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By Jim Caltagirone
For the Mirror
Athletes and coaches do not always dictate the narrative of a sporting event.
Sometimes the venue is a prominent player. That is especially apparent at Penn State these days.
Whether a wrestling meet is held in Rec Hall or the Bryce Jordan Center, the atmosphere is immeasurably charged, despite significant differences in seating capacity and design.
Rec Hall's appeal is forged in nostalgia, tradition and the unique structural features of a building that is nearly 100 years old. The heat generated by a capacity crowd in Rec Hall is almost subtropical.
Nearly 16,000 fans sold out the BJC last month for the dual meet with Iowa. The BJC accommodates more than twice as many spectators for a wrestling meet as Rec Hall.
The official attendance figure of 15,998 fans tied for largest crowd in NCAA wrestling history for an indoor dual meet. Penn State and Iowa set that mark in the BJC in February 2018.
For a venue that is often described as sterile for basketball, the BJC transforms into a force of nature for wrestling. It's a place where a favorable outcome for a Nittany Lion wrestler produces more of a sonic boom than a roar.
When a Nittany Lion wins by fall, a temporary loss of hearing is not uncommon.
Unfortunately, the cavernous BJC is not providing the Penn State women's basketball team with an appropriate home-court advantage, no matter the level of crowd enthusiasm.
Through January, the Lady Lions had played 13 home games in the BJC, with an average attendance of 1,907. That figure is 13 percent of capacity.
For good reasons relating to fairness, equality and facility logistics, playing home games in Rec Hall is not an option for the women's basketball team.
Even in Rec Hall, that 1,907 average would be less than a third of the seating capacity. The optics, especially on television, can be embarrassing for a program that once commanded the type of Rec Hall crowd that would shake the rafters.
To conform to Big Ten Conference standards and maintain a position of strength in recruiting, Penn State women's basketball must remain in the BJC.
While drawing high marks for fan and athlete amenities, parking availability, concessions and media access, the BJC is less than ideal for events with crowds of 5,000 or less.
Penn State shares this problem with a multitude of college and professional teams.
The Texas Tech men's basketball team recently attracted 1,802 fans to a game against West Virginia in an arena that seats 15,098.
Last season, the Oakland A's averaged 9,973 spectators in a stadium with a seating capacity for 46,765.
At the University of North Carolina, the nationally ranked women's basketball team plays at Carmichael Arena instead of the Dean Smith Center, commonly referred to as the Dean Dome.
Carmichael Arena seats just over 6,800. The Dean Dome's capacity is 21,750.
So when 4,418 fans showed up for a women's basketball game in late January, the Tar Heels played before a crowd that was at 65 percent capacity, instead of 17,332 empty seats.
Palaces are nice, but a cottage can provide just as much joy and contentment when the fit is right.
Unfortunately in sports, homes are inherited and not chosen.
That's a big problem when the design of the venue is one size fits all.
Jim Caltagirone resides in Altoona. He is a regular contributor to Voice of the Fan.