Agganis Arena is home to one of the few things I truly care for, BU hockey. Agganis is one of the best places to watch a hockey game, and has few close rivals in college sports. However, the building has several flaws that keep it from truly being amazing. Don’t get me wrong: I love Agganis, and if you have ever been inside Walter Brown Arena, you know the kind of facility BU used to play in and what most colleges still deal with. Walter Brown has character and charm, but it is definitely lacking in the amenities and size department.
LOVE: Agganis has a few great things going for it.
1. Seating and views. Agganis’ seats, while not often used during BU hockey, are extremely comfortable, especially after standing for an entire 20 minutes of hockey. I am 6’5″, so I never expect to have a lot of legroom, but Agganis seems to have just enough room for me to fit. No matter where you sit, the arena also provides great views of the action. Agganis is a smaller venue than a typical arena like The Garden, which means that you’re close to the ice even if you sit in the furthest seats.
2. Sound. Agganis’ sound system is impressive. Music and PA announcements are loud, yet free of the distortion that plagues most arena sound systems.
3. Food. While pricey, I think the food at Agganis is pretty good typical stadium fare with little to complain about. They also take connvienvce points, so I couldn’t care less about the price.
The Bad
1. Bathroom capacity. If you have ever attempted use the bathrooms at Agganis, you know that they are severely undersized. The lines stretch out into the concourse which leads to the next problem.
2. Movement. The concourse at Agganis is too narrow, plain and simple. People waiting in line for the bathrooms, people waiting for concessions, and people stopping in the middle of the concourse to socialize all mix together in massive logjam that makes the hallways of CAS look like a 10 lane superhighway. The odd 180 degree turn at the bottom of stairs causes another backup.
3. Some People. Every BU student should attend a hockey game at least once before their four years here are through. That said, certain individuals come to games and see that someone is in “their” seat. Unless you paid for the tickets out of your own pocket, you should not call in the blue shirts and kick people out of their seats. Instead, try asking nicely. Everyone at Agganis in section 108 or 118 is there to support the Terriers, and forcing your fellow fans out of their seats by reporting them to security really wrecks the atmosphere. We know what you did and we probably don’t like you anymore.
