WVU Coliseum

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West Virginia University Coliseum
Location Monongahela Blvd
Morgantown, WV 26506
Opened 1970
Owner West Virginia Univ.
Operator West Virginia Univ.
Construction cost $10.4 million
Architect C. E. Silling
Tenants West Virginia Mountaineers
(Basketball, volleyball & gymnastics)
Capacity 14,000
Interior, Summer 2007
Interior, Summer 2007


The WVU Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena which is located in the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The circular arena features a poured concrete roof.

The arena, which opened in 1970, is home to the WVU Mountaineers men's and women's basketball teams, men's wrestling, as well as WVU's women's teams in volleyball and gymnastics. The arena has nearly 100 offices, 13 lecture and seminar rooms, a dance studio, safety lab, racquetball and squash courts, Jerry West Mountaineer Room (holds nearly 150 people for meetings). Comprises more than 10.5 million cubic feet (300,000 m³) of space. The arena also has more than 1,000 individual locker units in various dressing rooms available for students and staff. There is also a 3,000-square-foot (280 m²) weight room located in the lower level of the Coliseum. The arena has been used for concerts but the concrete roof has poor sound distribution properties, so other venues in town are more appropriate for this purpose. The poor sound quality was purposeful, as it was the intention of the designers to cup the ceiling so that crowd noise generated at basketball games would be directed back to the floor. The first event held at the Coliseum in 1970 was a Grand Funk Railroad concert. The arena hosted the 1984 and 1988 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournaments.

The arena was built with state funds and replaced the WVU Fieldhouse, which seated 6,000.

During the 1998-99 season, the Jerry West Lounge was formally dedicated, flanking the entrance to lounge is a display showcasing the highlights of the Mountaineer great. In November of 2005, the University announced that a life size bronzed statue of West would adorn the Blue Gate entrance of the Coliseum.

In 1999 the school was forced to play a year of games split between Wheeling, Charleston, and the gym at nearby Fairmont State University due to asbestos removal.

In 2004 the Coliseum underwent an upgrade which included renovations to the men's and women's locker rooms, construction of a player's lounge and team video theater, expansion of the equipment and training rooms, refurbishment of the Coliseum roof, construction of a club seating area in the main arena, complete with a private space for concessions hospitality area and rest rooms under the lower level seats.

WVU and NBA Hall-of-Famer, Jerry West, has his number retired and a sign hangs over Seating Section 44 with "Jerry West 44" written on it. Also, standing outside of the main entrance of the Coliseum is a large bronze statue dedicated to Jerry West.

According to WVU Department of Athletics, in 2008, the Coliseum will receive a new NBA Style Video Scoreboard, a new Public Address System, as well as a new lighting system, and a new floor design. Also, WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong announced that construction on a new $20-$22 million dollar practice facility to be built adjacent to the Coliseum.

[edit] Top 10 Crowds

  • 16,704 - Pitt - February 24, 1982
  • 15,638 - #1 UNLV - February 27, 1983
  • 15,409 - Marshall - December 4, 1982
  • 15,299 - Pitt - January 31, 1981
  • 15,193 - #6 Georgetown - December 2, 1995
  • 15,167 - #6 UCONN - February 11, 1998
  • 15,118 - #3 Notre Dame - February 17, 1979
  • 14,853 - George Washington - February 20, 1982
  • 14,805 - #8 Pitt - February 27, 2006
  • 14,683 - #1 UCONN - February 18, 2006

[edit] Year by Year Results

  • Men's Basketball
Year Record Win Percentage
1970-71 9-4 .692
1971-72 11-4 .733
1972-73 8-6 .571
1973-74 8-4 .667
1974-1975 8-6 .571
1975-76 12-4 .750
1976-77 11-1 .917
1977-78 8-4 .667
1978-79 14-4 .778
1979-80 8-7 .554
1980-81 19-1 .950
1981-82 15-0 1.000
1982-83 13-1 .929
1983-84 15-2 .882
1984-85 13-3 .813
1985-86 14-2 .875
1986-87 10-6 .625
1988-89 12-2 .857
1989-90 12-1 .923
1990-91 13-2 .867
1991-92 10-3 .769
1992-93 14-1 .933
1993-94 13-3 .813
1994-95 9-4 .692
1995-96 9-5 .643
1996-97 12-4 .750
1997-98 13-1 .929
1998-99 6-7 .462
1999-00 Coliseum Closed for Asbestos Removal N/A
2000-01 12-4 .750
2001-02 5-8 .385
2002-03 9-5 .643
2003-04 10-4 .714
2004-05 11-3 .786
2005-06 13-2 .867
2006-07 17-1 .944
2007-08 14-2 .875

[edit] External links

v • d • e
West Virginia University
Campus Facilities
Divisions and Regional Campuses
Athletics
v • d • e
Current Basketball Arenas in the Big East

Alumni Hall (Providence women) • Allstate Arena (DePaul men) • Bradley Center (Marquette men) • Carnesecca Arena (St. John's) • Carrier Dome (Syracuse) • Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence men) • Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati) • Freedom Hall (Louisville) • Gampel Pavilion (Connecticut) • Joyce Center (Notre Dame) • Louis Brown Athletic Center (Rutgers) • Madison Square Garden (St. John's men) • McDonough Gymnasium (Georgetown women) • McGuire Center (Marquette women) • The Pavilion (Villanova) • Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh) • Prudential Center (Seton Hall men) • Sullivan Athletic Center (DePaul women) • USF Sun Dome (South Florida) • Verizon Center (Georgetown men) • Wachovia Center (Villanova) • Walsh Gymnasium (Seton Hall women) • WVU Coliseum (West Virginia) • XL Center (Connecticut)

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