Bird Ice Arena - Ohio Bobcats
- Jude Hannahs
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Jude Hannahs, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14
Bird Ice Arena
102 Oxbow Trail
Athens, OH 45701
Year Opened: 1957
Capacity: 2,000
“Hey, you suck!”
Coming from a background where the National Hockey League wasn’t religiously watched by either me or anyone in my family or friend group, I originally thought of hockey as a sport exclusive to Canada. In fact, just a few months ago, I discovered that the state of Ohio had its own team in the NHL.
No joke, I was completely unaware that the Columbus Blue Jackets were a team that actually existed. Given their location, it makes sense that they were so irrelevant to me. Everybody knows that Columbus is the city for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Recently, I’ve started to follow the Blue Jackets as well as one of their division opponents, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I’m still in the learning process on the history of the sport and who the main faces are for making it so popular to watch in not only Canada, but the United States of America, too. My eventual alma mater, Ohio University, has a strong fan base for its hockey team. As a senior, now one of my regrets in college is not going to more games at the iconic Bird Ice Arena.
It may not be as flashy or big as other athletic facilities provided by the university, such as Peden Stadium and the Convocation Center, but it does hold a tight place in the hearts of those who love hockey. Once I officially become an alum of OU, coming back to campus and going to a game will be at the top of my bucket list.
Food & Beverage 3
The food and drinks provided by the arena’s only concession stand offer nothing that isn’t to be expected of other snack shacks. Bird Ice Arena provides willing customers with the usual suspects: hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, and an assortment of fountain drinks.
Due to the chilly interior, hot chocolate is an option too, for fans to enjoy. In my mind, snacks aren’t something that I usually think of in a hockey setting. Then again, I haven’t exposed myself to a lot of hockey games.
Atmosphere 4
Incredible. Simply incredible. I am so glad to have gone to OU’s game versus Liberty because this particular contest was sold out, and the crowd was loving the high intensity. Compared to watching the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Baseball (MLB), I like how much more physical hockey is.
In the case of the Bobcats, collegiate hockey is by no means different. The players are there to win no matter what. Whenever fights occur, it’s almost as if the crowd is joining in at a distance. There’s no other experience quite like it that I can put my finger on.
Neighborhood 4
If you’re a hockey-loving student at OU and are perhaps living on West Green in one of its dormitories, then Bird Ice Arena is an extremely convenient spot for you. It’s only about a five to ten-minute walk from any of the dorms located on West Green.
However, students who live on either North, South, or East Green will have more of a walk to the facility. One aspect of its location is that Bird Ice Arena is placed just across the street from Emeriti Park—one of the beautiful sites on campus. The arena may not be in the best spot for all parties to access it promptly, but it does rest in a peaceful and stunning area.
Fans 5
I touched on this in my briefing when I talked about the atmosphere at Bird Ice Arena. I’ve only been to a handful of hockey games during my time at OU, and the game I went to proved to me just how special the fanbase is for this team.
Ohio’s hockey team has a fandom that is really do-or-die all the way. I don’t have a sense that large numbers of people will just leave whenever the Bobcats are down. They are there to support and cheer on their squad and, at the same time, try to get under the skin of the opposing teams with “Hey, you suck!” chants and other phrases of that nature.
Access 3
In terms of the sections of this review on Bird Ice Arena, this is where the facility is probably at its weakest. The game I went to was sold out, and while seeing such a large number of students, locals, and OU alums was awesome, it made trying to navigate through the arena a bit harder.
Plus, one other thing to point out is how limited the parking options are for fans. Sometimes folks will luck out and find parking in the lot right behind the facility, but other times that lot could be blocked off for another separate event. Fans then have to rely on trying to find another spot that likely will take them farther away from Bird Ice Arena.
Return on Investment 5
Interesting fact about OU’s hockey team: they are the only team associated with the school where enrolled students have to pay money to purchase tickets. Obviously, the hockey team is a club sport, not a varsity sport like football, basketball, or baseball.
Because they aren’t labeled as a varsity sport, they do not get any funding from OU’s athletic department. This may seem like a downside for students; however, the prices for all wanting to watch hockey are quite affordable. For single-game tickets, adults are charged $10, OU students $5, children under the age of 17 $5, and toddlers (ages 3 and below) get in for free.
Compared to a school like The Ohio State University, where students have to pay for football tickets at an average rate of $34 per home game to watch the Buckeyes play, the prices here at Bird Ice Arena are reasonable for students willing to pay money.
Extras 5
Bird Ice Arena was initially commissioned in 1956 as a field house for sports like football and track, but the building was later adapted to include an ice rink. It hosted its first hockey game in late December 1958, where OU defeated Ohio Northern University 22-0.
In 1960, the arena was officially named in honor of Ossian C. Bird, a former athletic director for OU. The facility also offers everything from public “Rec Skate” sessions to intramural broomball tournaments. A perk for students is that they are given the privilege of free admission to said skating sessions.
As expected, Bird Ice Arena does provide affordable on-site skate rentals and professional blade sharpening in a 24-hour turnaround.
Final Thoughts
If there is anything else I’d like to say about the arena is this: even if you aren’t a huge fan of hockey, go at least once to a game at Bird Ice Arena. It is a staple of the Athens community and makes for an entertaining experience on any given night of the week.
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