Alumni Hall was a 2,479-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

on the campus of

Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...

, located in

Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the New York metropolitan area ...

. It was home to the

Fairfield Stags The Fairfield Stags are the athletic programs representing Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Most of the programs are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and classified as Division I (non-football) in the Nat ...

men's and women's basketball teams from its construction in 1959 until 2002, when the teams began playing home games at the

Arena at Harbor Yard Total Mortgage Arena (formerly The Arena at Harbor Yard and Webster Bank Arena) is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. It is the home venue of the New York Islanders' AHL farm team, the Bridgepor ...

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

reported that Alumni Hall was home to the most vocal and loyal basketball fans in the Northeast. Alumni Hall was home to the

women's volleyball team and the Fairfield Prep Jesuits basketball teams, but it hosted two Stags men's and women's basketball games during the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.

History

The Hall, which opened on December 5, 1959, is one of the earliest

prestressed concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially "prestressed" ( compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-tensioned concreted i ...

structures. Engineering magazines from the time noted that the eleven 160-foot pre-cast arches created a record-breaking span for structures in the United States. Besides being an athletic venue, Alumni Hall has hosted many political and musical events and annually hosts the

Baccalaureate Mass Baccalaureate may refer to: * ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification * Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree * English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...

and the

Fairfield Prep Fairfield College Preparatory School (Fairfield Prep) is a Jesuit preparatory school located on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is an all-male school of about 700 students, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942 ...

Commencement Ceremony. During the

1988 United States presidential election The 1988 United States presidential election was the 51st quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 8, 1988. The Republican nominee, incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush, defeated the Democratic nominee, Governor Michael ...

, Vice President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

visited Fairfield University days before being elected president. The Fairfield University Students Association hosts semi-annual concerts in the hall, and notable performers have included the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

in 1967,

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

in 1973,

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

in Spring 2008, and

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

in December 2008. On November 6, 2015, Fairfield University named Alumni Hall's court in honor of legendary basketball coach and the university's former director of athletics

George Bisacca George Bisacca was the fourth head coach of the Fairfield Stags men's basketball team. Coaching career Bisacca was the head coach of the Fairfield Stags men's basketball team coach for 11 seasons from 1958 to 1968 where he compiled a 151–87 r ...

. Currently in the spring of 2021, Alumni Hall is undergoing a total reconstruction, with the entire arena being demolished. Projected to open in the fall of 2022, the new facility will be home to Fairfield's Division I basketball and volleyball sports teams, and the Fairfield Prep basketball team. The arena will also host convocations, concerts, and gatherings for both the university community and the surrounding community at large.

External links

Fairfield Stags facilities

Historical Photographs from the Digital Archive @ DiMenna-Nyselius Library

References

{{Fairfield Stags men's basketball navbox Fairfield Stags basketball venues Basketball venues in Connecticut Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Sports venues in Fairfield County, Connecticut Buildings and structures in Fairfield, Connecticut