New is not always better. That is the case for Ohio State basketball and St. John Arena.

The multi-sport venue is a favorite for fans. It was where the Buckeye men's and women's basketball teams played until 1998 when Value City Arena opened down the street. It has since been the home of the Scarlet and Gray volleyball teams, who are now moving to the Covelli Arena, which opens this year.

With volleyball now out of the classic arena, the court returned to something similar to its original form, going back to the old-school basketball look.

@PhilHecken The former home of Ohio State basketball, St.John Arena, had the floor redone with volleyball moving out, returning the floor back to what it looked like before basketball moved to The Schott in fall of 98. Here is a before, recent, and after of the floor makeover. pic.twitter.com/zmadVhkvMu — #WinForCookie #CookieStrong (@Believeland1994) August 16, 2019

No longer are the volleyball court lines be over the top of the basketball court. Also, the scarlet state of Ohio outline returns at midcourt and the block "OHIO STATE" is back near one sideline.

St. John Arena, which opened in 1956, is a much smaller venue than Value City Arena with a capacity of 13,276. While it does not allow as many fans to take in an Ohio State men's or women's basketball game, it does create a much better atmosphere than the NBA-like arena, with fans right on the court and the steep seating of the upper deck.

Last year, Buckeye basketball returned to St. John Arena when the men's team played Cleveland State on the Friday before the home football game against rivals Michigan. The Scarlet and Gray will play another game at St. John Arena during the 2019-20 season, welcoming in-state foe Kent State to Columbus on Nov. 25.

Earlier this week, Ohio State men's basketball head coach Chris Holtmann said there have been discussions of playing up to two games per year at St. John Arena, and possibly hosting a marquee opponent or even a Big Ten game during his appearance on 97.1 The Fan's The Buckeye Show.

"We will want to do it every year. We love playing in there," Holtmann said. "We have toyed with the idea of playing a team like a Villanova in the non-conference or even playing a Big Ten opponent in St. John. So we've talked about it. Gene and I have talked about it; we've discussed playing as many as two. They'll always be one but obviously, as you guys know, there's other factors that go into that that you have to be aware of."

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St. John Arena will host Ohio high school girls' basketball tournament in 2020 and the boys' tournament in 2021 OHSAA announced on Friday.