Edmund P. Joyce Center

Joyce Center
JACC (pronounced "JACK")
Former names	Athletic & Convocation Center (1968–1987)
Location	Moose Krause Circle Notre Dame, IN 46556
Broke ground	June, 1966
Opened	December 1, 1968
Owner	University of Notre Dame
Operator	University of Notre Dame
Surface	Multi-surface
Construction cost	$8.6 million (entire ACC)
Architect	Ellerbe Architects
Capacity	9,149 (arena, 2009-present) 11,418 (arena, 1986-2009) 11,345 (arena, 1968-1986)
Tenants
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Basketball, volleyball)

The Joyce Center is a 9,800-seat multi-purpose arena in Notre Dame, Indiana just north of South Bend, Indiana. The arena opened in 1968. It is home to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball and volleyball teams. The main arena is the southern part of the Joyce Center (known as Purcell Pavilion). It housed the hockey rink until October 2011. It also houses the Rolfs Aquatic Center (which was added on in 1985) in the rear of the building. It is located across a pedestrian arcade from Notre Dame Stadium, and the center's two domes could easily be seen rising above the stadium's east side prior to its expansion. The 10-acre (40,000 m²) building, designed by the renowned sports architects at Ellerbe Architects of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was built in twenty-nine months, and opened the first week of December 1968 as the Athletic & Convocation Center. It was renamed in 1987 to honor the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Notre Dame's executive vice president from 1952 to 1987. Prior to the building of the Joyce Center, the basketball team played in the Notre Dame Fieldhouse, which opened in 1900.

In the fall of 2006, the university announced major renovation plans for the Joyce Center. In 2009, the south dome, which houses the basketball arena, underwent a $24.6 million renovation and was renamed Purcell Pavilion, after Phillip J. Purcell, a Notre Dame alumnus, trustee, and current chair of the athletic affairs committee. Architectural firm HNTB studied the center after the university began considering renovations in 2001 and worked on the project. Phase 1 of the project was completed in October 2009, with its first event, the women's volleyball "Dig Pink" match for Breast Cancer between Notre Dame and Seton Hall, taking place on Halloween. The first basketball game took place the following night as the Fighting Irish men's squad faced Lewis University in an exhibition contest. Due to the renovation, the capacity of Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center dropped from 11,418 to 9,149. A new video scoreboard over center court was installed prior to the 2010–2011 basketball season.[1]

The Fighting Irish Hockey team played in the North dome from 1968-2011. They moved to the Compton Family Ice Arena in October 2011.[2] The last hockey game at the Joyce Center was played on October 15, 2011 (Ohio State beat Notre Dame 4-3). ND's Austin Wuthrich scored the last goal at the Joyce Center.

Major upsets

Notre Dame has a rich tradition of ending winning streaks at the Joyce Center, with victories over eventual national champions, defending NCAA titlists, and number-one-ranked teams. Some of the notable streaks the Irish have ended include:

• In 1971, the Irish gave UCLA its only loss of the season.
• 3 years later, the Irish ended UCLA's NCAA record 88 game winning streak.
• In 1977, the Irish upset number 1 ranked University of San Francisco.
• In 1987, the Irish upset number 1 ranked North Carolina 60-58.
• In 1991, the Irish upset number 2 ranked UCLA.
• In 2005, the Irish ended Boston College's Big East record 20 game winning streak to start the season.
• Notre Dame's most recent victory over a number-one team in the Joyce Center came on January 21, 2012; when they defeated previously unbeaten Syracuse, 67-58.

External links

• Joyce Center at UND.com