Gampel Pavilion Court, Iconic but Wearing Out, to be Replaced After Current Hoops Season
Generations of UConn accomplishment stories have been introduced at Gampel Pavilion around the past 3 a long time – not only amid UConn student athletes, but also tens of hundreds of Huskies who’ve participated in orientation functions, job fairs, and their Graduation ceremonies there.
And when legends of all kinds of have had their commence crossing that storied courtroom, the 33-year-aged wood floor is achieving the conclude of its beneficial everyday living and will be changed after spring semester with a new maple surface.
The floor was mounted soon prior to Gampel opened in January 1990 and has been sanded and refinished every year to continue to keep it in playable problem — even as UConn groups have garnered 15 national championships concerning the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and two Massive East championships for UConn volleyball.
Having said that, the court docket has attained the conclusion of its useful life and are not able to be more sanded, and wants to be replaced ahead of the 2023-24 basketball and volleyball seasons start out subsequent autumn.
The Board of Trustees recently authorised the undertaking, which will entail taking away the wooden flooring, inspecting and repairing the subfloor, setting up the new maple ground, and finishing it with sanding and ultimate portray.
Actively playing courts in athletics facilities like Gampel contain specific functions these types of as a sure amount of “give” in the subfloor to prevent extremely jarring impacts on athletes’ joints and muscle tissue. They also will have to have the suitable markings, approved college logos, and other NCAA-compliant requirements.
“Gampel Pavilion is one particular of the terrific college or university basketball venues in the region with so several Husky greats getting taken that courtroom, making countless signature moments in the course of the past 33 years,” UConn Athletic Director David Benedict states.
“The time has occur for that legendary hardwood to be replaced as we go on to hold our target on preserving our amenities at the optimum degree so we can present our coaches and college student-athletes the instruments they want to contend for championships,” he adds.
“There is no superior time to be a section of UConn Nation, as our nationally ranked men’s and women’s basketball packages are in the midst of fantastic seasons and hunting to near out this era of the historic Gampel Pavilion court with a few a lot more championship memories.”
With its distinct dome and its storied historical past in the center of the Storrs campus, Gampel Pavilion has been aspect of the UConn landscape since it opened on Jan. 27, 1990, when the men’s basketball workforce defeated St. John’s.
Various maintenance and upgrade initiatives have been completed at Gampel more than the a long time to ensure it retains its exclusive character when also incorporating fashionable touches ideal to the “Basketball Funds of the Globe.” One particular of the largest – substitution of the legendary triangular inside roof dome panels, numerous of which had come to be pale and peeling – was conducted in 2017.
The function to swap the actively playing court will start off later this spring after Commencement. And what is to turn into of those legendary picket planks as soon as they are eradicated to make way for their replacements?
That is still to be identified, but a single point is sure about the court: “It will not be thrown in the garbage, let us place it that way,” UConn Board of Trustees Dan Toscano ’87 (BUS) mentioned at a current assembly.
Presented the enjoying court’s symbolism and significance to UConn Nation, athletics division officials are brainstorming with other folks on ways to make pieces out there to people, most likely as part of a fundraising initiative. Particulars are nevertheless currently being worked out and will be announced when out there.