Thompson-Boiling Arena An Example of How the Tri-Cities Should NOT Build a New Arena

It’s too big. But what is too small?

Marky Billson, host of Tri-Cities Sports NOW

Tonight is the 500th game the Tennessee men’s basketball team will play at Thompson-Boiling Arena.

In many ways that’s incredible, but not in a good way. Thompson-Boiling is the modern day case study of how east Tennessee did not or does not understand the “Sellout Mentality” regarding athletics.

What is the sellout mentality? Think about if you went to “The Battle of Bristol” two years ago or an event such as a Tennessee-Florida football game at Neyland.

You talked about it before hand. If you had physical and not electronic tickets you showed them off.

“Look what I got! See where I’m going to be?”

Not exactly like going to the Tuesday matinee at the movies. But since perhaps the most telling example of the cockeyed optimism that reigns in east Tennessee is the way-too-large size of so many of the sports venues in east Tennessee, many sporting events have the feel of a Tuesday night at the movies instead of a hot ticket.

Bristol Motor Speedway seats 162,000. Neyland Stadium 102,455. McKenzie Arena seats just less than 11,000, and Thompson-Boiling Arena comes in at 21,678, down from 24,535 when it opened.

The reduction in seating capacity is telling. Even in 2008, when the Vols finished fourth nationally in attendance and were ranked №1 on Feb. 25; Tennessee drew, on average, more than 1,000 fans less than capacity.

Thompson Boiling not only has too many seats, but it doesn’t have the floor space that could bring in pro hockey.

So the place is too big. So are all the venues listed above.

But the postseason structure of college basketball has so devalued the regular season the place could be half empty for tonight’s game with Eastern Kentucky and there would be no outrage.

Tennessee-Eastern Kentucky. Sure the Vols are ranked sixth, but get back to us when Gonzaga is the opponent or the SEC schedule starts, right?

There isn’t a push to replace Thompson-Boiling, despite the fact it is 31 years old and lacks the ancillary rooms needed for events such as the NCAA Tournament.

But it is telling. Closer to home, ETSU basketball realized they were never going to sell 12,000 seats on a consistent basis, hence the reason modifications to the Minidome were never made once fire marshall restrictions were put in place and eventually millions were spent to make Freedom Hall, with its smaller seating capacity, home.

Put 6,149 in Freedom Hall it’s a sellout and a hot ticket in town. Put the same amount of people in the Minidome and there are 6,000 empty seats.

Yes, they played basketball in this place.

Granted, nobody wants to make their venues too small. The sellout mentality did not apply when Virginia Intermont was open and played basketball at the 250-seat Cobra Den.

Remember this place?

Small arena means small time feel.

It’s the dilemma that our area will face if and when a new arena is ever built. Keep the capacity at 6,000, but never really expanding the fan base and limit the amount of concerts that will be interested in coming?

Make a bold try at 10,000, but risk the tomb situation?

ETSU basketball averaged more than 8,400 fans a game at the Minidome in 1991 and 1992. An aberration? Only if you believe ETSU will never be nationally ranked again. Build bigger, and you’re setting that goal.

Just make sure the floor is large enough for pro hockey to come to town.

Yes, Thompson-Boiling is too big. But hopefully it’s influence will be a place where a huge crowd can come when Kentucky comes to town, rather than a place that makes future structures in the area built too small.

Marky Billson hosts Tri-Cities Sports NOW 12–2 p.m. ET weekdays on 1420 NBC Sports Radio Tri-Cities. Watch his show live and archived here and here.