For you new mean green

untwillrise · November 12, 2006

The Snake Pit

Have you ever wondered why the UNT Coliseum is often called the "Super Pit" by Eagle basketball fans and sportswriters?

It all goes back to 1970, when the men's basketball team was still playing in the Men's Gym on Highland Street.

Built in 1950, the Men's Gym "had great character and lousy acoustics," says Bruce Pfieffer ('75), who spent many hours there as a North Texas cheerleader.

"It was almost rickety. Students would deliberately make noise during the game to rattle the opposing team," he says.

On Feb. 10, 1970, North Texas played Drake University in the gym and won 93-81 in double overtime. After the game, Drake Coach Maury John, angry about the noise from the North Texas fans, told a reporter, "This is the worst damn place in the world to play basketball! This place is a snake pit!"

From that time on, the Men's Gym was known as the "Snake Pit," or just the "Pit," Pfieffer says.

"The president of the Talons would even wrap a snake around his hand and carry it around during games," he says. "The noise in the Pit would be incredible, and it got worse when the game was close and we were trying to rattle the other team."

North Texas played its last game in the Men's Gym in 1973. The following year, the team had a new home, the Coliseum, which students dubbed the "Super Pit."

from the north texan

untwillrise · November 12, 2006

ive heard a few other stories. this sounds to me to be the real one. any board members who have first hand knowledge?

OldTimer · November 12, 2006

ive heard a few other stories. this sounds to me to be the real one. any board members who have first hand knowledge?
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My wife and I went to many a game at the pit. We had small children (not babies) who cried because of the noise.

I remember one game where the opposing team did not come on the court soon enough and the ref gave the ball to NT who inbounded and went the court and scored.

Buford_Julep · November 12, 2006

One visiting coach, probably Maury John, said North Texas fans were the "worst in the nation." NT fans considered that tag a badge of honor. I remember banners proclaiming "the worst of the worst." There was a short-lived tradition of throwing toy rubber snakes at the opposing team during the warm-ups. Some fans saved a snake or two to throw at the ref if he made a call that went against NT. If they didn't have a snake, a paper cup of ice had to do. This was an age before refs could call a technical foul on the crowd.

The noise level was so high the only way to communicate with the person next to you was to cup your hands and scream in your neighbor's ear. It was so loud the scoreboard horn could not be heard. To let the refs know the half or game had ended an official fired a blank pistol shot.

Edited November 12, 2006 by Buford_Julep

GrandGreen · November 12, 2006

Everything above is true, going to a game in the pit in the MVC days was as much fun as you can have at an athletic event. Students actually had to get tickets in advance and you still had to be there early to insure you got a seat. The equivalent now would be to be playing in the ACC with a 4000 seat gym as home court.

chrisfisher · November 12, 2006

Thanks for the great stories on the Snake and Super Pit... sounds like fun times! Hopefully we can recreate this atmosphere at the Super Pit this season!!

gksmith · November 13, 2006

I went to several games at the Pit in the early 70s as a kid. That place was SO LOUD. It was almost like a rock concert at times. Cheerleaders would bang the cones on the floor to get everyone claping and yelling. Didn't matter if it was a close game or one NT was winning, that place was deafining. Loved it.

NT03 · November 13, 2006

From that time on, the Men's Gym was known as the "Snake Pit," or just the "Pit," Pfieffer says.

I always thought it came from Samuel L. Jackson having to make an emergency landing with his plane one year on the rooftop. Thanks for the true story

dentUNiTe · November 13, 2006

The Snake Pit
Have you ever wondered why the UNT Coliseum is often called the "Super Pit" by Eagle basketball fans and sportswriters?
It all goes back to 1970, when the men's basketball team was still playing in the Men's Gym on Highland Street.
Built in 1950, the Men's Gym "had great character and lousy acoustics," says Bruce Pfieffer ('75), who spent many hours there as a North Texas cheerleader.
"It was almost rickety. Students would deliberately make noise during the game to rattle the opposing team," he says.
On Feb. 10, 1970, North Texas played Drake University in the gym and won 93-81 in double overtime. After the game, Drake Coach Maury John, angry about the noise from the North Texas fans, told a reporter, "This is the worst damn place in the world to play basketball! This place is a snake pit!"
From that time on, the Men's Gym was known as the "Snake Pit," or just the "Pit," Pfieffer says.
"The president of the Talons would even wrap a snake around his hand and carry it around during games," he says. "The noise in the Pit would be incredible, and it got worse when the game was close and we were trying to rattle the other team."
North Texas played its last game in the Men's Gym in 1973. The following year, the team had a new home, the Coliseum, which students dubbed the "Super Pit."
from the north texan
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Actually, one or more games were played there later....I know we played Lamar one year, due to Registration in the Coliseum.....and that was a Southland Conf game, so it had to be in the early 80's? I seem to recall that for a few years there was a conflict with Registration and we played one game in the old Pit per year...

