The Ferrell Center is a
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in
Waco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. The city has a 2008 estimated total population of 124,009. It is the 21st largest city by population in Texas, and 194th in the US...
. It was built in 1988 and is located adjacent to the
Brazos RiverThe Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers is the 11th longest river in the United States at 2060 km from its source of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexicoto its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a 116,000 km² drainage basin.-Geography:The Brazos...
. It is home to the
Baylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas, United States. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association...
Bears basketball and volleyball teams. It is named for Charles R. Ferrell, a Baylor student and
legacyA Legacy or legacies is what someone or something is remembered for or what they have left behind that is remembered, revered or has impacted current events and the present day.It may also refer to:In computing,...
who died in 1967, and whose family's estate was a major benefactor of the arena. The building replaced the
Heart O' Texas ColiseumThe Heart O' Texas Coliseum is a 9,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Waco, Texas. It was built in 1953. It was home to the Waco Wizards ice hockey team and the Waco Marshals arena football team, as well as Baylor University basketball and volleyball before the Ferrell Center was opened on...
as the school's primary indoor athletic facility.
The brick and concrete building is capped by a round, gold-plated dome across and above the playing surface at its apex.
The Ferrell Center is a
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in
Waco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. The city has a 2008 estimated total population of 124,009. It is the 21st largest city by population in Texas, and 194th in the US...
. It was built in 1988 and is located adjacent to the
Brazos RiverThe Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers is the 11th longest river in the United States at 2060 km from its source of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexicoto its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a 116,000 km² drainage basin.-Geography:The Brazos...
. It is home to the
Baylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas, United States. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association...
Bears basketball and volleyball teams. It is named for Charles R. Ferrell, a Baylor student and
legacyA Legacy or legacies is what someone or something is remembered for or what they have left behind that is remembered, revered or has impacted current events and the present day.It may also refer to:In computing,...
who died in 1967, and whose family's estate was a major benefactor of the arena. The building replaced the
Heart O' Texas ColiseumThe Heart O' Texas Coliseum is a 9,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Waco, Texas. It was built in 1953. It was home to the Waco Wizards ice hockey team and the Waco Marshals arena football team, as well as Baylor University basketball and volleyball before the Ferrell Center was opened on...
as the school's primary indoor athletic facility.
Dimensions and layout
The brick and concrete building is capped by a round, gold-plated dome across and above the playing surface at its apex. It contains 41 rows of seats, seven of which can be retracted for other events. The dome weighs approximately 175 tons and is constructed of structural aluminum beams covered with anodized gold panels with 4" of vinyl faced insulation on the back (in) side on the panel. The dome is fastened together with Huck fasteners, which are manufactured in Waco. Temcor is the manufacturer of the roof. The surface area of aluminum panels is approximately . During erection, the dome was suspended by 32 cables on a 220' tall tower. The tower was stabilized during erection with 7 guy cables. Concrete poured to date 9650 cubic yards.Structural steel is approximately 500 tons. General description of construction: Drilled piers with concrete support beams for seating bowl. Slab on grade, slabs and structural pan deck slab (over sub-concourse). Precast concrete construction for seating bowl. Exterior facade is architectural precast with white concrete and 5/8" thick brickettes cast into the panels. The panels are attached to a steel structure.
Within the center is the Paul J. Meyer Arena which seats 10,347 for basketball, 8,000 for concerts, and can seat up to 1,000 for banquets. During the summer of 2002, two scoring/video boards allow for replay, graphics, and other video capabilities to enhance the event atmosphere in the arena. With the addition of the new basketball playing floor the Bears and Lady Bears have the opportunity to be on the hardwood more days out of the year with less coversions time between events and games or practice times. In addition a basketball practice facility was constructed in 2006 on the north west side of the building. It contains 2 full practice courts, a strength and conditioning center, and new offices for the men and women's basketball staff.
Notable events
The inaugural event held in the area was a political rally for former President Ronald Reagan. Through the years the arena has hosted many famous acts on its stage including: George Strait, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, The Harlem Globe Trotters, and many more. Many world leaders have also spent time on our stage including Collin Powell, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, and most recently Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, all part of the President's Forum Lecture Series.
Fans have also seen the best of college basketball on the court with a major upset over the University of Arkansas in the early 90's and more recently with the Bears defeating the #4 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in 2001 and the Lady Bears knocking off a top-ten ranked Iowa State team the same year. The Baylor and Waco communities are making the Ferrell Center a tough place to play basketball with record crowds recorded since the arrival of Kim Mulkey, including a facility record crowd of 10,550 while winning the 2005 women's Big 12 regular season title. Following the record crowd Mulkey led the Lady Bears to a first ever Women's National Championship. This marked the first National Championship for the Big 12 in basketball. The arena also play's home to Baylor Volleyball.
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