When you ask Charles Guthrie about the future of James A. Rhodes (JAR) Arena, he mentions that he's a fan of classic baseball stadiums like Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium and the old Yankee Stadium.

"When you go to the new ballparks, there's a lot of bells and whistles, but when you go to Dodger Stadium, you feel something," the University of Akron athletic director said.

It's a telling answer. As Cleveland State studies whether to spend millions to renovate or replace the 31-year-old Wolstein Center, Division I universities in Portage and Summit counties have more modest goals for their basketball arenas.

"I know there's a portion of the fan base interested in a downtown arena, but we want the JAR to feel like Dodger Stadium — an old stadium with a modern approach," Guthrie said.

The 5,500-seat JAR was built in 1983 and has undergone several upgrades over the years, including in 2002, when it got a new hardwood floor, LED display screens above the game floor and a $1.1 million sound system. UA is currently updating the floor with a new look and the school eventually wants to replace the bleachers, replace the lighting, improve the restrooms and make the facility more accessible for fans with disabilities, Guthrie said.

"I feel like we underestimate the JAR," said Guthrie, whose department is currently building a new practice facility for its men's and women's basketball teams. "If we invest in those (upgrades), it will make a world of difference in what you see."

Part of this stance is practical — building a new arena is a hard sell at any university, much less one than has struggled with finances and enrollment — but part of it stems from Guthrie's background in California, a state where 22 of the 26 Division I basketball arenas were built in the 20th century.

"Looking at it from that perspective, I have an appreciation for (older arenas)," said Guthrie, who has worked at California State University, Los Angeles; California State University, San Marcos; and the University of California, San Diego. "One of the things you always need to do as an AD is embrace tradition. It's OK to put a modern twist on things and switch things up, but you need to understand tradition."

Few arenas have more tradition than Kent State's Memorial Athletic and Convocation (MAC) Center, which was built in 1950, making it the oldest arena in the Mid-American Conference and the 19th-oldest in the country.

The arena got a major facelift in 1992 and has also gotten its share of upgrades through the years, but one addition remains elusive, athletic director Randale Richmond said.

"The ultimate goal is to name this MAC Center," he said.

The MAC Center is home to six of Kent's athletic programs — men's and women's basketball, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics and cheerleading — and there are no plans to replace it. But selling the naming rights would not only inject more resources into the athletic program, it would provide an elegant solution to the problem sports writers have faced for decades: how to differentiate between a conference and an arena that share the same acronym.

"We're going to blitz this pretty hard to see if we can get something going on within this building," Richmond said of the naming rights. "I'm excited about that."

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