The McCasland Field House is a multi-purpose indoor arena on the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

main campus in

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, b ...

. Home of the

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

Sooners Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbying campaig ...

until 1975, the Field House currently hosts the men's

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, 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 Sum ...

, and men's

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

teams. The Field House is named for T. Howard McCasland, a two-sport star who was the captain of the 1916

team and an end for the football team. The facility opened with a basketball game between the Sooners and the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

Jayhawks on January 13, 1928, which the Sooners won 45-19. When it opened, the facility held over 5,000 people. It is rather unknown, these days on campus, that the Fieldhouse once witnessed concerts by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in the 1960s and 1970s. As the campus was constructed around the Field House, parking for fans disappeared and attendance at games dwindled as well. After the

Lloyd Noble Center The Lloyd Noble Center is a 10,967-seat multi-purpose arena located in Norman, Oklahoma, some south of downtown Oklahoma City. It opened in 1975 and is home to the University of Oklahoma men's and women's basketball teams. History Before the co ...

opened in 1975 and the basketball teams moved south to the new facility, the Field House seemed forgotten and neglected. Plans for refurbishment began in the 1990s along with other campus improvements, and fundraising began in earnest in September 1997. In 2005 the initial phase of a $6 million renovation project was completed, including the building's first-ever climate control system, refurbishment of the historic wood floor, new chair-back and retractable seats. The facility had to be completely rewired, not only to handle the new heating and air-conditioning systems (its first ever) and the new lighting and state-of-the-art sound and video systems, but to bring the building up to current electrical code standards. The next phase of renovations to the Field House was locker room upgrades, additions of restrooms and concessions, and expansion of the wrestling practice facility from its current to more than . Finally, all of the building's windows, a distinguishing feature of the Field House, were replaced, along with the roof.Upchurch, Jay. ''New Digs''. ''Sooner Magazine'', Winter 2007, p. 15-17.

References

External links

Official Howard McCasland Field House information page
{{coord, 35.208034, -97.442535, type:landmark, display=title College gymnastics venues in the United States College volleyball venues in the United States College wrestling venues in the United States Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Oklahoma Sooners basketball venues Sports venues in Oklahoma University of Oklahoma campus 1928 establishments in Oklahoma Sports venues completed in 1928

See also

References

External links