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Robert A. Mott Athletics Center

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Coordinates: 35°17′56″N 120°39′31″W / 35.29886°N 120.65855°W / 35.29886; -120.65855
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Mott Athletics Center
Map
Full nameRobert A. Mott Athletics Center
Former namesMott Gym (1988-2012) Main Gym (1960-1987)
Address1 Grand Ave., Building 42
San Luis Obispo, CA
USA
LocationSouth Perimeter Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Coordinates35°17′56″N 120°39′31″W / 35.29886°N 120.65855°W / 35.29886; -120.65855
OwnerCal Poly
OperatorCalifornia Polytechnic State University
Capacity3,032
Record attendance3,217 (NCAA basketball, March 14, 1981); 3,500 (Golden State Warriors training camp, October 8, 1995); 3,500 (NCAA College Division Wrestling Finals, March 15, 1969)
SurfaceSouthern White Pine
Construction
Built1959
Opened15 January 1960
Renovated1998; 2014
Years active1960-present
Construction cost$2.2 million (1960)
Tenants
Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball
Cal Poly Mustangs women's basketball
Cal Poly Mustangs women's volleyball
Cal Poly Mustangs men's wrestling

The Robert A. Mott Athletics Center (formerly Mott Gym) is a 3,032-seat, indoor multi-purpose arena on the campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California.

History

With Cal Poly officials looking for a larger alternative to the previously used Crandall Gym on campus, construction for the new multi-purpose arena was well underway by April 1959.[1] The complex's cost totaled a reported $2 million as of September 1959 (covering not only the gym itself but also surrounding practice courts and a field), with construction contracted to Maino Construction Company of San Luis Obispo.[2] (In years since, the surrounding practice surfaces have been remade into a parking garage, a beach volleyball court and a recreation center.) Costs ultimately totaled $2.2 million by the time of the complex's opening in January 1960.[3]

The arena officially opened on January 15, 1960 for a game between the Cal Poly men's basketball team and San Diego State.[4]

The gym was named after Robert A. Mott (at the time referred to as "Mott Gym") on September 24, 1988.[5] Mott had been a physical education faculty member and department head at Cal Poly between 1946-1978.

Following an elevation to Division I of the NCAA, the Cal Poly men's basketball team saw its attendance jump from an average of 926 fans in 1994-95 to 2,901 spectators by 1996-97, coinciding with season ticket sales skyrocketing from 36 in 1995-96 to 1,140 by 1997-98, prompting designs for a $1.2 million renovation to the building's seating.[6]

Soon after, the facility underwent major renovations beginning in the summer of 1998 by local construction firm Santa Margarita Construction Corp. The seating was completely redone and arena-style chairbacks were added to Mott Athletics Center in addition to upgraded heating and ventilation systems.[7]

Cal Poly University's Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., home to NCAA basketball, volleyball and wrestling events, is shown in 2015.
Cal Poly University's Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., home to NCAA basketball, volleyball and wrestling events, is shown in 2015.

On January 9, 1999, the first nationally televised game at Mott Athletics Center took place, as ESPN2 carried a game between Cal Poly and Idaho. Several games have since been broadcast regionally and nationally live on Fox Sports West, ESPNU, Spectrum SportsNet (LA), and CBS Sports Network, often before capacity crowds.[8]

The building took on its modernized formal title of Mott Athletics Center in mid-January 2013.

Mott Athletics Center underwent another significant renovation in the summer of 2014, including a repainted court design, the addition of two new 22-by-17-foot (6.7 by 5.2 m) Daktronics video boards and the implementation of new LED-advertising courtside panels.[9]

Conference and NCAA championship events

  • Cal Poly hosted the 1969 NCAA College Division Wrestling Championships in the facility, winning the national title with a then-division record of 127 team points. On March 15, 1969, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "the Saturday night finals attracted 4,000-plus fans to the Cal Poly gym. The 'official head count' was announced at 3,500 but that figure did not take into consideration the fans already in the gym when the count was started."[10]
  • In March 1981, the men's basketball team hosted New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) in the Division II NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Cal Poly won 77-73 to advance to the Final Four, with a crowd of 3,217 (at the time a facility record for basketball[11]) in attendance.
  • Mott Athletics Center hosted the 1994 and 2005 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships, with the total attendance for the latter two-day four-session event totaling 7,738. The Mustangs finished the meet in fourth place and crowned one individual champion, Vic Moreno at 125 pounds (57 kg). At the 1994 meet, Oregon State won the team title, before Arizona State won the 2005 conference championship.
  • In 2006, Mott Athletics Center was home to the first and second rounds of the NCAA volleyball tournament, each with sold-out crowds. Cal Poly defeated Michigan 3-1[12] before falling to Cal 3-1.[13]

NBA and ABA training camps and exhibitions

National Team exhibitions

MMA events

Concerts

Musicians including Eddie Money,[26] The Pretenders,[27] The Doors,[28] Kenny Loggins,[29] Cheap Trick,[30] Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy[31] performed in the arena from the late 1960s to early 1990s, often to capacity crowds of 3,000.[32]

Video game appearances

Mott Athletics Center (then referred to as Mott Gym) appeared in several collegiate basketball video games on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, including College Hoops 2K7, College Hoops 2K8 and the NCAA Basketball series, all of which featured Cal Poly men's basketball as a playable team.

