From Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium to Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, some arenas in college basketball are as famous as the teams they showcase. Though Duke and Kansas have memorable venues, they aren’t among the oldest arenas in the sport.
Here’s a look at the oldest active arenas in Division I college basketball:
Matthews Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) – 1910
When it opened in 1910, Matthews Arena’s brochure boasted, “It is the most complete home of sport in America – the largest, most complete and most elaborate temple erected for the devotees of sport in the world.” Home of the Northeastern Huskies men’s basketball team, “Boston Arena” is the world’s oldest multi-purpose athletic building that houses the world’s oldest artificial ice sheet. Matthews is also the home of the Northeastern men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. It seats 5,066 for basketball.
Rose Hill Gymnasium (Bronx, New York) – 1925
Home of the Fordham Rams men’s and women’s basketball teams, Rose Hill Gymnasium is a 3,200-seat multi-purpose arena on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the Bronx borough of New York City. It is the oldest on-campus venue used primarily for NCAA Division I basketball. “The Prairie” also houses the Fordham volleyball team and was the site of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s final high school basketball game in 1965.
Lavietes Pavilion (Allston, Massachusetts) – 1926
Lavietes Pavilion serves as the home of the Harvard men’s and women’s basketball teams. Formerly called the Briggs Athletic Center, the 1,636-seat arena originally housed Harvard’s indoor track teams. The facility honors Ray Lavietes, a two-year letterman for the basketball team. Lavietes’ donations inspired a $2.1 million refurbishing project that was completed prior to the 1995-96 season.
Palestra (Philadelphia) – 1927
The Palestra, home of the Penn Quakers men’s and women’s basketball teams, has been dubbed the “Cathedral of College Basketball” for its impact on the sport in the United States. The arena formerly served as the home of the original Philadelphia Big 5 round-robin competition featuring Penn, Villanova, La Salle, Temple and Saint Joseph’s. The Palestra seats 8,700.
Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (Seattle) – 1927
Nestled on the University of Washington campus, Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (or “Hec Ed”) is the basketball home of the Washington Huskies. The 9,268-seat, 130,000-square-foot arena also houses volleyball and gymnastics. The University of Washington Pavilion was renamed after former basketball and track coach Hec Edmundson in 1948. Alaska Airlines became a naming partner in January 2011.
Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) – 1928
Featured in the championship game in the movie “Hoosiers,” the 9,100-seat Hinkle Fieldhouse is the historic home of the Butler men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the school’s volleyball team. “Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral” was renamed after former Bulldogs coach and athletic director Paul Hinkle in 1966.
Williams Arena (Minneapolis) – 1928
Williams Arena is the home of Minnesota‘s men’s and women’s basketball teams. Known as “The Barn,” the facility features a capacity of 14,625 and a court raised two feet above the benches and scorers table.
Payne Whitney Gymnasium (New Haven, Connecticut) – 1932
Yale‘s men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams compete in the John J. Lee Amphitheater, which is situated inside the Payne Whitney Gymnasium. The facility, which is open to the Yale community, features more than 12 acres of space that includes a nine-and-one-half story tower containing a third-floor swimming pool, fencing facilities and a polo practice room. The first basketball game was played in the amphitheater on Dec. 2, 1932, with Yale defeating an alumni team 38-16.
Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse (New Orleans) – 1933
The Tulane Green Wave’s basketball and volleyball teams suit up inside the 4,100-seat Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. The arena within the fieldhouse was named after alumnus Avron Fogelman in 1988.
Haas Pavilion (Berkeley, California) – 1933
Formerly Harmon Gym, the Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion is the home of both the California Golden Bears men’s and women’s basketball teams. The school’s women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s gymnastics teams also compete inside Haas Pavilion, which features 11,877 seats.
Check out the ESPN men’s college basketball hub page and ESPN women’s college basketball hub page for more.