I also attended games as a kid and recall screaming at the top of my lungs, unable to hear myself.......and it was decided that the decibel level in that barn could harm your hearing

Edited November 13, 2006 by dentUNiTe

chrisfisher · November 13, 2006

What is the history on the Super Pit? To me, it looks really nice & new on the inside though I know it is an older building based on the outside appearance. I have to say I really like the Super Pit.

DeepGreen · November 13, 2006

For you youngsters, here is the Snake Pit after a big NT win over a top Missouri Valley conference mate. This picture is out of the 1968 Yucca.

user posted image

untwillrise · November 13, 2006

For you youngsters, here is the Snake Pit after a big NT win over a top Missouri Valley conference mate. This picture is out of the 1968 Yucca.
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WOW! Just wow! That will be the scene when we clinche our first Sunbelt Title!

drex · November 13, 2006

One of the great moments in the old Pit was when Shelby Metcalf brought the Texas A&M Aggies to town. We blitzed them and Shelby spent most of the second half with his head buried in lap as the trounce went by him. On the wall of the Pit was a sign.."Have You Ever WATCHED an Aggie Joke?'

GrandGreen · November 13, 2006

One of the great moments in the old Pit was when Shelby Metcalf brought the Texas A&M Aggies to town. We blitzed them and Shelby spent most of the second half with his head buried in lap as the trounce went by him. On the wall of the Pit was a sign.."Have You Ever WATCHED an Aggie Joke?'
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Many probably don't know that Shelby Metcalf had signed Joe Hamiliton to a SWC basketball letter of intent to attend A$M where he would have become the first black to receive a scholarship. Joe had actually been placed at the juco by NT's coach Spika. SW loi's were only binding to SW teams and Joe make the right decision to come to NT and become argruable the best player in school history.

CMJ · November 13, 2006

That pic is looks like Cameron Indoor at Duke. I loved the Superpit as a student don't get me wrong, but I wish it was a bit more cramped and clautrophobic likesome of the older arenas in the country. Many of the new ones have the nice plush seats, and great sightlines, but they're almost antiseptic.

Buford_Julep · November 13, 2006

Many probably don't know that Shelby Metcalf had signed Joe Hamiliton to a SWC basketball letter of intent to attend A$M where he would have become the first black to receive a scholarship. Joe had actually been placed at the juco by NT's coach Spika. SW loi's were only binding to SW teams and Joe make the right decision to come to NT and become argruable the best player in school history.
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Thanks very much for info.

Help me out if there are any errors as much of this is based on word of mouth communication.

The next year after Joe Hamilton coach Spika placed Goo Kennedy( click for PHOTO) at Christian College of the Southwest where both were coached by none other than Bill Blakely. TCU stole Kennedy and he became the first Afro-American basketball player in the Southwest Conference and led them to the conference championship.

"E" (Ephriam McDaniel) and "Shu" (Al Shumate) were fine players, but imagine what NTSU could have done in 69-70 with Kennedy at center.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Buford_Julep

UNTLifer · November 13, 2006

I remember going there as a kid. My family had season tickets, and we sat in the upper SE corner of The Pit. The used to hand out "clickers" that sounded like large crickets. 4,000 of those going plus everyone yelling would cause your ears to ring for days. I like the Super Pit, but it is nothing in comparison to the old Pit for atmosphere.

gksmith · November 14, 2006

I think it was pre-season but does anyone remember when the Joe Hamilton lead Dallas Chaparrals played the New Orleans Jazz at the Pit? The Jazz were in New Orleans before the move to Utah. This was before the NBA/ABA merger and the Chaparrals move to San Antonio to become the Spurs.

