YES

A handful of times, I’ve imagined myself as an Iowa wrestler, running out of a black-and-gold tunnel that leads from my locker in the brand-new Iowa wrestling facility to the mat in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There, my name echoes among the fans and pyrotechnics fire up. “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe plays.

Then I think of Iowa men’s basketball games.

That’s exactly why Carver-Hawkeye Arena should be Carver-Hawkeye Wrestling Arena — and why the University of Iowa needs to invest in a new basketball-specific stadium.

The environment for an Iowa wrestling meet is incomparable, enough to give you goosebumps even if you don’t know why everyone is shouting “two.”

The atmosphere is solid for women’s basketball games, too, but I unfortunately yet can’t imagine such intense attention will remain on the team when No. 22 leaves. That’s not to mention how abysmal men’s basketball attendance has been lately.

Something needs to change to orient Iowa basketball for the future.

I’ve seen the bright tiles and upper and lower levels to Kohl Center that feel like the Bulls should be playing there. I’ve seen Hilton Coliseum’s classic vibe and raucous atmosphere. And I’ve seen Pinnacle Bank Arena’s top-notch in-game experience. Look at Assembly Hall — that place is gorgeous.

Those are pro basketball-esque arenas with NBA-level environments. Carver doesn’t hold up like that anymore. This isn’t 1988. Sorry, Dad.

To keep fans coming to Iowa women’s basketball games — and to get them to men’s games in the first place — Carver must adapt or die.

Player personnel is one thing, yes, but at the end of the day, the fans want to come to a basketball arena that brings not just a game but an experience — an experience Carver is no longer conducive to.

Carver’s leaking roof, puke-colored seats, and removed student section are deterrents rather than draws. The Hawkeyes need a redo: a basketball arena tailored to just basketball with a tight but open environment to house thousands of fans, sweeping banners around a two-tiered jumbotron, and a bright floor that offsets the sea of black around it.

The university owns acres upon acres of land to build on around the west side of campus where such a state-of-the-art, updated arena can sit while Carver gets a minor facelift and becomes the true home for Iowa men’s and women’s wrestling. All programs will win.

With how much paper Iowa football and women’s basketball are now raking in, not only is the funding there with the former, but it’s time this university shows the latter the respect its earned.

NO

While Carver-Hawkeye Arena certainly has its flaws when it comes to fan experience, I don’t think building a new arena would magically change everything.

Iowa has always had a fair-weather fan base when it comes to basketball, and the men’s basketball team in particular continues to suffer from attendance problems despite making the NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons. If fans don’t attend games, then I find the problem to be far more than the actual venue itself.

In essence, the main problem isn’t necessarily the arena, but the people inside of it. The fans need to step up and create an intimidating environment similar to the raucous Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

Trust me, I’ve been to several games inside Carver, and when the place is full and the crowd is engaged throughout the game, it can be one of the loudest arenas in the country.

Though I feel the fans are the biggest issue with Carver, there do need to be some upgrades to the 41-year-old building.

When it was constructed in 1983, Carver-Hawkeye Arena was not only built to host basketball. It was designed as a multi-purpose facility that could host volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics. This has left large open spaces between the court and the seats for basketball games, which doesn’t look appealing on TV.

Today, volleyball and gymnastics no longer compete in Carver, instead moving to the smaller Xtream Arena a few years ago. Iowa needs to figure out a way to fill in that space somehow because it would bring the fans closer to the court.

Finally, I feel like Carver’s capacity is far too large in 2024 for a middle-tier program like Iowa. When the arena opened, 15,000 seats were necessary due to high demand, but that’s not the case anymore.

Sure, the women’s basketball team has packed Carver for the last two seasons, but it helps when a generational talent like Caitlin Clark plays for the home team.

It would be beneficial to take out a few thousand seats and have a capacity of around 10,000 fans. That way, the Hawkeyes can sell out more games and create an intimidating environment for opposing teams.

While the university has the money to build a new arena, there are several logistical problems with that, and I think a few modern renovations will give the aging building a fresh look for the future.