Jenison Fieldhouse
Encyclopedia
Jenison Fieldhouse is a 10,004 seat, later reduced to 6,000 seat multi-purpose arena
in East Lansing, Michigan
. The arena opened in 1940 and was named for alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison, whose estate, along with PWAP
funds, funded the building. It was home to the Michigan State University
Spartans basketball team before they moved to Breslin Center in the fall of 1989.
The venue is most famous for its 1978-1979 National Championship Basketball team, which included Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and was coached by Jud Heathcote
. It also hosted the 1963 NCAA basketball tournament
Mideast Regionals. The three-story building's architecture is late art deco
, with a monumental entrance that includes three reliefs of a baseball player, basketball player, and football player above the three main doors.
Jenison Fieldhouse is currently where the women's volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, and indoor track and field teams compete. It also contains Athletic Department offices.
Arena
An 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 East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. The arena opened in 1940 and was named for alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison, whose estate, along with PWAP
Public Works of Art Project
The Public Works of Art Project was a program to employ artists, as part of the New Deal, during the Great Depression. It was the first such program, running from December 1933 to June 1934...
funds, funded the building. It was home to the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
Spartans basketball team before they moved to Breslin Center in the fall of 1989.
The venue is most famous for its 1978-1979 National Championship Basketball team, which included Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and was coached by Jud Heathcote
Jud Heathcote
George Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
. It also hosted the 1963 NCAA basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
Mideast Regionals. The three-story building's architecture is late art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, with a monumental entrance that includes three reliefs of a baseball player, basketball player, and football player above the three main doors.
Jenison Fieldhouse is currently where the women's volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, and indoor track and field teams compete. It also contains Athletic Department offices.