Reed K. Swenson Gym (originally Wildcat Gym) is a 1,200-seat gymnasium in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, on the campus of

Weber State University Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...

in Ogden, Utah. It is currently the home of Weber State Wildcats women's volleyball team of the

Big Sky Conference The Big Sky Conference (BSC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the eig ...

. Built in 1962 as Weber State's primary indoor venue, it was succeeded by the new

Dee Events Center Dee Events Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the western United States, located on the campus of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. The circular, 11,592-seat domed arena, similar in design to many of the era, opened in 1977 and was na ...

in autumn

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

. All three teams ( men's and women's basketball, volleyball) moved to the Dee, leaving the gym without a varsity tenant. It was renovated in 2006 to accommodate volleyball, with its seating capacity significantly reduced. It is named for Reed Knute Swenson (1903–1989), the head basketball coach at Weber from 1933 to 1957 and longtime athletic director. The gym hosted the inaugural

Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament The Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament is the conference championship tournament in men's basketball for the Big Sky Conference. The event has been held annually since 1976, the conference's thirteenth year. The tournament winner earn ...

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

; the host

Wildcats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

lost the title game in double overtime to Boise State, with an attendance of 4,679. The final men's basketball game was on February 12,

, a twelve-point win over Gonzaga before 4,941; the Bulldogs were winless in fifteen annual attempts at Wildcat Gym, but did upset Weber State by a point a week later in

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...

to foil their title hopes. Two weeks later at the conference tournament in

Pocatello Pocatello () is the county seat of and largest city in Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the P ...

, the 'Cats returned the favor with a one-point win over the Zags in the semifinals.

References

External links

Weber State University Athletics: Swenson Gym
Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Basketball venues in Utah Weber State Wildcats basketball Sports venues in Ogden, Utah Sports venues completed in 1962 1962 establishments in Utah {{Utah-sports-venue-stub