Renovating roundball’s finest  

 

  

 

Historic venues are usually historic because they are old. And if they’re old, they generally do not have the amenities that today’s boosters demand. That is changing.

 

For example, UCLA is in the middle of a $136 million project to renovate Pauley Pavilion, a path that UCLA AD Dan Guerrero and legendary coach John Wooden had vision for years. Guerrero says two years ago, after a visit to Wooden’s condominium, the two discussed 1965, the year Pauley opened and became the Bruins’ home.

 

“Coach would never give advice or try to tell me what to do, but he always had this way of getting to a point so that I understood what he meant,” Guerrero said of Wooden. “He said Pauley was like ‘manna from heaven’ when it was built. It was clear that if Pauley had good bones and could be saved, it would be important to Coach.”

 

The problem Guerrero faced was how do you protect a basketball shrine against modern amenities in new basketball arenas? How can you keep big donors happy with the decision?

 

UCLA is one of a few historic basketball programs facing these decisions. Purdue has embarked on a $100 million project to upgrade Mackey Arena, which opened two years after Pauley Pavilion. Butler is investing $25 million into Hinkle Fieldhouse, which opened in 1928.

 

Duke is in the process of planning a multimillion-dollar renovation of the exterior of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The historic interior isn’t planning to change. When asked if Cameron’s interior would benefit from renovations, Duke AD Kevin White responded “Not on my watch”.

 

Duke has not specified a price tag on upgrades to Cameron, and the administration has been quiet. The biggest potential for renovation seems to be the hospitality areas attached to Cameron that serve as a club area for Wallace Wade Stadium during football season.

 

Many of these AD’s have made a commitment to do whatever it takes to preserve the history of these arenas. Pauley Pavilion isn’t just receiving a new coat of paint; Guerrero describes the condition of the arena as “draconian”.

 

“It had mechanical issues, it had plumbing issues,” he said. “It was the kind of thing that couldn’t just be fixed. We had to do something pretty major. We knew that there was a sensitivity to the facility itself, knowing that it’s an iconic venue, but we also understood that we might need to build a new arena.”

 

UCLA faced pressure from rival Southern California, who recently built a new arena. The cost for these Pauley additions will be sought through private donations mostly; student fees and loans will cover the remainder.

 

 “People will walk in and see that it’s still Pauley, and that was very important to the process,” said Mark Harlan, UCLA’s senior AD for external operations, “and we’ll still have all of the stuff you need in this day and age.”