Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse is a 4,100-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 ...
built in 1933 on
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
's
Uptown campus in
. Since its opening, it has been home to the
Tulane Green Wave men's and
women's
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
teams and the women's
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
team. Devlin is the 9th-oldest continuously active basketball venue in the nation.
Tulane Gym and Fogelman Arena eras
Construction of Tulane Gym began in 1931 with funds earned from the
football team's appearance in the
1932 Rose Bowl
The 1932 Rose Bowl was the 18th Rose Bowl game, an American post-season college football game that was played on New Year's Day 1932 in Pasadena, California. It featured the Tulane Green Wave against the USC Trojans. The Trojans had six All-Americ ...
, and as a result it was known for many years around campus as "Rose Bowl Gym." The gym was the site of the
1942 NCAA basketball tournament
The 1942 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 20, 1942, and ended with the championship game on March ...
East Regional games, won by the
Dartmouth Indians. The Tulane Boxing team held matches in the gymnasium.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the building housed V-12 students, and in 1975 it was the site of
President Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
's speech announcing the end of US involvement in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
In 1969 and 1970, the gym was home to the
New Orleans Buccaneers of the
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
.
In 1988 the university embarked on the first extensive remodel and refurbishment of the 55-year-old structure, timed to coincide with the return of the men's basketball program from its four-season dormancy in the wake of a
point shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to change the final score of a game without changing who wins. This is typically done by players colluding with gamblers to prevent a team from covering a p ...
scandal involving future NBA player
John "Hot Rod" Williams
John "Hot Rod" Williams (August 9, 1962 – December 11, 2015) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 to 1999.
Early life
Williams was born in Sorrento, Louisiana, a small town near ...
. In 1989, the remodeled building was renamed "Avron B. Fogelman Arena" in honor of
Memphis businessman and Tulane alumnus
Avron Fogelman
Avron B. Fogelman (born March 1, 1940) is an American businessman and real estate developer. He was a former part owner of the Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals as well as several Memphis-based sports teams.Jim MasilaFogelman boxes up sp ...
, whose donations funded the project. Fogelman Arena played host to the
Conference USA women's basketball tournament in 1999 and 2009. In 2008
Barack Obama spoke to a capacity crowd in Fogelman as part of his campaign for the
Democratic nomination for
president.
Devlin Fieldhouse era
Immediately after the 2011–12 basketball season, Tulane embarked on a major, two-phase renovation of the arena with funds provided by longtime supporters Bob and Kate Devlin, whose names were added to the arena. Phase one, including new lighting, ticket booths, chair-back seats, concrete supports, contoured bench seating, concessions, team shop, and club areas, was completed in time for the 2012–13 basketball season. The acoustical ceiling was removed to reveal the original red wood ceiling and steel structure. The newly renovated Fieldhouse opened on November 9, 2012, with a women's basketball game versus the
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, commonly abbreviated La. Tech and Dawgs, refer to the sports teams of Louisiana Tech University, in Ruston, Louisiana. The teams compete in NCAA Division I, Division I of National Collegiate Athletic Ass ...
, a 66–59 victory for the Green Wave. Phase two was completed prior to the 2014 volleyball season. It increased the number of restrooms and rebuilt the visitor locker rooms, officials' locker room, and laundry facility. Work continued in 2015 with the installation of new energy-efficient windows and painting and other minor upgrades.
Gallery
Image:Tulane U Mch2013 Freret Gym Entrance.JPG, Devlin Fieldhouse - Main Entrance
File:Tulane U Mch2013 Freret Gym Across.JPG, Devlin Fieldhouse - Freret St.
Image:Tulane U Mch2013 Freret Gym 5.JPG, Devlin Fieldhouse - West Side Entrance
Image:Tulane U Mch2013 Freret Gym 3.JPG, Devlin Fieldhouse - East Side Entrance
Image:Fogelman Arena T U L A N E.jpg, Devlin Fieldhouse - Tulane Lettering
See also
*
List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
References
{{Louisiana NCAA Division I college basketball venue navbox
Tulane Green Wave men's basketball
Tulane Green Wave women's basketball
Tulane Green Wave women's volleyball
Tulane Green Wave basketball venues
Tulane Green Wave sports venues
New Orleans Buccaneers venues
American Basketball Association venues
Basketball venues in New Orleans
Boxing venues in New Orleans
College basketball venues in the United States
College volleyball venues in the United States
Indoor arenas in New Orleans
Indoor arenas in Louisiana
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four venues
Volleyball venues in New Orleans