As Frank Mitchell walked up to the free throw line during the waning seconds of the Iowa-Minnesota game on Jan. 21, an unusual, relaxed feeling seemed to rush through his body.

Mitchell, only a 47 percent free throw shooter, was tasked with sinking at least one of his two foul shots to nearly lock up a Golden Gopher upset victory. Normally, this would have been a tough spot for the forward, but the game’s location probably made this challenge slightly easier.

Rather than face a shooting backdrop of more than 1,000 screaming fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Mitchell’s shooter’s eye was merely 30 rows of gray plastic seats. He knocked in both free throws, and Minnesota escaped Iowa City with a 72-67 victory.

The announced attendance inside Carver-Hawkeye that night was just over 8,000, but only 4-5,000 people likely showed up. If you do the math, that’s roughly one-third of a 15,000-seat arena filled for a Big Ten game. That entire day was marred by brutally cold Iowa weather, but dwindling attendance continues to be a glaring cloud over the rich and storied history of the Iowa men’s basketball program.

Much of the media’s focus is on the fans who haven’t shown up to Carver this season, but through the thick, apathetic fog, loyalty still remains.

Davenport native Gary L. has been an Iowa men’s basketball season ticket holder for over 40 years, a run that spans the final years of the old Iowa Field House and the entire 42-year-history of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

While the Field House was regarded as one of the loudest venues in the country, its leaky roof and obstructed views warranted the construction of Carver, which opened in 1983. Once Gary heard the new building was on its way, he raced to secure his seat.

It took a parking pass mishap and a shared ticket for one season, but Gary did earn a spot for Carver’s inaugural season, where he has been ever since.

Gary has seen some exciting games in Carver but said the 1993 game against Michigan is definitely one of his favorites. The game was the first Hawkeye home game after the tragic death of power forward Chris Street.

“Michigan was the favorite, and we pulled it out, and the place just erupted,” Gary, who requested that the DI not use his full last name, said. “It was a very emotional time.”

While Gary was just beginning his lengthy season ticket career in the early ‘80s, Barb and Loren Leistikow were nearly a decade into theirs. Both UI graduates and Iowa City residents, they’ve been coming to football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball games for 55 years. Name a famous men’s basketball moment inside Carver-Hawkeye, and they’ve probably witnessed it.

“We had a lot of great memories watching the Tom Davis teams,” Loren said. “It [Carver] was always full back then.”

The Davis era also holds a special place in the heart of Zach Phelps of Tipton, who fell in love with Iowa basketball after watching games with his grandmother.

“She was always getting mad at the refs, or she’d be slapping the couch,” Phelps said. “I just always learned from her.”

Some of Phelps’ favorite moments over the years in Carver include the program-altering upset of Purdue in 2011, Josh Dix’s buzzer-beater earlier this year, and Fran McCaffery’s iconic staredown that led to a thrilling win over Michigan State in 2023.

“That was a memorable one because we had a big comeback,” Phelps, reflecting on the McCaffery staredown game, said.

What needs to change?

While Carver-Hawkeye Arena was considered a state-of-the-art facility when it opened, it has never had a major renovation in its 42-year history. This, along with the ongoing decline in fan atmosphere, has left many fans hoping athletic director Beth Goetz will make a change.

Phelps wants the primary focus to be on moving the older donors out of the front row and moving the students there to create a better environment, a similar style popularized by Michigan State.

“But there’s just so much room between the court and where the seats are,” Phelps said. “It just looks terrible on TV, even if it’s packed. They have to figure out something with the layout.”

That same argument is also shared by Gary and the Leistikows, who argue the program needs student support to win more games.

“We’d rather have them [the students],” Loren said. “I’d rather have the excitement being created by students. I think that’s the key.”

While Gary agrees students need to be closer to the floor, he said the university could also benefit from adding more suites at the top of the concourse to allow donors easier access to concession stands and restrooms.

“That would be a win-win because all these rich donors get a suite and wouldn’t have to walk down the stairs, and you can move some younger students in there,” Gary said.

Iowa may be having a down season this year, but these fans do not care. They love their team and won’t stop showing up to games anytime soon.

“‘I’m an Iowa basketball fan,” Phelps said. “I don’t care who the coach is, what you think of the coach, or whatever, I’m always going to support who it is.”

“Everything goes in circles,” Barb said. “We’re loyal supporters no matter what.”