A Golden Time

Official Review by Ryan Norris, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

The new home of the California Golden Bears opened in 1999 at the site of its predecessor, Harmon Gym, in Berkeley California. The arena is off of Bancroft Way between Telegraph and Shattuck avenues in the bustling downtown neighborhood surrounded by bars, restaurants, coffee shops and bookstores.

Haas Pavilion now seats 11,877 at capacity and is surrounded by a beautiful, memorabilia-filled concourse. A stroll around the concourse will reveal awards and achievements by the Golden Bears in every conceivable sport. One of which was a really cool Rose Bowl pennant featuring the final score of Cal's 13-0 win over Alabama in 1938.

Once inside the pavilion you'll notice the rectangular facade enclosing the court about fifty feet above the floor. Implemented within the facade are advertisements, big-screens, championship banners and retired numbers; notable of which are Jason Kidd and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Oddly, the interior of the rectangle is only viewable from the opposite end of the court as the backside of the rectangle is your view on your side of the court.

Though Haas Pavilion seats over 11,000 spectators there is only one bowl of seating. This creates an intimate atmosphere for a larger building, which was important when upping the capacity from the old Harmon Gym. A student supporters group and the band shack up at one end of the court and are active from before tip-off through the end of the game.

Food & Beverage    3

Haas has a good variety of food and drink but at a slightly higher price than some of its contemporary venues. A polish sausage will run you $6 and a bag of popcorn $4. Bottled water or soda was available in 20-ounce bottles at a gulping $4.

On the brighter side of things, concession stands were readily available in most corridors without much of a wait. The stands were well staffed with friendly workers ready to meet all your cotton candy and nacho needs.

Atmosphere    4

This section was awarded an extra point because of the extravagantly cool Cal band. I'm a sucker for tacky vests. The band made their noisy presence known about five minutes before tip time when they strutted their way to their home behind the basket. It looked like they had general dress rules but were able to add pins and ribbons to create uniquely personal outfits, creating a unified yet funky crew.

Next door to the band was an even rowdier group of supporters clad in gorgeous blue and gold rugby style shirts. They had a chant for every possible situation and a giant Cal flag waving behind the opponents backboard.

I would say that the stands were about half full for this Thursday night tilt. I would also say it's safe to assume a Saturday night would create a different presence. Nonetheless, the fans in attendance were engaged, knowledgeable and fun.

Neighborhood    5

Berkeley is one of the most famous (and infamous) cities in the Bay Area. The beautiful buildings of downtown have seen the political movements and student uprisings of the last century. It is both one of the most expensive places to live in California and the home of the infamous tree-sitters who lasted nearly two years staying day and night, in oak trees.

All of this is the backdrop to a truly vibrant neighborhood with unique shops selling anything from animal skins to bongs and restaurants as unique as the city they call home.

Not far from Haas are two Berkeley-based craft breweries, Triple Rock and Jupiter, both located on Shattuck Avenue. Jupiter is probably the nicer, less-crowded of the two, serving specialty pizza in a more sit-down style while Triple Rock is a louder, more student-focused bar. Both serve great beer.

Looking for good barbeque? Look no further than Looney's Southern Bar-B-Que on Bancroft Avenue, two blocks from Haas Pavilion. They are always showing the home team on the televisions and have food available for takeout as well.

Lastly, the Cal-Berkeley campus is absolutely beautiful and worth a stroll.

Fans    3

This was a bit of a lackluster affair between the Bears and Beavers. Cal ended up winning by more than 30 points and the game was never really in doubt. The fans that were there certainly were supporting their team, but anytime a building is only half-full it leaves something to be desired.

Access    4

The University of California-Berkeley is within walking distance to the downtown Berkeley BART station and several AC Transit bus lines. Driving can be a bit problematic during rush hours after work and after class. Parking is available for a $15 fee and is pretty much mandatory since parking on the surrounding streets is prohibited without a neighborhood pass.

Getting into the gym is a breeze as there is ample space to move about the entrance ways as well as multiple staircases to get to your seat. There are also plenty of concession stands and clean restrooms within reasonable distance to any seat.

Since the surrounding neighborhood is convenient for food and drink, you really can make an entire day or evening out of this trip.

Return on Investment    2

This was a bit of a letdown. $15 gets you a seat high above either baseline, while a sideline seat is $25 for a bleacher seat, and $50 for a chair-backed seat. With parking and concessions at a high clip this seems a bit extravagant. You do get a good product as the Bears field a solid squad and the Pac-10 allows for reasonable foes, I just thought the prices were a bit high. I certainly think this area could have gotten a point or two higher on a more rambunctious night. Perhaps a rival like Stanford would have warranted a higher rate.

Extras    4

I've talked of my love for the band and the cool historical memorabilia in Haas Pavilion. I can't stress enough how successful they are at compromising between the old and the new. They embrace their history and rowdy band while playing in a top-notch modern venue. They offer an item of the game in the team store (Cal Football was the shirt du jour this particular night) and they have students lead cheers during timeouts that keeps the crowd engaged.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend taking a BART train to the game as this will cut down on expenses. Make sure to get there early and experience the buzz in the surrounding downtown area. I know I'll make another trip back to Haas Pavilion, probably for a weekend contest.