Meet Me in St. Louis

Official Review by Bill Kintner, Stadium Journey Special Correspondent

Chaifetz Arena is located on campus and the campus is located in a nice area of St. Louis with lots of things to do within walking distance of the arena.

For a mere $12 million alumnus Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, a neuropsychologist and the founder, chairman and CEO of Chicago-based ComPsych Corporation (the largest provider of employee assistance programs) has a nice arena named for him.

Food & Beverage    4

They have all the basics that you would expect at a basketball game, plus BBQ, nachos, ice cream, Dippin Dots, Domino's Pizza and Mexican food. Prices are average and the quality is very good.

Hot dogs: $3.50 A big dog, a great mix of spices, served hot with a very soft bread/bun. Rating: A+

Pop corn: $3.00 Barely warm, but salty with a strong butter taste. Rating: A-

Nachos with cheese: Good chips and slightly spicy cheese. Rating: B+

Coke is the soft drink of choice at Chaifetz Arena with a 32-oz going for $3.75.

Atmosphere    4

The atmosphere at Chaifetz Arena is similar to what any sports fan would expect. A pep band, cheerleaders, screaming students section and passionate fans dressed in blue.

The seating bowl consists of a lower section that circles the court and has seats throughout, except in the student section at the end of the court on one side where they are provided bleachers. The seats in the center sections are padded cloth-covered seats, whereas the rest of the seats are molded plastic.

The concourse/lobby is under the upper seats. The fans enter through portals in each section and either go down to their seats in the lower level or up to their seats in the upper sections on both sides. There are 14 private suites and two party rooms above the upper seats on the side. Like most arenas there are court-side seats at Chaifetz Arena.

There are no center-hung scoreboards, but they have four very large (14 X 45 foot) clear video boards high up in each of the four corners displaying player stats, time, score, fouls and TOL. There are also LED ribbon boards on the facing of the upper section.

Neighborhood    4

Within just a few blocks there are plenty of places to eat and enjoy an adult beverage. There is the Triumph Grill (as in motorcycle) on Olive Street. It is moderate priced to high priced, complete with a fireplace and TVs. Sandwiches run $8 to $10, and there are tons of salads, pasta and probably enough selection to please anybody.

Just down the street is the award-winning Pappy's Smoke House where a slab of ribs will set you back $20.99 and a pulled-pork sandwich is $7.99.

For a beer experience try Buffalo Brewing Company on Olive Street where in their words, "Bold flavors, fresh ingredients and good times come together," or Six Row Brewing Company located at old Flagstaff Brewery on Forest Park Avenue.

Finally for a more collegiate experience, try the student hangout, Humphreys Restaurant and Tavern where the food is very reasonably priced.

Fans    4

The band was good. It added some pep to the crowd and although the fans were not crazy, they made noise at the right times. The 500 or so students in attendance were into the game, clapping and cheering as they stood the whole game. They really enjoyed their colorful coach, Rick Majerus. Students and fans seem to light-up when Majerus gets animated on the sidelines.

Access    4

The university is located in the city, so there is street parking several blocks away. If you are willing to walk, you will find a street parking place. There is a parking garage that charges $5 not too far away. Although this is an urban campus, the area around the university is safe.

The concourse features photo collages that have themes representing athletics and campus life as well as banners highlighting various milestones throughout the almost 200 year history of the university. There are six concession stands and 12 restrooms which are adequate for an arena of this size.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets are $12, $16, $20 and $28 which makes them average ticket prices for Division I college basketball. So two tickets at average face value will run you $38, then splurge for a hot dog, large pop corn and large Coke, which will set you back $10.25 and the total for two hoops fans runs $59. Now if you are an enterprising fan that finds free street parking, $59 is not too bad for a night for A-10 basketball in a nice venue.

Extras    3

I gave three extra stars because there are plenty of places to hang out close by, there is free street parking and this is just a great college experience.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is a very good college experience. The arena is comfortable, but not gaudy or outrageously priced like a lot of NBA arenas. You will enjoy the A-10 action, the students, the food and the band. Walk outside, within a few blocks and there are plenty of places to continue your post game fun. Put it on your arena-tour list.