Arena #127: G.B. Hodge Center - USC Upstate vs. Truett-McConnell

Now I thought Gore Arena was relatively small at a capacity of around 5,000, but I was in for treat heading to the G.B. Hodge Center on the campus of USC Upstate, which boasts the smallest D1 arena in the country with a listed capacity of a whopping 878 folks!  I think my high school gym held about as many, if not more, than the Hodge Center and my HS wasn’t even in the top division of enrollment in the state of Wisconsin!  There were no seats behind the baskets and only 7 rows of seats from baseline to baseline along the sidelines.  I mean the joint is so small, I couldn’t even find a ticket window, but there was a concession stand in the hallway at least.  I figured the crowd would be pretty sparse for this one being it was an 11 am tip on a pre-holiday Thursday against an NAIA school, but there were some local children’s organization in the crowd that at least provided some sound and atmosphere to the contest.  I must say my favorite part though was the personal touch of the team at the end of the game going over to the sideline and shaking hands with patrons as they exited the stands and thanking them for attending the game.  That kind of touch is how you build a small program with, I imagine a very small fanbase, into a memorable one.  As for the game itself, it was reasonably close early on, but the lower division kids from Truett-McConnell just couldn’t sustain any momentum against the Spartans, who ultimately won the matchup comfortably. 

Outside of the G.B. Hodge Center on the campus of USC Upstate

Opening tip between USC Upstate and Truett-McConnell

Inside the seating bowl of the smallest arena in NCAA D1 men's basketball - 878 patrons

USC Upstate attacking the basket in the first half