Place was packed. Joe gets introduced before the game. 5 minute standing O. Hamilton just standing at mid-court, hands on knees, embarrassed. It was probably a record for the longest time to do player announcements.

Chaps win the game…Joe has a mob of kids (me included) around him for autographs IMMEDIATELY after the final buzzer.

That is my best memory of a non-NTSU game at the Pit.

UNTLifer · November 14, 2006

I think it was pre-season but does anyone remember when the Joe Hamilton lead Dallas Chaparrals played the New Orleans Jazz at the Pit? The Jazz were in New Orleans before the move to Utah. This was before the NBA/ABA merger and the Chaparrals move to San Antonio to become the Spurs.
Place was packed. Joe gets introduced before the game. 5 minute standing O. Hamilton just standing at mid-court, hands on knees, embarrassed. It was probably a record for the longest time to do player announcements.
Chaps win the game…Joe has a mob of kids (me included) around him for autographs IMMEDIATELY after the final buzzer.
That is my best memory of a non-NTSU game at the Pit.
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I remember and was there.

chrisfisher · November 14, 2006

What is the history on the Super Pit? To me, it looks really nice & new on the inside though I know it is an older building based on the outside appearance. I have to say I really like the Super Pit.
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I want to repost my question above. I am really interested to here from someone on the current Super Pit.

letsgiveacheer · November 14, 2006

I was at North Texas from 71-75 during the transition from the Pit to the Super Pit.

Many people thought the new facility would bring North Texas basketball to a national level (just like some think a new FB stadium would do the same).

It was designed in the "brutalist" style of architecture that was popular at the time (look at the library and history building). The most peculiar thing I remember were the burnt orange seats, just like UT! Earth tones were popular in those days! But no one (that I can recall) even questioned why the seats were orange rather than green.

I was the conductor of the "pep band" as it was called and remember the first game at the Super Pit as the most boring game I had ever been to at North Texas. I think we lost, but cannot remember who we played.

We were out of the Valley and played an independent schedule. Gradually, the crowd lost interest and the attendence numbers went way down. The special atmosphere of the Pit was gone.

I also seem to recall the opening ceremony at the Super Pit. After the speeches, lead by then president "Jitter" Nolan, Deborah Carr (I think) came and sang accompianed by the NTSU Symphony. Famous faculty members like Eugene Conley who had a great career at the Metropolitan Opera, also sang.

There is no pride of authorship here so if anyone has any corrections or additions, please jump in!

chrisfisher · November 14, 2006

I was at North Texas from 71-75 during the transition from the Pit to the Super Pit.
Many people thought the new facility would bring North Texas basketball to a national level (just like some think a new FB stadium would do the same).
It was designed in the "brutalist" style of architecture that was popular at the time (look at the library and history building). The most peculiar thing I remember were the burnt orange seats, just like UT! Earth tones were popular in those days! But no one (that I can recall) even questioned why the seats were orange rather than green.
I was the conductor of the "pep band" as it was called and remember the first game at the Super Pit as the most boring game I had ever been to at North Texas. I think we lost, but cannot remember who we played.
We were out of the Valley and played an independent schedule. Gradually, the crowd lost interest and the attendence numbers went way down. The special atmosphere of the Pit was gone.
I also seem to recall the opening ceremony at the Super Pit. After the speeches, lead by then president "Jitter" Nolan, Deborah Carr (I think) came and sang accompianed by the NTSU Symphony. Famous faculty members like Eugene Conley who had a great career at the Metropolitan Opera, also sang.
There is no pride of authorship here so if anyone has any corrections or additions, please jump in!
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thanks for the information. Do you know if the Super Pit was recently renovated? It actually looks pretty new to me on the inside.

UNTLifer · November 14, 2006

The seats were changed out a couple of years ago to get rid of the horrible orange ones, the scoreboards are relatively new and the floor is new.

I was at the first game at the "Super Pit" and also remember how it didn't come close to the atmosphere of the Pit. I think that cost us some fans also. Going to the game was an event just to see how the crowd would act, but the design of the "Super Pit" took the crowd out of the game.