations which were included into a brochure to generate donor interest.
None of those concept illustrations were actually architectural plans or necessarily feasible. All of them were different. One illustration showed the student section with two tiers and entry tunnels. Another showed the student section essentially the same as it is now, with 8 additional rows in the same amount of space. Another illustration replaced the old section 118 with premium seating with club space behind it. Another illustration detailed seating for the 100 level sidelines, but showed 200 fewer seats than exist now.
So what does the Graves feasibility study tell us? It tells us that Rutgers can expand the exterior of the RAC, adding amenities into the expansion. Rutgers can also add practice space and student athlete amenities into the expansion, but that is probably not needed with the new practice facility. The feasibility study also indicates that there is limited premium seating in the RAC (as it existed at the time), but the opportunities to add premium seating is limited, with Sec 118 being the best option and adding floor seating by moving the 100-level sections back (but that would reduce the number of 100-level seats available).
So anyone who says "Let's build the Pernetti Plan" doesn't know what they are talking about, because there was no plan. Sure there are a bunch of different illustrations, but none of them are real. They are just starting points for discussion. Sure, you can suggest that Rutgers expand the RAC to the front and sides, but it is not like there are a set of plans sitting in a drawer on how to do that.
