Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt University)
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{{Infobox_Arena
|arena_name = Memorial Gymnasium |nickname = |image = Image:MemorialGymVanderbilt.jpg |location = Nashville, Tennessee |opened = 1952 |closed = Open |renovated = 2002 |expanded = 1965, 1967, 1969 |demolished = N/A |owner = Vanderbilt University Board of Trust |operator = Vanderbilt University |construction_cost = $1.5 million |architect = Edwin Keeble |former_names = n/a |tenants = Men's basketball, Women's basketball |seating_capacity = 14,168 (2002); 15,646 (1969)
11,646 (1967); 6,583 (1952)
}}
Memorial Gymnasium is a multi-purpose facility located in Nashville, Tennessee. Usually called Memorial Gym or simply Memorial, the building is located on the western end of the Vanderbilt University campus. It was built in 1952 and current has a seating capacity of 14,168. It serves as home court for the school's men's and women's basketball programs.
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Construction and design
Memorial Gymnasium was built in the early 1950s. It was dedicated as the campus memorial to students and alumni killed in World War II; a plaque commemorating these people is displayed in the lobby. At the time of its construction, there was a serious discussion within the Vanderbilt community about whether the school should de-emphasize intercollegiate athletics. As a compromise, the gymnasium was built to hold only about 9,000 seats, and it would be readily adaptable to other uses. Consequently, the gymnasium floor was built up above its surroundings, more in the nature of a stage. The areas out of bounds along the sidelines were very wide, in contrast with the small facility which it replaced, where the walls were right along the sidelines and players could scrape their shoulders bringing the ball up the court. This necessitated the placement of the benches at the end of the court, which was not highly unusual at the time. In addition, each goal is anchored by two far-reaching beams attached to support columns, with extra support coming from cables stretching all the way to the gym's ceiling. In the case of a backboard shatter or beam fracture, replacing these goals would be highly difficult, compared to the usual goal setup at most venues.
Memorial Gym is well-known for its unusual design. The end-of-the-floor bench location is now unique in major college basketball, and said to give Vanderbilt a tremendous home court advantage, since no other facility in which opponents play is arranged in such a way. After then Florida State coach Pat Kennedy complained long and loud about the arrangement after his team lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game there, and the opening of the Gaylord Entertainment Center, a far larger, more modern facility, the NCAA chose to move to that venue for NCAA Men's Tournament games. The interior walls were unpainted cinder blocks until very recently. The middle of the three decks has a low ceiling and when the house lights are turned off during game play gives the distinct impression of watching a Cinemascope movie of basketball.
In 2006, the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship held first and second round games at Memorial Gymnasium.
History
As Southeastern Conference basketball grew in popularity and Vanderbilt established itself as a basketball power in the conference probably behind only Kentucky and Tennessee the seating capacity proved inadequate. The gymnasium had been designed in a way which made it readily expandable, and by the mid-1960s it seated 11,000. A conference championship run in 1966 led to even more demand for seats, and by the end of the decade the facility seated 15,525. It usually sold out, especially for conference games, and in the late 1960s and early 1970s Vanderbilt was consistently in the top ten for attendance in all of college basketball, a remarkable achievement for a middle-sized private institution. The arena hosted the SEC men's basketball tournament in 1984 and 1991.
One of the more remarkable events in the history of this venue occurred in the early 1990s when the building served as the host site for a "Battle of the Boulevard" rivalry game between Lipscomb University and Belmont University, two other Nashville institutions with a long history of quality basketball. The game was moved to Memorial when it became apparent that demand for tickets would greatly outstrip their availability at Belmont's former home court, tiny Striplin Gymnasium. However, even event organizers themselves were shocked when the doubleheader between the women's and men's teams sold Memorial out by the halftime of the women's game. This event still holds the all-time attendance record for a NAIA basketball game.
Renovations and Recent history
In recent years the facility has been modernized; the addition of a press box, suites, and other amenities have reduced the seating capacity somewhat. The existence of other high-level sports in Nashville has hurt attendance in recent years and it is not likely that demand for tickets for regular-season games will ever reach the level of the early 1970s. However, the facility is still favored by some basketball purists as an example of a facility designed primarily for that sport (although it also at times housed other facilities for the Vanderbilt athletic operation, such as a swimming pool).
External links
- Memorial Gym official homepage
- Memorial Gym Seating Chart - with clickable Points-of-View
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