Walsh Gymnasium is a multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

South Orange, New Jersey South Orange is a historic suburban Village (New Jersey), village located in Essex County, New Jersey. It was formally known as the Township of South Orange Village from October 1978 until April 25, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

on the campus of

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

. The arena opened in 1941 and can seat 1,316 people. It was home to the Seton Hall Pirates men's

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 (appro ...

team before they moved to the Meadowlands in 1985 and then

Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multipurpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey, United States. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), the New York Sirens of the Pro ...

in 2007. Currently, the arena hosts the women's basketball and

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 ...

teams, but continues to host men's basketball for preseason exhibitions, postseason invitational games such as early rounds of the NIT, and occasionally a regular season non-conference game if there is a conflict with Prudential Center's event schedule. The building is part of the Richie Regan Recreation & Athletic Center, and, like the school's main library, is named for Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, fifth bishop of Newark and former President of the Board of Trustees. Walsh hosted a semifinal game of the ECAC Metro Region tournament, a

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) Division I men's

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

tournament organized by the

Eastern College Athletic Conference The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 15 sports (13 men's and 13 women's). It has 220 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from ...

(ECAC), in

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, 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 (no ...

. The Pirates played two games in the 2012 NIT and three games in the 2024 NIT in Walsh.

History

Walsh Gymnasium was the first permanent basketball facility to be built on the Seton Hall campus. The architect was Anthony J. DePace. Construction began in 1939 as part of a project that would cost $600,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) and was completed in the winter of 1941, when the men's basketball team played its first-ever game there. According to Alan Delozier in his book "Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History" Seton Hall University president Monsignor James F. Kelley based the Walsh Gymnasium concept on facilities found at St. Catherine's College and Yale University for their multipurpose dynamics. When it opened in 1941, Walsh seated 3,200 and was one of the largest arenas in the northeast. The last major renovation, during Tommy Amaker’s coaching tenure in the late 1990s, replaced nearly an entire bank of balcony seating with offices. In 2020 Walsh Gymnasium received a significant facelift following the conclusion of the 2019-20 collegiate basketball season. Upgrades included: Complete replacement of the seating including the court level bleachers with chair-back seating; a new center-hung scoreboard, as well as two new video boards flanking the stage; new ceiling-mounted baskets which will replace the portable baskets; a new sound system; and a new hardwood court.

Events

Over the years, Walsh Gym has been host to countless events including post-season games, religious ceremonies, graduations and concerts featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen.

References

External links

* Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Sports venues in Essex County, New Jersey Seton Hall Pirates basketball venues 1939 establishments in New Jersey Sports venues completed in 1939 College volleyball venues in the United States Anthony J. DePace buildings {{NewJersey-stadium-stub

History

Events

See also

References

External links