Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta, GA

Basic Information

Stadium: Christenberry Fieldhouse

Location: Augusta, GA (33.47198, -82.05930)

Owner: Augusta University

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 1991

Listed capacity: 3026

Review date: March 2023

Arena information: https://augustajags.com/sports/2021/6/16/information-facilities-christenberry-fieldhouse.aspx

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Christenberry Fieldhouse has a well-deserved reputation of being an excellent Division II basketball arena.  The building resonates sound reasonably well, giving Augusta a strong homecourt advantage.  The seats on the sides are plastic chair back seats while the seats on the ends are bleachers.  The seats were a little tight and short for a fat and tall person such as myself, but just having chair back seats in a Division II arena is a plus.  The grade of the stands is low, so a given row of seats is further away from the court than you might expect.  Also, the audio system does quite well for seats close to the court, but it can be hard to hear if you are sitting in the back rows.  The video system consists of two small boards in corners, but just having a video system in a Division II arena is a plus.  A walking/running track around the mezzanine level gives fantastic pedestrian access, and there is free parking literally all around the arena.  In total, while this arena has some shortcomings, it stacks up very well relative to other Division II basketball arenas.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for a conference tournament, so I didn't get the full experience of an Augusta home game.  Sound seems to resonate well in this building, and I suspect the home court advantage is quite strong.

Seating: plastic chair backs except for bleachers in the ends.

Field View: The stands have a gradual grade, so you feel further from the court than you would expect.  Most seats offer good sight lines relative to their location.

Audio/Video: The audio is a little hard to hear if you are in the outer sections.  There are 2 small video boards in corners, but any video boards in a Division II arena are a plus.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The concession choices are hot dogs, soda, popcorn, and candy.  The hot dogs have a mild fake smoky taste, and the bun is bigger than the hot dog.  The concession prices are fantastically cheap.

Pedestrian Flow: A walking/running track going around the mezzanine level provides excellent pedestrian flow inside the arena.  There are plenty of walkways around the outside of the building.

Parking: There is plenty of free parking all around the building.  The main entrance is at the northeast corner of the building, a fact that is not obvious as you drive in.