A look into the heart of Frost Arena

John Schmidt Web Editor

Athletics play a huge role in the way universities function. A lot of funding is pumped into facilities and sports players in an attempt to recruit more students to attend a particular university. They are both an economic and fame powerhouse that every institution wants to polish until it’s flawless.

 

Most of us college students enjoy them thoroughly. We’re given the opportunity to attend games for free and cheer on our teams with the shroud of camaraderie. We enter the arena and leave after watching a game, happy or sad. I know in my time in the stands at Frost Arena, I’ve never really expressed any thought about what goes on inside an arena to make these games a fun time for all who attend.

 

I expressed this same thought to Brody Busho, athletics facilities coordinator at Frost Arena while we stood suspended above the basketball court.

 

A series of walkways, all connected at the top of the arena, serve as a network of maintenance access ways for the repair and upkeep of the countless lights and scoreboards that are used everyday in the athletic compound.

 

Busho and I started in his office in Frost and moved out to the stands where various track teams were meeting to practice and talk. Below us on the court were chairs and a small stage for an FFA event happening later on in the weekend.

 

The press used to be up high above the action on the court, but have since moved down to the court that is now what is called “press row,” according to Busho.

 

One of Busho’s main duties at SDSU is to make sure that various gears are spinning properly to make the sporting events what they are.

 

“Our job is to make sure people think [events] just happen,” Busho said. 

 

If you take a look at the way other buildings are designed and laid out, most of the mechanical equipment is housed in the basement and in between walls. It’s quite the opposite in arenas.

 

The apprati that make the heart of Frost beat are located above those who use the facility. Busho told me that there are some small upgrades headed to the 41-year-old building. A new heating ventilation and air conditioning system and the possibility of new seats being added around the current running track are in the works. A lot of the priority is being shifted to the new facilities being built north of Frost.

 

While Busho and I walked around the series of rafters, I got to realize the beauty of collegiate athletics and what it does for the university. There is so much skill and thought put into everything that happens inside a particular arena including the arena itself.

Next time you’re in Frost, or any other athletic compound, admire the infrastructure itself and not just the sport you’re going to watch. The Coliseum was an arena for some of the bloodiest sports known to man, and we view it as a world landmark, rightfully so.  Frost Arena is home to a handful of full-time employees and even more student athletes that make the events we choose to enjoy.

 

Collegiate athletics help round off the idea behind going to a four-year university. We have those who are focused on research; those who are focused on student involvement and enrichment; those involved in student and Greek life; and athletics. I may be missing a few degrees of campus beauty, but you’ll have to forgive me since there are so many.

 

     There is the beauty that goes with not only sports and competition overall, but for the arenas in which the aforementioned events take place. So next time you’re at Frost, admire all of the structure and take a look up sometimes.