Monmouth
Traveling – A College Basketball Journey – Game 30
Home Team: Monmouth Hawks
Away Team: Northern Illinois Huskies
Final Score: Monmouth def. Northern Illinois, 74-71
Venue: OceanFirst Bank Center, West Long Branch, NJ
Date: December 9, 2023
Time: 2:00 P.M.
The Jersey Shore region gets a bad rap. Please note I had to specify the region itself. The show named after the region does not do it any favors. Now I’m not here to sit on some sort of high horse of being too good to watch it. The show is highly entertaining. All I am saying is that there are stereotypes that have now forever been associated with the region because of it. What most people don’t know is that the region, Monmouth County in particular, was a vacation spot for countless historical figures, including seven presidents. In fact, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson all worshipped at the aptly named Church of the Presidents in Long Branch. When Garfield was shot, he was brought to the shore in hopes the fresh air would help him heal. While it did not help in the end, it goes to show the reputation this area has always had.
Not long after arriving it became apparent why the area has so long been a vacation spot. From the parking lot of the Monmouth campus the air smelled of salt. Despite the time of year, the sun beat down, providing a spring like warmth. The campus itself complimented the picturesque weather. On the end of a large parking lot sits OceanFirst Bank Center. Directly next to it is the football stadium. The two structures were obviously built with uniformity in mind as both include a light brick base with a whitish top that provides a nice contrast to the brick.
A large hawk statue sits outside the arena in the center of a lawn, which is circled by a roundabout. Large glass windows line the side of the arena, including smaller ones along the white top section. The box office sits to the right of the main entrance. While this is normal in itself, the way the entrance juts out, the box office is almost hidden. I definitely had to look around more than usual to locate it.
The pristine lobby has sunlight shining in through the aforementioned large windows. A lower level is closed off and appears to lead to some sports offices. At the bottom of a set of sun-touched stairs, a ticket check is setup, forcing all attendees to climb up. At the top of the stairs is the entrance to the concourse “Leon Hess Champions’ Hall,” named after donor and former Jets owner.
The pristine space continues into the concourse, with the large windows again providing a natural feeling space. Beams of sunlight highlight sports banners that hang on the side of the concourse. A small trophy case and photograph enshrine the namesake of the concourse area. In another dedicated area further down sits a lectern from when Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the University
Past the concourse I was surprised to see an indoor track circles the lower bowl of the arena. I have been to a few arenas that are located in a building with a track, but both before had all seating inside that area. Monmouth does it a bit differently, with the temporary upper bleachers on the sides of the court and one end placed directly on top of the track. While this may seem tacky, the execution is excellent. The temporary bleachers extend from the top of the lower bowl to the bottom of the suite seating, causing it to look like all the seats connect seamlessly.
On the one end of the arena without the upper bleachers, there is an open area for people to walk around. A broadcasting center sits at that end on the outside of the track. Next to the broadcasting center is a concession stand with a decent variety of food and snacks. There is a whole level where only suite guests are allowed which encircles the entire arena, with suites lining both sides and what looks to be a sitting and gathering area at one end.
The lower bowl of the arena provides more permanent seating, with chair-back seats on all sides. Not surprising based on how nice the arena is, the amenities are fully modern. In addition to large video boards that sit on opposite corners, a jumbotron sits above the court. Screens sit on each side of the jumbotron with a circular scoreboard sitting below. Unlike some other arenas that go a bit overboard in terms of banners, this one keeps it simple. A single banner exists for each men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament and NIT appearance. Blue banners for men, and white for women.
Overall, the arena is clean, simple, and modern. It is is apparent from being there that the people in charge of designing and maintaining the space are dedicated to the aesthetic it brings. The openness and natural sunlight that exists help to exemplify the freshness of the space.
I couldn’t have asked for a better game to see as well. While spirits were low among the Monmouth fans during a 19 point deficit, slowly the comeback started to mount. The tension was palpable the closer and closer they got. It all lead to a closely contested final minute. With the game tied and NIU poised to take the final shot, Monmouth stole the ball. As time was about to expire, an unconventional three point heave bounced in off the backboard, winning it for Monmouth at the buzzer.
Team Conference and State Statistics
This is the second CAA arena I’ve been to. Monmouth is also the second CAA team I’ve seen home or away
This is the fifth arena I have been to in New Jersey. Monmouth is the seventh team from New Jersey I’ve seen home or away. I only have Rutgers left to see.
Northern Illinois becomes both the first team from the MAC, and the first team from Illinois I have seen home or away