R.I.P. Carver press area

The Carver-Hawkeye Arena press area wasn't the most luxurious place to cover a basketball game. But it served its purpose from 1984 through 2010.

When you sat in the press area, you had a good view of the court and the electrical outlets were located within laptop distance. Plus, there generally were reliable hook-ups to the Internet. That's really all you need to cover basketball or any sport.

We media types are sliding down from the arena's west side to the northwest corner. If Iowa can squeeze a few more bucks out of our seating area, more power to them. Somebody has to pay for this $43 million renovation.

Here are some photos of the renovation and new practice facility, both inside and outside the arena. Everything should be completed by fall 2011.