January 10, 2015
A.J. Palumbo Center (Capacity: 4,406)
Pittsburgh, PA
Duquesne Dukes vs Rhode Island Rams
Final Score: 60 – 61
* The arena was completely remade in 2019 – 2020. The resultant UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse will be treated as a different (new) arena
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In the heart of an arctic cold snap but under a deep blue sky, I made the trip to Western PA for a pair of basketball games starting in Pittsburgh. This wonderful city of 300,000 has shed the early image of steel, iron and constant smoke by becoming innovative leaders in multiple realms. With a surrounding hilly terrain offering scenic views including a stunning skyline, the city offers a lot for visitors and is surprisingly a great destination. Located near the heart of the city is Duquesne University, a private Catholic school of 10,000 with a good amount of focus on research. As they enter their 100th season of basketball, the Dukes had a decent run in the 1940s and 50s when they reached the NIT several times. However, it has been a generation of struggles for the school as their last of only five NCAA appearances came in 1977. Not to mention that Duquesne has only had 3 conference winning records in the last 33 seasons of A-10 play. Marred by bad seasons, occasional eligibility issues and the horrific shootings of five players in 2006, it’s been a rough stretch. Games are played on-campus in the A.J. Palumbo Center, completed in 1988. I liked the playing portion of this facility and the bright, lively interior aided from a nice renovation a few years ago.
Prestige Ranking: 2.5 out of 5
Location
Being inside a city like Pittsburgh is a great advantage as the area offers plenty including the Heinz Museum, scenic Point State Park on the tip of the Three Rivers, Mount Washington and the Strip District amongst other trendy areas to hang out and dine. Duquesne’s hilltop campus is in a section called The Bluff as this Uptown neighborhood is right near the business and skyscraper section of downtown. However, the difference between the two is separated harshly by I-579. While the city has a lot to offer, outside of the University, the immediate neighborhood is a bit rundown and gritty. Just a few blocks from the Palumbo Center, the main artery of 5th Avenue presents an unattractive lineup of businesses, blue-collar bars and empty storefronts, all despite being across from the arena of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Location Ranking: 7 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Thanks to the nearby PPG Paints Arena, parking for the Dukes is not an issue, especially with the Forbes Garage right across from the Palumbo Center. Because of the rivers, the many bridges and tunnels make for challenging driving in and around the city, especially with varying on/off ramps. If using Parkway East/West (I-376), the drive is not bad as Exit 71A leads to Forbes Ave and then the garage. It is departing to your other destinations that can be problematic and even GPS systems can get confused as to which road you are really on. As for traffic, it really just depends on whether it is rush hour or if the Pens are playing. If neither, there shouldn’t be many issues. Pittsburgh’s Light Rail is another option with the First Ave station being a healthy 15-minute walk away.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Exterior
The clustered location of the Palumbo Center means that only two sides of the building can really be seen and the overall look is a somewhat dull brick with light red striping and blue columns. With Duquesne’s campus on a hill, fans walk upwards to reach Gate B, an inlet in the otherwise square facility. Glimpses of the red, triangular roof can also be seen from this vantage point. Back down near Forbes Street, in front of the building is a video board, along with a stone saying “Duquesne University”.
Exterior Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Concourse
It is kind of odd that the students walk from their dorms past Gate B to the street-level Gate A for the student entrance while most of the other fans have to do the reverse and walk uphill. That’s backwards. Anyway, the Merle E. Gilliand Atrium includes will-call before fans walk through metal detectors and into a corridor outside the gym. Though not all that wide, the rustic look with speckled brick walls mixed with modern white panels above is pretty cool. Side doors lead inside or fans can walk around the end past a congested food stand in a terrible spot before getting to the court. The other sideline does not have a concourse, but rather open corners that sell merchandise and drinks. A poor lack of signage is to blame if people (like me) don’t realize that a similar corridor can be found down the stairs in the back. This area has needed additional bathrooms, two more food stands and some basketball displays.
Concourse Ranking: 2 out of 5
Food
Aside from Hot Dogs and Pulled Pork Sandwiches, the food mostly lacks with snack items being the primary options. Surprisingly for a college campus arena, beer was sold and they did have cans of Iron City Beer.
