This is Cole Field House

When college basketball was achieving its most explosive growth - from the late 1950s to the late 1970s there was one college gymnasium on the East Coast that sat as many as 12,000 fans. Cole Field House epitomized the new big time, main event status of college hoops, the sport of network TV and emerging legends. It stands today as a building that faces cosmetic renewal over the next several years, but Coles charisma will not be tampered with. There was not a bad seat on December 2, 1955, when it was dedicated in the mens game against Virginia, and there is not a better place to watch a game today. Only in a building like Cole, where history has been routinely made, can the fan feel the echo of tradition and experience the electricity generated by buzzer beaters and a thousand slam dunks.

Cole was dedicated as the Student Activities Center, a $3.3 million project that was erected under the tutelage of Board of Regents Chair, Judge William P. Cole, Jr., and President Wilson Elkins. A year after the dedication, the building was named in honor of Cole, who served the Board of Regents for 25 years.

Although Cole has remained the same basketball hall it was built to be, there have been refinements. Scoreboards were installed that not only tell the fan what the score is, but also how loud they are cheering. A new floor design reflects a modern era of basketball. Coles seating also grew from its original base, and now 14,500 fans can cheer for the red and white at any game.

As championships were awarded over the years, Cole got some of the very best. The 1966 and 1970 mens basketball Final Four were held here. In 1990, the first and second rounds of the eastern regionals were in Cole Field House. The NCAA wrestling championships were held here in 1960, 1972, 1978, 1987, and 1990, and the NCAA womens volleyball championship took place here in 1990.

Cole Field House is home to most of the athletic department offices, and yearly hosts thousands who visit just to see where so much basketball history has been made.