Review by Paul Swaney, Stadium Journey Co-Founder
FANFARE Score: 22
Food & Beverage: 2
Not much here, and certainly not anything to write home about. Hot dogs etc. can be found, and coca cola products are offered. I did appreciate that they had souvenir cups available, always an easy way to take home a keepsake.
Atmosphere: 3
This is Indiana, and although Mackey lacks the charm of Hinkle Fieldhouse, and the history of Assembly Hall in Bloomington, it still has that Indiana basketball feel. It’s a single bowl design with a raised floor, so sightlines are good no matter where you sit. I wish the students were a little closer to the action, as they feel somewhat removed.
The Purdue Pep Band
The band rates as average by Big Ten standards.
Neighborhood: 3
The one can’t miss attraction has got to be Harry’s Chocolate Shop. When I arrived it was 10:45am- time for a drink. Our choice was a Boilermaker. Neither me nor my friend knew exactly what that was, but figured this was the place to try one (it’s a shot of whiskey inside a beer by the way). We had another beer and an order of homemade potato chips covered with gorgonzola cheese.
Next, we decided to see a different venue in the city. Unfortunately, the other bars in the area were either closed or lacked any personality. So we found our way back to Harry’s for a sandwich and another beer. I would like to highly recommend Harry’s as a great place to come for a beer and some food when in West Lafayette. The downstairs section just oozes character, and I especially appreciated the Ass Hole of the Week picture, displayed in a toilet seat above the bar.
Fans: 4
I was lucky to see the fans with plenty of opportunities to be raucous. Coach Matt Painter received a technical foul to the end the half, which threw the crowd into a frenzy, and in the second half Michigan’s Manny Harris connected with an elbow to Chris Kramer’s nose, leaving behind a pool of blood, and some ramped up Boiler fans.
It is clear that these fans love basketball, and love their team.
Access: 4
I was able to find free parking about a half mile from the arena, and it was a breeze to get in and out of the arena and back on the road.
Return on Investment: 4
With great sightlines throughout, and reasonable prices, a trip to Mackey is well worth the investment. Parking is free and prices at neighborhood restaurants and bars are a good value. They team has been in or near the top 10 in the country for the past few years, all the more reason to go to a game now.
Etc.: 2
One point for the historically significant honoring of players who were consensus All-Americans with their numbers hung in the rafters including legends such as; Glenn Robinson, Joe Barry Carroll, Rick Mount, and John Wooden.
Another point for the raised floor, something I just love.
Boiler Up!
Even though the band is considered average, keep in mind there is no music school at Purdue.
One great thing about Mackey is that it does not have a bad seat in the house. It’s a rather intimate atmosphere at only 14,123 capacity, but damn does it get loud in there because of the aluminum roof which causes the noise to bounce around like no other arena.
It’s definitely old school, but that’s about to change with a $100 million plus renovation of Mackey, which will help modernize it but keep its history. Mackey is one of my favorite places to watch college basketball.
@ Greg- That’s a cool tidbit, so who organizes the pep band? Is it like a “club” activity?
Greg’s comment while not incorrect is a little misleading. There is a music program, you can take classes in band, orch, etc but you can’t major in it. That’s a land grant school rule
Matt’s comment about the “land grant school rule” is not correct. Many land grant universities, for example Michigan State, have a College of Music. Matt may be a Boilermaker (student or alumnus), as I am, and I’m sure we agree that the Purdue band is one of the best in the country.