Ken Bahnsen Gym

Ken Bahnsen Gym
The Snake Pit
Former names	Men's Gymnasium
Location	Denton, Texas, USA
Owner	University of North Texas
Operator	University of North Texas
Capacity	5,000
Opened	1950
Tenants
	North Texas MBB (1950-1973)

Ken Bahnsen Gym, formerly known as the Men's Gymnasium, is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, United States. The Men's Gymnasium was home court for the North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team since the arena opened in 1950 until moving to the Super Pit in 1973.[1]

"The Snake Pit"

The intimate 5,000-seat arena, with its low-hanging ceiling and bleachers right up against the playing surface, was known throughout college basketball as one of the toughest places for opposing teams to visit throughout the 1950s and 1960s, especially during Missouri Valley Conference games. The first row of seats were located just two feet from the out-of-bounds and baselines, leaving very little room between fans and the action.

While formally known as the Men's Gymnasium for most of its time as the home of the Mean Green, former Drake University head coach Maury John, fed up with the raucous crowd noise following a loss at the Bahnsen Gym, inadvertently gave the facility its nickname in the postgame press conference: “This is the worst damn place in the world to play basketball. It's like trying to play in a snake pit.” The name stuck, and when the new 10,000-seat arena opened across the street in 1973, university officials gave the larger venue the Super Pit name in honor of the Snake Pit.

Notes

ESPN 2009

References

ESPN, Editors (2009), ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia, Bristol, Connecticut: ESPN, ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2 {{citation}}: |first= has generic name (help)

External links

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[ESPN-1] ESPN 2009

University of North Texas
Located in: Denton, Texas
Academics	College of Arts & Sciences American Literary Review College of Business College of Education College of Engineering College of Information College of Merchandising, Hospitality & Tourism College of Music College of Public Affairs & Community Service College of Visual Arts & Design Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism Honors College Libraries Press Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science (TAMS) Toulouse Graduate School
Athletics	Teams Football Men's Basketball Women's basketball Facilities Fouts Field Ken Bahnsen Gym Mean Green Village DATCU Stadium Lovelace Stadium Mean Green Soccer Stadium North Texas Volleyball Center UNT Coliseum "The Super Pit"
Campus	Hurley Administration Building Library Mall Murchison Performing Arts Center Rafes Urban Astronomy Center Discovery Park
Student Life	Denton, Texas Fry Street Green Brigade Marching Band KNTU-FM List of University of North Texas alumni North Texas Daily NTTV One O'Clock Lab Band Two O'Clock Lab Band UNT Symphony Orchestra
Traditions	Glory to the Green and White History of UNT North Texas Fight Song
Founded: 1890 Commons

North Texas Mean Green men's basketball
Venues	Ken Bahnsen Gym (1950–1973) UNT Coliseum (1973–present)
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 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