I had my first visit to the Don Haskins Center last, being in attendance for the Cirque Du Soleil: Varekai. I was sadly dissapointed.
My main gripe was the room inside the seating area. The walkways were cramped, and the seats were very narrow. I was fortunate enough to land an aisle seat for the event, but was extremely irritated because the hand railing for the stair aisle impeded on the seat, significantly reducing the amount of room within the seat (which was narrow enough as it was). Also, the aisles were no lit very well. Don't get me wrong, they were lit well enough to get down the stairs safely. However you cannot see the row numbers, which are located damn near on the floor. Since the Don Haskins Center is used for a lot more than just B-Ball, and events like Cirque or a concert require dimmed lighting, it would make sense to position the aisle lights so they not only illuminate the stairs but the row numbers as well. It makes to sense to me anyway.
Food and drinks were overpriced, but I am not surprised (it is a University, after all.) The lines were long, and my Wife and I observed several of the concession workers chitchatting, which helped to prolong wait times for concession. Restroom wait times were insane.. I cannot imagine how bad it would get if the house was full, unlike last night where only 1/3 of the seats were being utilized. Definitely makes me reconsider any future events at this place. I wouldn't want to attend a sold-out event, and miss most of the game or performance due to restroom or concession wait times.
The last thing that I noticed was that the Don Haskins Center felt out dated. While the rest of the University is taking steps to become more modern, it feels like the DHC is being left behind. Walking inside, I got the feeling I was sort of stepping back 10-15 years in the past. It is a horrible place aesthetically, however they need to make some changes to keep up with the rest of the Campus.
One good thing was the parking. My wife and I were able to find free parking within close walking distant on campus. Also, there is a parking garage right next door if the free parking fills up.
In the future, I probably will not return unless I can get cheap tickets for an event that I would REALLY like to attend. I definitely would not return at a Premium price. read more