The Pit (arena)

This article is about the arena on the University of New Mexico's campus. For University of Oregon's arena nicknamed "The Pit", see McArthur Court.

The Pit
"The Legend of Basketball" Bob King Court – The King's Court
The Pit
Former names	University Arena (1966–2009)
Location	Avenida Cesar Chavez & University Blvd SE. Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Coordinates	35.067°N 106.632°W / 35.067; -106.632
Broke ground	December 1965
Opened	(1966-12-01) December 1, 1966
Renovated	2009
Expanded	1975
Owner	University of New Mexico
Operator	University of New Mexico, Associated Students of UNM
Construction cost	$1.4 million ($9.91 million in 2013 dollars) $60 million (renovations)
Architect	Joe Boehning
Capacity	Basketball: 14,831 (1966–1975) 18,018 (1975–2008) 14,586 (2009 Renovations) 17,126 (2010–2011) 15,411 (2011–present)
Tenants
New Mexico Lobos (1966–present) New Mexico Activities Association State Basketball Tournaments (1990–present) 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The Pit is a basketball-only arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It serves primarily as the home of the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball teams. The arena seats 15,411 for basketball, has 40 luxury suites, and 350 club seats. The Pit opened in 1966 as University Arena; in late 2009, the school officially named the arena after its nickname. The arena is located on the University's South Campus on University Boulevard and Cesar Chavez in southeast Albuquerque, across the street from University Stadium and Isotopes Park.

History

Prior to the building of the arena, the men’s basketball team played at Johnson Gymnasium, a 7,800-seat multi-purpose gym on the University’s main campus. However, with the surge in popularity following the hiring of Bob King and the team’s appearance in the finals of the 1964 National Invitation Tournament, it was decided that a new, larger arena was needed for the team’s growing and dedicated following. The site chosen was across University Boulevard from University Stadium on the University’s new South Campus. The design won international recognition for chief architect Joe Boehning, who still resides in Albuquerque. The arena was built with its floor lying 37 feet (11 m) below grade, giving rise to its now-famous nickname. The 338-by-300-foot (103 m × 91 m) Behlen roof was built first, before the pit was excavated and concrete was poured for the foundations. There are no supporting pillars in the seating area of the arena, so there are no obstructed views. The compact area, steep grade and proximity of the seats to the floor contributes to the legendary noise level. Originally seating 14,831, the $1.4 million arena (inexpensive even in its time) opened on December 1, 1966, with New Mexico defeating Abilene Christian College, 62–53. In 1992, to honor the coach who made the arena’s construction possible, the basketball court was renamed "Bob King Court."

Reputation and tradition

The Pit has a reputation as one of the loudest arenas in the country, often resulting in painfully high decibel levels. Traditionally, fans make the shape of a wolf’s head with their hands and they howl and “woof” like wolves, creating a very hostile playing environment for visitors. The Lobos averaged 15,559 fans through the first 42 years, and ranked in the top 10 nationally in total attendance every season from the opening of The Pit in 1966 through the 2000–01 season. Although attendance has declined somewhat in recent years, the team has continued to rank in the top 20, and still boasts large crowds. Over 11.5 million fans had visited The Pit through 2008, which translates to 95% of its all-time capacity. The Lobos men's basketball team has returned the favor by winning 631 of the 776 games played at The Pit through the 2009–10 basketball season, for a .820 winning percentage, along with 14 NCAA tournament appearances and 15 NIT appearances since the opening of the arena.

A mile high and louder than...

Also contributing to its intimidating environment for visitors is the fact that the elevation in Albuquerque is nearly a mile high, the court at The Pit is around 5,100 feet (1,550 m) above sea level. This fact is impressed upon visiting teams in several places in The Pit. The tunnel leading down from the locker rooms to the floor has the following message painted on the wall, "Welcome to the legendary Pit, a mile high and louder than..." Additionally, posters in the visiting team's locker rooms provide information on the warning signs of altitude sickness and urge victims to seek immediate medical attention.

The Lady Lobos

The Lobo Women's basketball team also enjoys the home court advantage The Pit offers. Under former head coach Don Flanagan, The Pit has become one of the rowdiest places in all of women's college basketball. The women have compiled a home record of 187–41 (.820) since his hiring. The women's team has also been in the top-10, nationally, in average attendance in each of the last 10 seasons. In 2007–08, the women's team averaged 8,638 fans per game, sixth in the NCAA, and posted a 12–7 record. On nine different occasions, the women's squad has sold out The Pit. Five times they have filled it to the 18,018 regular season capacity. Four times they sold out NCAA tournament games when the capacity was over 16,000. Each of these nine games has come since the 1999 season.

The Pit reviews

The arena has been praised by many different sources. Basketball writer John Feinstein once likened a visiting team's experience in The Pit to "watching Roman gladiators emerging into a wall of sound". During the 1988–89 season, The Pit registered a crowd at 118 decibels, for the loudest crowd in the country, two decibels ahead of Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. (Some sources have claimed that the arena has been as loud as 125 decibels at times.) In 1999, Sports Illustrated listed the Top Twenty Sporting Venues of the Century, and The Pit came in 13th, ahead of such locations as Daytona International Speedway, Notre Dame Stadium, St. Andrews Golf Course and the Rose Bowl.

