Alumni Hall was a 5,308-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 ...
in
Chicago on DePaul's Lincoln Park campus.
History
Alumni Hall was dedicated on December 16, 1956, and was owned and operated by
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Cat ...
.
It replaced the
University Auditorium, the school's prior on-campus gym.
A student-led fundraising campaign raised $25,000 over five weeks. This covered part of the building cost, which totaled $2 million. Construction began on Oct. 3 in 1955 and finished in December 1956.
The 44-year-old building consisted of classrooms, offices, an arena, a gymnasium with 5,200 seats, a swimming pool, locker rooms, handball courts and a cafeteria. Alumni Hall's value was equivalent to $18 million today.
It was home to the
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The team competes in the Big East Conference.
The Blue Demons play home games at Wintrust ...
team from 1956 until they moved to the
Rosemont Horizon
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened in ...
in 1980.
The
DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate women's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The team competes in the Big East Conference.
The Blue Demons play home games at Wintru ...
team played all their home games at Alumni Hall from 1974 to 2000, while the men's team played occasional games there. The
DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball team also played their home matches at Alumni Hall.
The building was the site of the first round of the men's
NCAA Midwest Regional in 1960 and was used for first round NCAA women's basketball tournament games in 1990 and 1992.
The arena closed in 2000 and was torn down in 2001. The women's team moved to the
Sullivan Athletic Center and the men's team moved all games to their main arena, the
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened i ...
(formerly the Rosemount Horizon).
The land for Alumni Hall was repurposed for the new DePaul Student Center.
The arena has been succeeded by the
Wintrust Arena
Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side community area of Chicago that opened in 2017. It is the current home court for ...
. It was built in the fall of 2017 and holds 10,367 seats for DePaul's men's and women's basketball games. It is also home to the Chicago Sky of the WNBA.
Professional basketball
Alumni Hall was the practice facility for the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
in the 1960s and 1970s.
Alumni Hall was home to the
Chicago Hustle
The Chicago Hustle was a team in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) from 1978 to 1981. The team's colors were red and blue.
History
The Hustle played in all three WBL seasons and led the league in attendance each year. The WBL's in ...
of the
WBL from 1978 to 1981.
References
Basketball venues in Chicago
Boxing venues in Chicago
Chicago Bulls venues
Defunct college basketball venues in the United States
Defunct indoor arenas in Illinois
Defunct sports venues in Illinois
Demolished buildings and structures in Chicago
Demolished sports venues in Illinois
DePaul Blue Demons basketball venues
DePaul Blue Demons women's volleyball
Sports venues completed in 1956
Sports venues demolished in 2000
Volleyball venues in Chicago
1956 establishments in Illinois
2000 disestablishments in Illinois
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