Williams Arena, built in 1928, is 80 years old this year. It’s the oldest basketball facility in the Big Ten Conference by a few decades and one of the most historic college arenas in the country. Gopher coach Tubby Smith generated conversation late last year when he told a writer for the New York Times that he wanted a new building.
In an interview with Sports Headliners last week athletics director Joel Maturi said that today’s college basketball is all about recruiting and he believes his coach was responding to a question about attracting players to Minnesota. Anyone who has seen an empty Williams Arena, including Maturi and Smith, know the facility is about as appealing as a $1,000 car on the budget lot. “When you come in here and it’s filled, and it’s electric, and they’ve got the raised floor, it’s about as exciting…a place as there is in college basketball,” Maturi said.
He acknowledged that given its age, Williams Arena will eventually need to be significantly remodeled or replaced but that day isn’t likely to come any time soon, probably not during the tours of duty by Maturi and Smith. “I am not so sure Tubby even believes he’s ever going to play in a different arena here,” Maturi said. “I think his first priority is a practice facility and I think that is a realistic expectation. And we’re hopeful that we can find a way to make something like that happen in the near future.”
The Gophers practice in Williams Arena. Smith wants a separate practice facility similar to what many other schools have. Such a venue would be more practical than the antiquated practice set up at Williams Arena and more impressive to potential recruits.
Williams Arena was remodeled in the 1990s. Chair backs and private suites were added. Total seating has been reduced over the years to the present capacity of 14,625. Maturi said further enhancements are pretty much nil, mentioning that corridors can’t be widened or restrooms added.
A question was asked about whether the athletic department might look at lowering the floor as a means of improving sightlines and adding seats. Maturi and others cherish the building’s elevated playing floor and that signature element “isn’t going away” as long as he’s athletics director.
Maturi thinks Williams Arena has enough seats, although there are seven venues in the conference with larger capacities. The Gophers have traditionally grossed more dollars than bigger arenas because of higher ticket prices and fewer students buying tickets. “We’ll keep filling it (Williams Arena) with Tubby here,” Maturi said.