Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Freedom Hall Civic Center Arena 1320 Pactolas Road Johnson City, TN 37614
Year Opened: 1974
Capacity: 6,177
Go Bucs, Go!
Basketball has been played at East Tennessee State University since 1918, but its first official game would come the following year against Carson-Newman College (now University). Throughout its early years the Buccaneers would play as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as well as members of NCAA’s Division II. The athletics program would first play as an NCAA Division I program as members of the Ohio Valley Conference in 1957, where they would play until 1978 before jumping to the Southern Conference, where they have played ever since.
The Bucs have played at the Johnson City owned Freedom Hall since 2014. Prior to their move off campus, East Tennessee State played at the multi-purpose “Mini Dome”, which had more the feel of a large field house or airplane hangar than a basketball arena. Though the Mini Dome, now known as Ballard Health Athletic Center, might not have had the feel of a traditional college basketball arena, it certainly was uniquely East Tennessee State’s home.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions are a bit on the limited side here, with options ranging from hot dogs, pizza slices, nachos with cheese dip, and soft pretzels. The most impressive menu item is the Frito or Dorito-based walking taco. Chips, packaged candy, and cotton candy are also available.
Beverages come from the Pepsi family of soft drinks; Gatorade and the locally popular Dr. Enuf, a “lemon-lime, vitamin-fortified soda”, are also offered. Alcoholic beverages include beers from the Miller/Coors collection as well as craft-style brews, such as nearby Asheville’s Wicked Weed and Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing. White Claw hard seltzer and Clubtails canned mixed cocktails are also available. What is a bit disappointing is that, given Johnson City’s strong craft brewing community, none of the local brewers appear to be represented at Freedom Hall.
Atmosphere 4
From the exterior, Freedom Hall appears as a behemothian brick structure with not much more than a trickle of natural light able to sneak in. There is not much that is esthetically pleasing, nor all that remarkable about the exterior of the building. In an example of not being able to judge a book by its cover though, inside Freedom Hall is a truly special college basketball experience.
Freedom Hall does a good job putting fans on top of the action – rather than a press row, scorer’s table type seating runs the entirety of the sideline court, and seating is also available along the home end baseline. The primary seating area is elevated about the court, creating a bit of a pit feel. Court level seating also backs the courtside seats, extending from the first cut of split-level seating to bring more fans toward the floor.
There is no traditional overhead scoreboard inside Freedom Hall, but instead there are scoreboards with time-and-score situated on the walls in each corner at court level. Player statistics can be found on the scorer's table and facing the courtside seating. In addition, a video board running a live video feed of the game is attached to the highest reaches at the far end of the upper-level seating.
The in-game promotions crew no doubt earns their paycheck; nary a television timeout passes without some sort of on-court game or promotion. While some promos are commonplace, such as a fan making shots from various spots on the floor, the free throws while laying back in a recliner or the layup tic-tac-toe competition are refreshingly original – they are nice to see and engaging to the whole crowd.
East Tennessee basketball is a nice example of how a passionate fan base, when paired with a highly engaging promotions team, can really go a long way in stoking the excitement of the entire crowd.
Neighborhood 4
Freedom Hall is an off-campus facility, about two miles from downtown Johnson City. The arena is on the edge of the campuses of Science Hill High School and Liberty Bell Middle School; the school bus lane is even part of the front drive of the arena. I will say having the college in such proximity to the two high schools does creates a bit of an odd vibe.
Johnson City is a stealthy, hip town with a vibrant arts scene, several breweries, and restaurants in its downtown area. King Commons Park is a popular gathering area, where adults can grab a pint while kids play on the nearby playground or greenspace. A bit closer to the arena, the former buildings that formerly made up the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Depot have been repurposed into the popular Burger & Barrell, Yee-Haw Brewing Company, and White Duck Taco Shop.
The downtown area has no less than a half dozen breweries in the few city blocks that make up the area.
Fans 4
East Tennessee State enjoys more fan support than any other team in the Southern Conference, and it is not all that close – the Bucs draw over 3,700 fans per game, on average, nearly 1,000 more fans per game than their next closest conference foe.
ETSU fans are invested in the game straight from the tip, as it is not uncommon for chants of “De-Fense” and “Let’s Go Bucs!” to erupt even during the first minutes of the game.
The layout of Freedom Hall and the seating does a good job getting fans close to the floor, which amplifies the excitement at court level. This goes a long way in maximizing the impact fans here make on the game.
Access 3
Even though a bit off the beaten path, Johnson City is served by Interstate 26, which runs locally from Asheville, North Carolina – this is a beautiful drive with many spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Once inside Freedom Hall, the entry points at either corner of the arena lead directly into a narrow concourse; the concourse is already narrow enough, so the proximity of entry points to the concession stands makes it a challenge to navigate. Fortunately the inner concourse is easily accessible, and offers a bit smoother sailing to make it around the arena unimpeded. It is also nice to be able to get around the arena and still keep the court in view.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets for East Tennessee State men’s basketball start at just $10, and parking is free. Considering concession prices are consistent with what would be found at typical college athletics venues, a visit to Freedom Hall to catch an ETSU basketball game definitely falls into the affordable range.
Extras 3
Banners hang from the rafters recognizing retired numbers in program history, as well as postseason appearances by ETSU in both the NCAA and National Invitational tournaments.
Bucky, the Buccaneers mascot, also moves around the arena during games, engaging with fans and posing for photos. A pirate mascot in the mountains of Tennessee may seem unusual, but it ties back to local legend – Pirate Creek, an underground river, is believed to have once connected the area to the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, the pirate Jean Paul LeBucque sought refuge in the area. This story is widely accepted and explains why the school chose a pirate as its mascot.
Freedom Hall is also an official location along the Tennessee Music Pathway, and the venue has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, such as Bob Hope, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, and Tennessee’s own Oakridge Boys.
Final Thoughts
Freedom Hall exemplifies what happens when a university and a community come together to create a passionate college basketball atmosphere, helping put. East Tennessee State Buccaneers basketball in the conversation as the top basketball experience in the Southern Conference. The mix of program history, involvement by the local community, and the success the program has enjoyed in the NCAA tournament, knocking off Florida State in 1968 and upsetting the # 3 seeded Arizona Wildcats as a # 14 seed in 1992, have gone a long way in building a true basketball culture in Johnson City.
The thought of basketball returning to the Mini-Dome had been floated around as part of the East Tennessee State University master plan, but to this point that plan has not come to fruition. If there is a point in the future when Bucs basketball returns to campus, it likely would not hurt the overall atmosphere surrounding the game, but in the meantime the experience of East Tennessee State University basketball at Freedom Hall is one that is quietly a truly special experience.
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