Alumni Hall (Fairfield University)

Alumni Hall
Location	Fairfield University; Fairfield, Connecticut
Coordinates	41.159854°N 73.256646°W
Owner	Fairfield University
Capacity	2,479
Construction
Broke ground	1958
Opened	1959
Tenants
	Fairfield Stags (1959–present); Fairfield Prep Jesuits (1959–present)

Alumni Hall was a 2,479-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Fairfield University, located in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was home to the Fairfield Stags men's and women's basketball teams from its construction in 1959 until 2002, when the teams began playing home games at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sports Illustrated reported that Alumni Hall was home to the most vocal and loyal basketball fans in the Northeast.[1]

Alumni Hall was home to the Fairfield Stags women's volleyball team and the Fairfield Prep Jesuits basketball teams, but it hosted two Stags men's and women's basketball games during the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.

History

The Hall, which opened on December 5, 1959, is one of the earliest prestressed concrete structures. Engineering magazines from the time noted that the eleven 160-foot pre-cast arches created a record-breaking span for structures in the United States.[2]

Besides being an athletic venue, Alumni Hall has hosted many political and musical events and annually hosts the Fairfield University Baccalaureate Mass and the Fairfield Prep Commencement Ceremony. During the 1988 United States presidential election, Vice President George H. W. Bush visited Fairfield University days before being elected president. The Fairfield University Students Association hosts semi-annual concerts in the hall, and notable performers have included the Beach Boys in 1967, The Byrds in 1973, Ludacris in Spring 2008, and John Legend in December 2008.

On November 6, 2015, Fairfield University named Alumni Hall's court in honor of legendary basketball coach and the university's former director of athletics George Bisacca.

Currently in the spring of 2021, Alumni Hall is undergoing a total reconstruction, with the entire arena being demolished. Projected to open in the fall of 2022, the new facility will be home to Fairfield's Division I basketball and volleyball sports teams, and the Fairfield Prep basketball team. The arena will also host convocations, concerts, and gatherings for both the university community and the surrounding community at large.

External links

References

"Fairfield University Athletics". Fairfieldstags.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
"The Rapid Growth of Fairfield University". Faculty.fairfield.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Fairfield University Athletics". Fairfieldstags.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[2] "The Rapid Growth of Fairfield University". Faculty.fairfield.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

Fairfield University
Academics	Fairfield University College of Arts and Sciences Charles F. Dolan School of Business School of Engineering Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions Center for Faith and Public Life
Athletics	Fairfield Stags Baseball Softball Men's basketball Women's basketball Ice hockey Lacrosse Soccer Rugby Volleyball Facilities Alumni Baseball Diamond Alumni Hall Arena at Harbor Yard Lessing Field Lt. Hans Grauert Memorial Field Rafferty Stadium Colonial Athletic Association MAAC
People	Notable alumni President – Mark R. Nemec
Places	Fairfield University Art Museum DiMenna-Nyselius Library Buildings Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Student life	Cinefest Fairfield Fairfield University Glee Club Bensonians The Mirror WVOF

Fairfield Stags men's basketball
Venues	Alumni Hall (1959–2001) Total Mortgage Arena (2001–2022) Convocation Center (2022–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24