Renovations

The stadium has undergone two major renovations. In 1975, an extension of a cantilevered deck above the original seating, along with dedicated standing-room only space, brought capacity up to 18,018, and cost $2.2 million, more than the original arena itself.

The second renovation, begun in 2009 and completed in time for the 2010–11 basketball season, cost $60 million and brought the facilities up to modern standards. The 2009 renovations included 60,000 square feet (5,600 m²) of new space, increasing the number of concession stands and rest rooms, adding new digital signage and video boards, upgrading the locker rooms and training facilities, expansion of the concourse, store, and ticket office, the addition of 40 luxury suites and 300 club seats, and extensive glasswork as well as increased ceiling height, which changed the outside appearance of the arena. As part of the renovations, the capacity of the arena was dropped to 14,586 during construction. When finished, the arena held 17,126.

The east side of The Pit, viewed from University Stadium

Tournament site

The Pit hosted the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four, which was the scene of a memorable championship game upset by North Carolina State over heavily favored Houston. The video clip of NC State coach Jim Valvano running around the court at the end of the game documents one of the most famous moments in NCAA basketball history and is now a staple of Final Four television coverage.

The Pit hosted Men's NCAA tournaments in 1968, 1978, 1985, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2002, and 2005, making it a common venue for NCAA Tournament games. It also hosted the 1987, 1995, and 1996 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournaments and the NCAA Women's host for the 2003 Regional, 2004 1st and 2nd round, 2006 Regional, 2008 1st and 2nd round, 2009 1st and 2nd round, and 2011 1st and 2nd round. The Pit has also hosted the Men’s 2012 2nd and 3rd round.

The Pit at night

Men's NCAA Tournaments:

Event	The Game	Attendance
1968 West Regional	UCLA 58 New Mexico State 49 Santa Clara 86 New Mexico 58 New Mexico State 62 New Mexico 58 UCLA 87 Santa Clara 66	15,345 15,010
1978 West Regional	Sweet 16th Arkansas 74 UCLA 70 Cal State Fullerton 75 San Francisco 72 Elite Eight Arkansas 61 Cal State Fullerton 58	17,750 18,144
1983 Final Four	Final Four North Carolina State 67 Georgia 60 Houston 94 Louisville 81 Championship North Carolina State 54 Houston 52	17,300 17,327
1985 West First & Second Rounds	First Round Texas-El Paso 79 Tulsa 75 North Carolina State 65 Nevada 56 Alabama 50 Arizona 41 Virginia Commonwealth 81 Marshall 65 Second Round Alabama 63 Virginia Commonwealth 59 North Carolina 86 Texas-El Paso 73	11,932 12,256 13,833
1992 West Regional	Sweet sixteen Indiana 85 Florida State 74 UCLA 85 New Mexico State 78 Elite Eight Indiana 106 UCLA 79	15,914 16,160
1996 West First & Second Rounds	First Round Syracuse 88 Montana State 55 Drexel 75 Memphis 63 Purdue 73 Western Carolina 71 Georgia 81 Clemson 74 Second Round Georgia 76 Purdue 69 Syracuse 69 Drexel 58	14,283 14,762 15,792
2000 West Regional	Sweet 16 Wisconsin 61 LSU 48 Purdue 75 Gonzaga 66 Elite Eight Wisconsin 64 Purdue 60	16,004 16,004
2002 First and Second Rounds	First Round Missouri 93 Miami(FL) 80 Ohio State 69 Davidson 64 Wyoming 73 Gonzaga 66 Arizona 86 UC Santa Barbara 81 Second Round Missouri 83 Ohio State 67 Arizona 68 Wyoming 60	13,661 15,626 15,867
2005 Albuquerque Regional	Sweet 16 Louisville 93 Washington 79 West Virginia 65 Texas Tech 60 Elite Eight Louisville 93 West Virginia 85	15,792 15,896
2012 2nd and 3rd round	Second Rounds Vanderbilt 79 Harvard 70 Wisconsin 73 Montana 49 UNLV 64 Colorado 68 Baylor 68 South Dakota State 60

Men’s Basketball in The Pit

The inside of The Pit

The Pit Record	(Enter 2011–2012)
The First Game	December 1, 1966
Total Games	799
All-Time Records	650–149
Non-Conference Records	385–68
Conference Records	264–80
Attendance average	15,477
Longest winning streak	41 (2/10/96 – 2/19/98)
Since 2004–2005 Season:	113–17
Under Steve Alford	68–9
Best Record	19 win, 4 times, Last time 98–99
Worst Record	12 lost, last time 79–80

References

1. ^ Carlton, Jeff (January 19, 2006). "The Pit not scoring as many devotees". The Albuquerque Tribune.
2. ^ NCAA Video, 1983: NC State's last second lay-in, NCAA.com.
3. ^ Wright, Rick (September 19, 1999). "The Pit: Basketball Arena Recognized Far and Wide". The Albuquerque Journal.
4. ^ (40th Anniversary The Pit, 2007–2008)

External links

• Profile at official New Mexico athletics site
• Pit Renovation
• Virtual Tour of the Renovated Pit

Preceded by Johnson Gymnasium	Home of the New Mexico Lobos 1966 – present	Succeeded by Current
Preceded by Louisiana Superdome	NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 1983	Succeeded by Kingdome