Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
F & M Bank Arena 101 Main Street Clarksville, TN 37040
Year Opened: 2023
Capacity: 5,500
It’s Tipoff Time in Stacheville
From its tip in Johnson City with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers, to its tail in Memphis with the Tigers, Tennessee has a deep love of college basketball that runs throughout the state. Twelve NCAA Division 1 schools represent the state; in Middle Tennessee on the banks of the Cumberland River, the city of Clarksville is home to the Governors of Austin Peay State University.
Named after former Tennessee governor Austin Peay, the first basketball team took to the hardwood here in 1929 – this would be the first sport played at Austin Peay. The university built its first facility dedicated to basketball, Memorial Gym, in 1950. The venue soon earned the nickname “The Red Barn”, partially due to its resemblance to a brick barn, but also possibly in reference to the mule that is rumored to be buried under the court, whose ghost haunted the halls of the building, according to legend. The Govs would spend 25 seasons at Memorial Gym before moving to Winfred Dunn Center, referred to as “The Big Red Barn”, carrying over the moniker. This would be the home of Austin Peay basketball for 47 seasons until the opening of off-campus F&M Bank Arena in 2023.
Since moving to the NCAA’s Division 1 in 1962, the Governors were members of the Ohio Valley Conference, but the teams recently moved to the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) in 2022, where they remain today.
Food & Beverage 4
Concessions around the arena provide various options that go beyond typical concession menus; the Hot or Cold stand serves chicken tender baskets, either traditional or in a Nashville Hot Chicken style, and can also have mac-and-cheese added. Also available is a boneless pork chop on a potato bun with a side of fries. Another option, the Buzzer Beater Burgers stand, is much more than just that – beyond the obvious burgers, options also include patty melts, cheesesteak, smoked bologna, and footlong corndogs. In addition, a pair of self-serve locations take care of the typical fare such as hot dogs, pizza, and other arena classics.
Soft drinks offered at F&M Bank Arena are from the Coca-Cola family of beverages, but fans have many more choices beyond that. Monster Energy, Powerade, Dunkin Iced Coffee, Body Armor, and various iced teas can be found at the grab-and-go locations, while alcoholic beverages include Twisted Tea, White Claw and High Noon seltzers, wine, and domestic beers. Craft beers include Michael Waltrip’s Talladega Light and Bristol Sunshine Tangerine Ale. Clarksville brewers are also well represented, including brews from Blackhorse Brewery and Star Spangled Brewing Co. Also available are both premixed canned and hand mixed liquor drinks.
It is refreshing to see that the focus of stadium food here is not what has come to be expected at practically every other athletic facility.
Atmosphere 3
From the front, F&M Bank Arena does appear to be a bit of a smaller venue, due to it being built into the slope of the area. However, it houses not only a full-size arena, but also a practice-size ice rink, all under one roof.
A large, four-sided scoreboard hangs over center court and runs a video feed of the game, framed by rotating panels of individual player and team statistics. The facing in front of media row also runs a tally of the current game time and score.
One of the challenges of multi-use facilities is they tend to push fans further from the action at the ends of the court; F&M Bank Arena helps counter this with multiple rows of floor seating, which does help bring more of an atmosphere to those parts of the arena. However, the seating in the stands at one end of the arena does feel a bit distant from the action on the floor.
Timeouts are mostly filled with on-court contests or fan interactive cams on the scoreboard. Also, when they are not entertaining with fan engagement pieces, the Austin Peay pep band is a featured part of breaks in play.
One of the drawbacks of the non-university owned facility is there does not seem to be much, other than the banners in the rafters, that tells the story of the history of Austin Peay basketball. This is not to say there is no Austin Peay branding around the arena, but it would be nice to see more that tells the story of the program.
Neighborhood 4
F&M Bank Arena bridges the gap between the Austin Peay campus and downtown Clarksville, two blocks from the Cumberland River. The area directly surrounding the arena is a mix of new development and repurposed buildings from a previous era – to one side is Shelby’s Trio, a very modern feel of three levels made up of the motor-themed Joe’s Garage, Trattoria Di Cat’s Italian cuisine, and the rooftop Skyline Bar 500, while the opposite side of the arena features Strawberry Alley Ale Works, Blackhorse Pub & Brewery, and the late night Taproom.
If looking to pass some time before an evening tipoff, the Austin Peay campus is a short walk away from the facility. In addition, less than 10 minutes out of downtown Clarksville are the Dunbar Caves, which offer guided tours.
Those who might be in Clarksville for more than just the day might want to consider staying at the Double Tree by Hilton; the hotel is directly behind F&M Bank Arena and within walking distance of the area’s shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. The I-24 exit off US-79 also has a large cluster of hotels, but they are well removed from the downtown area.
Fans 3
Austin Peay ranks in about middle of the pack when considering average attendance numbers throughout the A-Sun Conference. When looking for a game with the most fan impact, the match up with nearby rival Murray State fills the seats of F&M Bank Arena to a raucous level – these rivalry games really fill out the 5,500-seat arena past its stated basketball capacity.
The Clarksville community appears to do a good job coming out to support the Governors, but the student involvement appears to be a work in progress. As the program continues to find stability, student engagement can play a key role boosting the game experience at F&M Bank Arena.
Access 3
Interstate 24 runs locally out of Nashville and makes getting to Clarksville rather simple. The streets around the arena do get somewhat congested as game time approaches, and the number of one-way streets in the area can make navigating them a bit tricky at times.
With entry points on three of four sides, getting into F&M Bank Arena is made as convenient as possible. Due to the extreme slope of the streets leading toward the river, however, the main entry point on College Avenue comes into the suite level at the top of the arena.
The open concourse around the top of the seating bowl allows the energy of the game to permeate the entire arena; this allows fans to leave their seats and still keep up with what’s happening in the game.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets start at just over $20 before fees are added, which, considering the use of Ticketmaster, are kept rather nominal. Parking around the arena is another cost that needs to be factored in when considering the all-in expense.
Concessions do seem to be a bit high, but the options at F&M Bank Arena are of higher quality than would typically be found at similar-sized arenas, so this does seem to rationalize the slightly higher prices.
Extras 3
Austin Peay’s mascot, “The Gov”, is active at court level cheering on the Governors, interacting with fans, and accompanying the cheer and dance squads in keeping fans entertained until play resumes.
The rafters of the arena showcase the Govs’ conference and tournament championships, NCAA tournament appearances, retired numbers, and the 420 wins in the career of longtime Governors Coach Dave Loos.
With new facilities typically come an updated lighting package – the lighting at F&M Bank Arena allows for an impressive pregame show, as well as late game timeouts to help get the fans into a bit more of a frenzied state during pivotal moments of the game.
Final Thoughts
There is probably little doubt throughout the A-Sun that F&M Bank Arena is the most impressive facility throughout the conference; the comfort and amenities offered here certainly are second to none. The location in downtown Clarksville is also another feature that simply cannot be rivaled in the A-Sun.
There is work to be done here in bringing in a consistent crowd, especially on the student side of the equation, but the current experience is a strong foundation to build upon.
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