I'm not going to say that some blame isn't deserved among UT basketball fans for not filling up the arena, but a lot of the problem can be fixed by replacing the Erwin Center. The other part of it is simply having a shot at being a winner, and Beard gets us closer to that. The Erwin Center is one of the worst sporting facilities I've ever been in. It's way too big, and the seats are too far from the action. There's no investment in the entertainment aspect of basketball, such as hyping up fans with good highlight videos, using PA sound wisely, and creating excitement for fans as they arrive into some sort of festive atmosphere. It's just a big old ugly tomb where we watched Shaka suck the life out of the team and fans like some sort of primordial lamprey. Those of us who knew Shaka was bad had to sit there and wait for him to leave for five years. It was torture! The new arena is going to make a massive difference in jumpstarting our atmosphere, comparable in my opinion to UH's remodel of their own lifeless arena into the Fertitta Center. Chris Beard will give us momentum as well if we can having a solid showing in the tournament. Students will find going to games and being in the middle of the action fun again, and hopefully CDC gets the other elements of pregame and halftime. A very easy addition to me would be to showcase some of the recent stars we've had in the NBA and showcase them in the new arena. The atmosphere will be noticeably different in the coming years, and hopefully a total 180 from what it's been.