UT Arlington basketball fans claim the home court advantage Feb. 1 with
the debut of men’s and women’s basketball at the new College Park Center
and a series of opening day events unlike anything the University has
ever seen.
The celebration will include special effects and
pyrotechnics; multi-media entertainment to showcase the 7,000-seat
events center and its high-tech, Daktronics video boards; special guests
and nationally recognized entertainers.
In short, opening day will be spectacular.
“UT
Arlington alumni and supporters have dreamed of a special events center
that would be a true home for basketball and volleyball for decades,
and today we are seeing that dream realized,” said James D. Spaniolo,
president of The University of Texas at Arlington. “College Park Center
will be a wonderful venue for concerts, commencements, guest speakers
and all kinds of special events. We are open for business for Arlington
and the entire North Texas region.”
Doors open at 5 p.m.
Feb. 1 in advance of the 6 p.m. women’s basketball game vs. UT San
Antonio. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting extravaganza begins immediately
following the women’s game. The UT Arlington men play UT San Antonio at 8
p.m. with special entertainment at halftime.
UT Arlington
broke ground on the $78 million special events venue in March 2010. The
center is designed by HKS Inc., architects of the new Dallas Cowboys
Stadium among many of the world’s elite athletics facilities.
College
Park Center is designed to meet LEED Gold standards for sustainability
and is noted particularly for the way the building interacts with its
site and adjacent park, The Green at College Park.
College
Park Center features a split-bowl arena that places more seats close to
the action and intensifies the fan experience. The building incorporates
many energy-saving features and makes artful use of natural light
throughout its grand atrium and concourses.
The events
center boasts two full-size practice courts that allow team workouts
while other activities take place in the arena and that can be used for a
wide variety of purposes.
The Athletics suite provides a
spacious weight room, attractive team and visitors locker rooms, an
academic center for student-athletes and a state-of-the-art Sports
Medicine Center highlighted by a hydrotherapy room with underwater video
cameras that trainers can use to help athletes recover from injury.
“UT
Arlington’s College Park Center has the feel of a much larger,
professional venue,” said David Skaggs, vice president, HKS Sports &
Entertainment Group. “This facility is going to be right up there with
American Airlines Center in terms of its quality, the kinds of
technology offered, and the fan and athlete experience. And, that’s
important.”