The Sky play their home games at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Pavilion. I of go back and forth on whether I like to go to games at the pavilion or not. There are definitely some problems, but they could probably be fixed in anyone care to put money into the facility.
I’ve been a ticket season holder for 2 seasons. Last year we had tickets in the mezzanine. This year, we moved down to the first floor. The Pavilion is small (I believe it only seats 6000). You can see from everywhere. So sightlines are not a problem. There is actually plenty of leg room in between rows. The Pavilion was built before arenas were concentrating on jamming people into the venue. Of course, the seats are old and they aren’t the most comfortable and there are no drink holders. (I like drink holders). Although, there is plenty of leg room, there isn’t a lot of shoulder room. You definitely get to know your neighbor.
The only ushers that check section tickets are those than patrol the section on the floor by the court. Now, when only 2000 people attend most games this probably shouldn’t be a problem. But every game we are at, there is someone sitting in the wrong section, and then the people who actually have the seats show up, and there’s people moving and shifting all over. This is probably a minor problem, and maybe I’m the only one who is tired of all the shifting and moving. I’m usually trying to watch the game, which I guess if I didn’t want to bother with people I could do in my own home. Of course, I’m assuming someone is paying ushers to do something besides just stand at the top of the stairs.
Food choices at the Pavilion are awful. Choices are basics: burgers, hot dogs, brats. In a town known for pizza, the choice is Pizza Hut. Russell’s Barbeque has a stand, but that’s only good if you want meat and chicken nuggets. They use to have shrimp, but now only have it occasionally. Last year, the Sky had a few tables selling sandwiches and sushi, but I tried both and neither were worth the money that was charged. But the same thing can be said for Wrigley Field also.
Although the food is bad, and the ushers don’t really check sections, the people working in food services and ushering/ticket taking are really nice. The people working the merchandise booths are nice and helpful. The Sky seems to have plenty of staff around during games also.
For the most part, the Pavilion is in a great location. It is right off the Eisenhower and Kennedy expressways. From the Oak Park area it only takes about 15-20 minutes. From Naperville it’s going to take longer but that there’s a distance issue there. But even from Naperville or Evanston, it is a pretty straight trip. I love being only about 20 minutes away from the game.
If the Sky changed venues would I still have season tickets? Probably even though any venue would be more than 20 minutes from home. If the Sky stays at the Pavilion would I still get season tickets? Probably, even though I think some changes would be beneficial to the experience at the Pavilion. So, how do I really feel about the Pavilion? I use to watch the Bradley Lady Braves play at the Robertson Memorial Field house in Peoria. The amenities were awful because the men’s team played down at the Civic Center, so no upkeep was going on at the Field house. I use to love those games. You could see the game, you were close enough to the action so you felt like part of the game. I attended Bulls games at the old Chicago Stadium. Although the United Center is a much better customer experience, I still miss the way the old Chicago Stadium moved when it was full of cheering fans. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for the Pavilion. Right now, the Pavilion seems like a rusty old relic from the 1970s. I love that as a fan I am close to the action. As the crowd grows and the Sky wins, the attitude at the Pavilion will give the other teams the feeling that they are in Chicago Sky territory. But as of yet, I just don’t have that feeling that this is the greatest venue for the game. I wish I had that feeling, but maybe it will come with time.
I came across two more interesting articles.
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