Food Ranking: 2.5 out of 8
Interior
Relatively straight-forward improvements made on the inside during a 2010 renovation helped produce a more permanent look including comfortable chairbacks. Four sides of seating are separated by open corners and the blue-colored “A” level is divided by a walkway before giving way to the “B” level seats, which are decked out in red. My favorite area is the south side, where a hospitality area between each seating section leads to a more true upper-deck that is steep and very view-friendly. The other side is a different story as the seating rows on cheap wooden risers are set further back from the court at a much gentler incline. Regardless of side, these chairs are quite wide and comfortable. At the ends, a block “T” design is all in bleachers, with the east end reserved for students. Be careful to not get stuck in the first row of any section as a railing likely will block your view. On the positive side, the arena has a bright, welcoming vibe thanks to white walls, good lighting and several windows. Along with GW, this is one of the better smaller arenas within the A-10.
Interior Ranking: 8.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
Above center is a very nice-looking board that fits perfectly with the arena. It is comprised of four video screens and the picture is utilized during the game for either player stats or live video with score. Replays and other graphics are done well and the image is sharp. At the top is the Duquesne word mark while the corner panels say “Dukes” with the logo. Ads are kept at a minimum. In addition, four smaller scoreboards are on a corner wall.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3.5 out of 4
Displays
Just a couple plaques are on the outside walls of the arena and somewhat surprising is how any acknowledgement to A.J. Palumbo is missing. After stumbling on the downstairs atrium late in the journey, I found a nice color display on Dukes basketball with each of the 10 panels focusing on an interesting segment of history. Back upstairs in the gym, the upper-end wall is a nice space for banners and for both Men and Women, accomplishments include the years of appearances in the NCAAs and NIT (so glad not to see the ridiculous CBI and CIT tournaments honored). There is also a separate banner for the 1955 NIT Championship. It was a little odd not to see any conference achievements. On the Men’s side, Duquesne retired five numbers during a 2001 ceremony and these jerseys from the glory days of the mid-20th century are all placed next to each other.
Displays Ranking: 4 out of 6
Cost
The harsh realities of a city campus occurs right at the parking lot when the attendant asks for $10. After that, it’s not too bad as tickets go for $10 (end), $15 (B), $20 (Side A), and $25 (Center A). The best deal is the “B” level seats. The program is free and the minimal concessions are cheap as well with snacks and drinks $3.50 or less and the 16oz beer going for $5.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8
Fan Support
The turnout for this conference game in January was weak as I would estimate maybe 1500 on hand. In the last two and a half seasons, just three times has Duquesne exceeded an announced attendance over 3,000 (granted the biggest games of the year are held at the Penguins’ Arena). Student turnout was not bad with a small pep band and standing section, while their compatriots were spread out and seated behind them. Within the city, Duquesne certainly plays second fiddle to the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Fan Support Ranking: 3 out of 8
Atmosphere
This game gave me a great sense of a Duquesne crowd and I was left a tad underwhelmed. It started with mild applause during pre-game introductions and then became better through the first half as the crowd had a decent pop and response to the Dukes taking a big lead. However, as the team faded in the second half, so did the fans and they never could muster any energy to try and rally the team. As the game was close in the final minutes, there was not much urgency and then it came down to the final seconds with the home squad attempting to win. These moments are a true measure of a college basketball crowd and as the clock ticked down, noise increased, but no one was standing. A groan came out as the game-winning attempt rimmed out and there was not a sense it would explode if they won.
Atmosphere Ranking: 6 out of 14
Other Stuff
Back in the 1950s, the Dukes had back-to-back #1 draft picks (Dick Ricketts and Sihugo Green)…..How about some paper towels in the facilities? Only two working hand-driers make for an awkward line up of patrons after using the bathroom and washing hands during the halftime rush…..The arena is named after Antonio J. Palumbo, a donor and school board member…..A couple ways to improve the fan experience is turn down the speakers and lower the heat. Both made things slightly uncomfortable.
Game
The Dukes started strong defensively and combined with Rhode Island’s turnovers and poor shooting, they built a 27-19 halftime lead. It was also refreshing to not see a foul called for the first nine minutes of the half (that would quickly change). As Duquesne continued to play well in the second half thanks in part to the hard work of Micah Mason, they suddenly went cold and the Rams chipped away. A three-pointer by E.C. Matthews gave URI the lead with just 1:14 to play. A tense final minute ensued and Mason made a floater to put Duquesne back on top. Only 21 seconds remained when Rhode Island got the ball back and after they missed on the ensuing possession, a scramble for the ball led to a foul and Jared Terrell made both free throws for a 61-60 lead. Given my history with Rhode Island, I was convinced I’d see something special as Duquesne’s Derrick Colter let a jumper go at the buzzer. But it was not to be and the Rams escaped, and I mean escaped, with a one-point win.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
