Silvio O Conte Forum

The Conte Forum is small, the upper decks have cramped «seats», the student section for BC is really tiny for basketball games, and the Hall of Fame is set up in no discernible order.
On the plus side, they do let the kids hold silly signs of turtles, so I guess that’s a thing. Also they have a minor league baseball atmosphere going, even moreso than most ACC schools. So I guess that’s also a thing.

im nothing close to a bc fan, but a big fan of college hockey, the forum is convenient, clean, and reasonably priced. haven’t been there for basketball but as for hockey most of the sight lines are pretty good. they could use a little more variety in their concessions but pizza and popcorn is probably all you should expect. and bx brings in a lot of talented teams from around the country so that’s a plus

Continuous updates, but still falls a tad short.
Home of the Boston College Eagles and Superfans, this place is one of the best to catch college sports in New England. The hockey team has dominated the country in past decade. The basketball team… well, at least they get to play Duke, UNC, and other ACC powerhouses regularly.
The venue is located on campus in Chestnut Hill. Very pretty, very safe. Parking garages right next door. Traffic is a nightmare for games. More convenient for students than visitors. The long and slow B line is nearby. You could walk or bus to Cleveland Circle for the C and D lines.
Two large entrances on either side of the arena. Concourse is a bit small and crowded during intermissions and the end of games. The newly updated walls of accomplished alumni are pleasing. Raffles and silent auctions are a nice touch.
Food is limited in choice, though it is reasonably priced when you get family pizza or hot dog combos. Bathroom lines are always long.
Gift shops inside the arena are counter ordering only. If you want to try things on or walk around a shop, you have to go to the one in the adjacent building on Campanella way before the game.
There’s no such thing as a bad view in the arena. Unfortunately, the bleacher seats aren’t really seats, but rather benches. The new sound and lighting system is awesome. New large HD jumbotrons. Good acoustics and loud speakers. Awesome hockey goal celebrations with comedic movie lines that often feature Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn.
All in all, always a fun time. Just kinda wished the entire arena was just completely rebuilt instead of small renovations every few years.

Although the 100″ inch screens that don each end of the court are nice, nothing else about the Conte Forum feels like an elite Division I level college basketball floor. It can hold 8,600 spectators while other programs in the ACC such as the University of North Carolina can seat almost 22,000. I’ve been going to college basketball games since the 80’s and the entire building has that 1980’s feel to it, but not in a good nostalgic way you hope it does. More like, «this is it? this is what I spent good money on? kind of feel.
The concessions were well priced for a «family event» and I don’t feel all that guilty even if I over pay a buck or two here and there because the money will end up back in the college economy. But there are few options and nothing really has local flavor. I think they called their pretzels the «Boston Pretzel» but the history of the lovable twisty dough has zero to do with Boston’s past… so they may want to rethink that.
Boston feels hungry to have a local team beyond the professional men at Foxborough and Fenway to route for. A team to get in line for tickets days in advance because you’re THAT excited about an event there. BC seems to fall short in all sports except for college hockey. I don’t know if there is any talk of building something bigger but I think its time if they want to compete in the top division of college basketball and draw the huge, sellout crowds that those in the south usually seem to have.
BC, up your game!

As a devoted (some might say «rabid») fan of Boston College Hockey, I’m going to try and review this place honestly, without the Eagle Fan in me rising up and taking over.
And as a general arena… it’s fine. The food is passable (the pizza is lousy, but the Clam Chowder is excellent, especially for December-​February hockey games). The seats are comfortable, there are good sightlines, and even the furthest up seats still have a good view of the action.
One thing that some people tend to complain about is the lack of beer. But truth be told… I prefer it that way. I’m one of those serious-​about-​it sports fans that think if you need a steady stream of beer to appreciate a game, you’re not a real fan. Accordingly, the place is cleaner than most arenas, and with way fewer jerks.
Accoustics are pretty good, and the ice surface is fine (unless it’s particularly humid in late March, but that’s a problem everywhere). The band is a good one (and, may I say, much better than the football band!).
All told, it’s a good place to watch a game, let the kids run around, and have some fun. And you have the chance to watch Jerry York run the BEST COLLEGE HOCKEY PROGRAM IN THE WOR… ahem. Sorry, I’m back. I’m going to wrap this up before I lose control and start in on ten straight paragraphs on why Boston University fans CAN GET DOWN AND KISS MY… uh, nevermind.
Three and a Half stars (rounded up) for so-​so food, but good facilities and a good time.

