Sad: Univ of Michigan Pool Hall in the Union Will be No More.

[PoolBum]

Unfortunately more and more college student unions are getting rid of their rec centers. The pool/billiard/snooker tables at UCLA that Jay mentioned seem to be gone completely.

In the mid to late 90's UCLA opened a video game room in the student center. The manager of the room was a pool enthusiast, and was able to get 5 9-foot Diamond tables for the room. That's the room that, about 10 years later, they scrapped and turned into a Jamba Juice. It was upstairs from the large bookstore that Jay was talking about.

 

[lfigueroa]

Lot's of great college rooms were out there. I have to wonder how many still remain.

The room at the University of San Francisco, my alma matter, was very nice, with a good number of GCs. Also the room at UC Davis, adjoining their bowling alley if I recall, was nice with some white pocketed Gandy's. I also played at the UCLA room, oh, around 1975, which was also very nice and big.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Taxi]

My GF and I used to travel all over the Big Ten, ACC and SEC colleges in the 70's showing bootleg movies, and naturally I played pool everywhere I went. I wonder if anyone can tell me whether or not the rooms at a few of these universities still exist:

Purdue---This advertised itself as Indiana's biggest pool room, and it was indeed huge, and included at least one snooker table, though it was only 4 1/2 x 9. The only drawback was that 9-ball was forbidden, so you'd have to break a full rack, run any six balls like it was straight pool, and then run the remaining nine balls in order. It was actually kind of a neat game, but that was the only place I'd ever seen it played.

Indiana University (IU/Bloomington) - Like Purdue's, this was also part of a humongous student union that included a hotel, a newsstand, a book shop, a bowling alley and many restaurants. This was the only college room I ever played in that had a fair number of local hustlers in action. Lots of other college rooms were requiring college IDs or some proof that you were staying on campus.

Illinois - This place had some of the best maintained equipment I've ever seen.

Kansas - One of my favorites, this one had a shimmed 5 x 10 pool table where I won a hundred bucks from one of the varsity basketball players. We let him and his friends into our movies for free as a courtesy consolation, and he started describing me as the second coming of Fast Eddie. In 53+ years of cushion beating, nobody else has ever described me that way.:grin-square:

LSU - Totally unforgettable, with Gold Crown Brunswicks whose cloth matched the school's purple and gold team colors. Funny that there was little action there, funny considering all the action in and around Baton Rouge.

 

[ChrisinNC]

My GF and I used to travel all over the Big Ten, ACC and SEC colleges in the 70's showing bootleg movies, and naturally I played pool everywhere I went. I wonder if anyone can tell me whether or not the rooms at a few of these universities still exist:

Purdue---This advertised itself as Indiana's biggest pool room, and it was indeed huge, and included at least one snooker table, though it was only 4 1/2 x 9. The only drawback was that 9-ball was forbidden, so you'd have to break a full rack, run any six balls like it was straight pool, and then run the remaining nine balls in order. It was actually kind of a neat game, but that was the only place I'd ever seen it played.

Indiana University (IU/Bloomington) - Like Purdue's, this was also part of a humongous student union that included a hotel, a newsstand, a book shop, a bowling alley and many restaurants. This was the only college room I ever played in that had a fair number of local hustlers in action. Lots of other college rooms were requiring college IDs or some proof that you were staying on campus.

Illinois - This place had some of the best maintained equipment I've ever seen.

Kansas - One of my favorites, this one had a shimmed 5 x 10 pool table where I won a hundred bucks from one of the varsity basketball players. We let him and his friends into our movies for free as a courtesy consolation, and he started describing me as the second coming of Fast Eddie. In 53+ years of cushion beating, nobody else has ever described me that way.:grin-square:

LSU - Totally unforgettable, with Gold Crown Brunswicks whose cloth matched the school's purple and gold team colors. Funny that there was little action there, funny considering all the action in and around Baton Rouge.

Virginia Tech at Blacksburg has had a very nice poolroom for many years, and still going strong. I played in an ACUI regional there in the mid 70s and one of our regulars here is in grad school there now. They even have a 6x12 snooker table.

