THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 31, 1994 TAG: 9412310442
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
When it comes to college basketball, Scope has become the incredible fluctuating arena.
February 14, 1989: Old Dominion University hosts nationally ranked North Carolina. Attendance: a school-record sellout crowd of 10,306.
Thursday night, the Tar Heels returned to Norfolk, this time ranked No. 1 in the nation. Another sellout crowd jammed Scope. Attendance: 10,161.
Hold on.
Two sellout crowds, same building, same sport. Why the difference of 145?
Television.
Thursday night's game was telecast by cable network Home Team Sports. Scope's John Rhamestine said the network's technical needs account for the difference in seating.
``They had a large platform set up for a camera in the upper area of the arena and that took away some seating,'' he said. ``Usually when there's a difference in capacities, it's because of television and their requirements.''
Rhamestine says the basketball capacity at Scope is 10,239. Ironically, among ODU's 10 all-time best home crowds, there is one attendance figure greater than that and nine crowds smaller than that. But the Monarchs have never drawn exactly 10,239.
Debbie Byrne, assistant athletic director for public relations and marketing for ODU, said Friday that the school sold a ticket for every available seat in Scope. MEMO: TOP 10 ODU SCOPE CROWDS
The top crowds for ODU basketball at Scope, with opponents and
dates:
10,306: North Carolina, Feb. 14, 1989
10,253: Five times - William and Mary, Feb. 21, 1976; Syracuse, March
5, 1977; Virginia, Dec. 3, 1977; Virginia Tech, Dec. 16, 1978; Maryland;
Feb. 6, 1988
10,248: Virginia Tech, Dec. 10, 1988
10,237: Virginia, Dec. 11, 1993
10,227: DePaul, Jan. 23, 1988
10,161: North Carolina, Dec. 29, 1994
by CNB