The stadium is nice enough. Went here a few times for Hockey Games.
Most recently, for a playoff game. The power went out (the ads stayed nice and illuminated though!)
The fans are truly what ruins this place. They attack away fans and the kids are just as bad as the adults. I get it, its college hockey, its a rough environment. But don’t fault visiting fans for going to watch a game and cheering for their team.

It’s obvious that when Conte Forum was built they cut corners to make it as cheaply done as possible. Additionally, it was built in an era where stadium construction forgot that people like character in venues, not endless blandness. Plus, as I always say, «multi-​purpose facilities serve no purpose» — this arena was built for both basketball and hockey, and the features that tailor it to each sport make it less enjoyable for the other.
The sightlines are very hit or miss for hockey. If you’re sitting above the glass and in one of the middle sections between the blue lines, the view is phenomenal. But if you’re in a corner, or, worse, below the top of the glass and have to look through the dirty glass with giant stanchions, that looks like it hasn’t been washed since 1985… eek. The view from the balcony sections is one of the best views in all of Hockey East, but you’re stuck without a seat back.
Concessions are a cesspool, it’s clear that Aramark decided years ago to mail in BC concessions and focus on coming up with more bizarre food items to sell at Fenway Park. They’d be better off letting BC Dining cater concessions. Avoid the hot dogs and the pretzels. If you must eat dinner get the mini-​Papa Gino’s pizza which is okay.
The staff at BC has done a phenomenal job in recent years of making Conte Forum a better place by attempting forcibly ram character into it, with giant HD boards, new, beautiful championship banners, a great BC hall of fame display taking up one wall, and beefed up murals and photos recalling BC sports history — so, full marks to them for doing the best they can with a limited facility.
Really, the main reason to go to a game here is to see BC hockey, by far the best hockey program in the country, as of 2010 coming off of their third national championship in ten years. (woo.) BC basketball is in a bad down cycle at the moment, but when they’re playing well, games when top teams come to town are electric.

Been here 3 times, all for hockey. I was really impressed by the look of the arena. The dual scoreboards looked amazing, and was really polished. I’ve watched games from the front row next to the glass and from the uncomfortable bleacher upper level seats (I never sat, so it wasn’t that big a deal) and I can say while it wasn’t built for Hockey, its certainly an enjoyable place to watch a game.
The crowd was very sterile. I went for regular season and playoff games and both times the superfans were minimal. For the playoff games, the UMass section definitely outcheered and outnumbered the BC fans. Too many kids (as in 8-​year-​olds), too many elderly, not enough students. I did, however, enjoy the wall of fame and how they honored all the the past BC greats (even though they all suck)
I’ll be frank, I hate BC, but arena wise I loved the Cunte, and would love to come back in future years.

I was disappointed. I had crappy seats, but I expected that. The view was fine except that I couldn’t see through the clueless people who would come out of the tunnel and stand staring blankly upward looking for where their seats were — this was a lot of people… like every person. So I guess they need better signage, but I really didn’t have a problem finding my seat.
I wouldn’t go again unless I could get the «red» seats, because the top-​level cheapies are really just plastic ass pads across a metal bench. Everyone sits back-to-knees…really uncomfortable. And it was hot… stifling. I was there for a BC Eagles basketball game. I understand that they need to keep it warm for the players, but this was warmer than warm. This was like the-heat’s-on-too-high-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-now-I’ve-got-the-sweats warm.
The food was what you’d expect. I got a foot-​long with sauerkraut… the usual sit-​in-​a-​steamer-​all-​game situation. Worst part… no beer… I knew they had no alcohol before hand, so I got my drink on before I got to the game… but still, I missed having a beer. Other college stadiums have beer — very prudish BC.
For the second half, we stood in the standing-​room only portion. Felt better to have more elbow room, but we were bummed that the energy level was just lacking… nobody seemed into the game. I’m hoping next time will be better, but only if I can get a «red» seat.