Tenants

Currently, the Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball and Cal Poly Mustangs women's basketball teams, as well as the Cal Poly Mustangs women's volleyball and men's wrestling teams are the primary tenants of Mott Athletics Center.

Mott Athletics Center also contains the Cal Poly Mustangs trophy case, as well as the Mustang Hall of Fame. For the Cal Poly student-athletes, men's and women's locker rooms were renovated in 1999 and the athletics center also houses the Mustang Strength Complex, the Cal Poly Athletics Academic Resource Center and offices for Cal Poly coaches.

  • Cal Poly's NCAA and conference championship trophy case is shown.
    The NCAA and various conference trophy case collection in Mott Athletics Center.
  • The southmost exterior of San Luis Obispo's 3,032-seat Mott Athletics Center is shown in July 2018 on the Cal Poly campus.
    The southmost exterior of San Luis Obispo's 3,032-seat Mott Athletics Center is shown in July 2018 on the Cal Poly campus.
  • Mott Athletics Center (Mott Gym at the time) is pictured prior to its renovation and upgrades in the 2010s.
    The arena (at the time called Mott Gym) is shown in the early 2000s with fellow Big West Conference member banners displayed from the rafters.

See also

References

  1. ^ "THE CAMPUS TODAY ..." El Mustang. April 24, 1959. p. 11.
  2. ^ "NEW GYMNASIUM". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. September 25, 1959. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Poly to Dedicate Gym Friday; Campus Open House Sunday". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. January 14, 1960. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Dedication Opens New Poly Gym". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. January 16, 1960. p. 3.
  5. ^ Burdick, Eric (September 27, 1988). "Mott Gym is officially dedicated". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. p. 14.
  6. ^ Wallner, Peter J. (January 31, 1998). "Poly makes plans to give Mott Gym a facelift". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. C-1.
  7. ^ "Information on Campus Efforts to Improve Opportunities for Women in Athletics, Including: Addition of Sports, Reallocation of Resources, and Construction or Renovation of Facilities". calstate.edu. February 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2009.
  8. ^ "Cal Poly Wrestling Media Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  9. ^ "Cal Poly Women's Basketball History and Record Book" (PDF).
  10. ^ Nettleship, Johnny (March 17, 1969). "Poly retains national mat crown". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. p. 6.
  11. ^ Steers, Dennis (March 16, 1981). "Poly in final four: Packed house sees Mustangs beat Penmen". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B-1.
  12. ^ Retyi, Richard. "U-M Bows Out to No. 14 Cal Poly in NCAA Tourney". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  13. ^ "Cal Poly - Second Round - Stats". California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  14. ^ California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo (1963-01-01). "1963 El Rodeo". El Rodeo Yearbook.
  15. ^ "1963 El Rodeo". Kennedy Library Online Archive. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  16. ^ "El Mustang, October 6, 1961".
  17. ^ "El Mustang, October 6, 1961".
  18. ^ "Oaks drub Stars in ABA exhibition". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. October 14, 1968. p. 11.
  19. ^ Wallner, Peter J. (October 9, 1995). "Support for Warriors runs hot: Fans fill Mott Gym for public workout". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. p. 13.
  20. ^ Wallner, Peter J. (October 9, 1997). "Local basketball fans turn Kings for a night". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. C-1.
  21. ^ Hastings, Jon (September 23, 1982). "A lesson from the East". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B-1.
  22. ^ Kraft, David (June 7, 1988). "SLO volleyball fans find new American heroes". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B-1.
  23. ^ Wallner, Peter J. (November 13, 1996). "Poly women see where they stand". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. C-1.
  24. ^ Scroggin, Joshua D. (May 23, 2010). "Mixed martial arts comes to Poly". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA). pp. S1.
  25. ^ Scroggin, Joshua D. (October 1, 2011). "Event returns to help Cal Poly wrestling". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA). pp. S1.
  26. ^ "Students get Money's worth when rocker comes to town". Mustang Daily. October 13, 1986. p. 6.
  27. ^ Johnson, Tom (February 24, 1982). "The Pretenders subdue frustrated Poly audience". Mustang Daily. p. 1.
  28. ^ "'The Doors' swing open Homecoming festivities". Mustang Daily. November 1, 1967. p. 3.
  29. ^ "Kenny Loggins keeps the fire burning in Main Gym". Mustang Daily. March 14, 1980. p. 5.
  30. ^ Railsback, Brian (May 11, 1982). "Cheap Trick: a night of frenzied rock". Mustang Daily. p. 3.
  31. ^ "If you thought you could shut 'em down you were wrong. They're back!". Mustang Daily. March 6, 1992. p. 3.
  32. ^ Middlecamp, David (November 30, 2020). "Cal Poly gym marks 60 years of baskets, bands and flight". The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA). pp. 3A.
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