 

[dawgcpa]

Pool room

UGA took there’s out as well a few years ago. Pretty disappointing to go back and not see the place that held so many memories for me. I think it’s some sort of cafe now. I get that they need the space but I just think they’ve got to have some space somewhere to put some tables....

 

[mosconiac]

Showing yet again that college unions are not as much about recreation, social interaction, & study groups as they $, $$, and $$$.

 

[pt109]

Showing yet again that college unions are not as much about recreation, social interaction, & study groups as they $, $$, and $$$.

Nice to see you posting....the funny pic/gif thread misses you.

 

[Cuebuddy]

My kids have all played at the Cornell student union, although its small its kinda cool. I hope it hangs in there.

 

[skip100]

Schools have changed, especially universities and they are infected with intolerant liberal thinking. Gone are the pool rooms

That must be why pool is doing so great at Liberty University and BYU... oh wait...

 

[KRJ]

[
Illinois - This place had some of the best maintained equipment I've ever seen.

[.

and they still do. They even have a snooker and 3-cushion table. Also have lockers to store your cue so you don't have to drag it around campus Plus, they have a billiards club team, they compete against Lindenwood.

 

[Banger]

It's a shame that pool tables are going away. West Georgia and Georgia Tech, both had a few tables in the student center. Nothing fancy, but it was nice to have a place to play. I got to see Jack White put on his trick shot exhibition twice, at West Georgia, back in the late 1970's. Years later, Scott Lee was doing the show there.

I guess a coffee bar and Wi-Fi hot spot are more important, now. Maybe I'm getting old, but I just don't get it......

 

[jay helfert]

My GF and I used to travel all over the Big Ten, ACC and SEC colleges in the 70's showing bootleg movies, and naturally I played pool everywhere I went. I wonder if anyone can tell me whether or not the rooms at a few of these universities still exist:

Purdue---This advertised itself as Indiana's biggest pool room, and it was indeed huge, and included at least one snooker table, though it was only 4 1/2 x 9. The only drawback was that 9-ball was forbidden, so you'd have to break a full rack, run any six balls like it was straight pool, and then run the remaining nine balls in order. It was actually kind of a neat game, but that was the only place I'd ever seen it played.

Indiana University (IU/Bloomington) - Like Purdue's, this was also part of a humongous student union that included a hotel, a newsstand, a book shop, a bowling alley and many restaurants. This was the only college room I ever played in that had a fair number of local hustlers in action. Lots of other college rooms were requiring college IDs or some proof that you were staying on campus.

Illinois - This place had some of the best maintained equipment I've ever seen.

Kansas - One of my favorites, this one had a shimmed 5 x 10 pool table where I won a hundred bucks from one of the varsity basketball players. We let him and his friends into our movies for free as a courtesy consolation, and he started describing me as the second coming of Fast Eddie. In 53+ years of cushion beating, nobody else has ever described me that way.:grin-square:

LSU - Totally unforgettable, with Gold Crown Brunswicks whose cloth matched the school's purple and gold team colors. Funny that there was little action there, funny considering all the action in and around Baton Rouge.

Two places I attended had great poolrooms:

Oklahoma University in Norman had by far the biggest poolroom in town. I learned to play there by getting beat on by Tommy Fisher, who was a top flight gambler and later on a high stakes poker player in Vegas. I met Don Owen of OB cues there. He was the best Straight Pool player on campus. Also John Guffy went to OU long before he ever started making cues. I branched out from there taking a "road trip" to Oklahoma City with Tommy Fisher. We were doing okay until we ran into Norman Hitchcock who wiped us out, lol.

Ohio State U. had another huge poolroom and there was some action to be had there. By then I had become a semi competent player who could beat all the bangers. They tried to match me up with Marshall Kasoff from Cleveland, but I ducked him because of his rep as the best on campus. Years later I ran into him in Los Angeles and he ducked me, lol. Like other schools, no 9-Ball was allowed there. Eight Ball was the primary money game.

