University Arena
University Arena, commonly known as The Pit, is a multi-purpose
arena with a capacity of 18,018 in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. The arena opened in 1966, and it serves primarily as home to the
University of New Mexico Lobos Men's and Women's
basketball teams.
Encyclopedia
University Arena, commonly known as
The Pit, is a multi-purpose
arena with a capacity of 18,018 in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. The arena opened in 1966, and it serves primarily as home to the
University of New Mexico Lobos Men's and Women's
basketball teams.
Legacy
The Pit has a reputation as one of the most hostile arenas in the country for visiting teams due to the large crowds of loud, raucous Lobo fans, seated right up to the edge of the court. Visiting squads are often forced to develop hand signals to communicate over the deafening roar. The
Lobo basketball program enjoys a formidable home-court advantage at The Pit and contends that top national programs refuse to play the team there.
The Lobos were the only team ranked in the top 10 nationally in total attendance every season from the opening of The Pit in 1966 through the 2000-01 season. The team has continued to finish in the top 20 in the years since.
In 1983, The Pit hosted the NCAA Basketball Final Four that featured the memorable championship game upset by
North Carolina State over heavily favored
Houston. The video clip of NC State coach Jim Valvano running around the court frenetically at the end of the game documents one of the most famous moments in NCAA basketball history, and is now a staple of Final Four television coverage.
In 1999, The Pit was named the 13th Best Sports Venue of the
Twentieth Century by a
Sports Illustrated magazine panel. The Pit hosted a regional final and semi-finals in the NCAA basketball tournament in March 2005. It previously hosted NCAA tournament regionals in 1968, 1978, 1985, 1992, 1996, and 2000 before last year making The Pit a common arena for NCAA Tournament games. It also hosted the 1987, 1995, and 1996
Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournaments.
Structure Background
The arena received its nickname because of its unique construction. It is literally a pit dug out of Albuquerque's southeast
mesa. The roof was built first, followed by excavation of dirt to create a large hole, placing the arena floor 37 feet below ground level. The original seating capacity was 14,831, built at a cost of $1.4 million, a very small amount even for that era. The subterranean design has won international recognition for chief architect Joe Boehning, who still resides in Albuquerque.
By the mid-1970s, the capacity proved too small for the increasingly popular Lobos. In 1975, a cantilevered deck was added above the original stands, increasing the seating capacity to 17,131. The total capacity of 18,018 includes standing-room tickets.
There are no supporting pillars in the seating area of The Pit, so there are no obstructed views. The compact area and proximity of the seats to the floor contributes to the legendary noise level.
The basketball playing surface was named
Bob King Court in 1992, after the coach who brought Lobo basketball to national prominence in the 1960s.
[1]
External links