I also spent time in the Student Union while visiting my brother at Florida U. They also had a nice poolroom that was crowded every day. A lot of Southern boys there with money so it was easy pickings for me, at one and two dollars a game. There was one good player (John ?), who was the Florida Sate Straight Pool champ. He would go on to finish second in the College Nationals one year. The local game maker tried putting me in against him and I declined, telling him I would only play him some 9-Ball. We finally did make a game where we agreed to play a Race to Eleven 9-Ball and 100 points of 14.1. By some miracle (the story is in Pool Wars) I won both bets. The only time my brother ever got to see me play (he was in Medical School there). RIP my dear Bruce!

 

[KAP1976]

May the pool Gods curse them with many losing football seasons...

Or worse yet, a coach who doesn't win anything but costs them $9 million annually.

 

[StraightPoolIU]

My GF and I used to travel all over the Big Ten, ACC and SEC colleges in the 70's showing bootleg movies, and naturally I played pool everywhere I went. I wonder if anyone can tell me whether or not the rooms at a few of these universities still exist:

Purdue---This advertised itself as Indiana's biggest pool room, and it was indeed huge, and included at least one snooker table, though it was only 4 1/2 x 9. The only drawback was that 9-ball was forbidden, so you'd have to break a full rack, run any six balls like it was straight pool, and then run the remaining nine balls in order. It was actually kind of a neat game, but that was the only place I'd ever seen it played.

Indiana University (IU/Bloomington) - Like Purdue's, this was also part of a humongous student union that included a hotel, a newsstand, a book shop, a bowling alley and many restaurants. This was the only college room I ever played in that had a fair number of local hustlers in action. Lots of other college rooms were requiring college IDs or some proof that you were staying on campus.

Illinois - This place had some of the best maintained equipment I've ever seen.

Kansas - One of my favorites, this one had a shimmed 5 x 10 pool table where I won a hundred bucks from one of the varsity basketball players. We let him and his friends into our movies for free as a courtesy consolation, and he started describing me as the second coming of Fast Eddie. In 53+ years of cushion beating, nobody else has ever described me that way.:grin-square:

LSU - Totally unforgettable, with Gold Crown Brunswicks whose cloth matched the school's purple and gold team colors. Funny that there was little action there, funny considering all the action in and around Baton Rouge.

Indiana still has a billiard room. I worked there when I was a student 10 years ago and played on the pool team and was part of the pool club on campus.

One of my best memories from college is playing in the University of Michigan Team Pool Championship. It was the first time Indiana had sent a team, and though we didn't win we made some good memories in a great historic pool room. What a shame they are losing it. Some things have more value than just what you can see on a balance sheet.

 

[Black-Balled]

I had to visit a senior center today to assess a burst sprinkler system and I am happy to report the 8' pool table there was untouched.

Not that it helps many of you.:wink:

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Nice to see you posting....the funny pic/gif thread misses you.

-

I was just going to say the same thing.
Good to see you posting mosconiac, did you hear the local pool room is going to be reduced to about 1/3 of it’s current side....(



Rob.M

 

[12squared]

Small world....when a bunch of Anniversaries got replaced by Gold Crowns...at the U of M...
...I ended up being half owner of five of them which we sold to Annex Billiards in Toronto.

I love that you have them and are maintaining a part of that history, even indirectly.

Dave

 

[12squared]

My kids have all played at the Cornell student union, although its small its kinda cool. I hope it hangs in there.

I like it!

 

[12squared]

I had to visit a senior center today to assess a burst sprinkler system and I am happy to report the 8' pool table there was untouched.

Not that it helps many of you.:wink:

Thank you for that important update. Now we have a place to play next time I visit.

 

[Saturated Fats]

I played there at UofM a few times and enjoyed the place, but I can't say I'm surprised that it is being closed. Any time I went there it was pretty much empty. I was there in the summer once and the place had no air conditioning. It was a long way from being a great place to play.

With the decline of pool rooms in general, it would be surprising if this place was able to buck the tide.