UTRGV Fieldhouse (formerly UTPA Fieldhouse until the 2015 merger that created UTRGV) is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena[1] on the campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas. It was built in 1969 for one of UTRGV's predecessor institutions, Pan American University, which later became the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), and is home to the UTRGV Vaqueros men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the Vaqueros women's volleyball team. The Fieldhouse is also used extensively by the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

UTRGV Fieldhouse
Map
LocationN 5th Street and W Van Week Street, Edinburg, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates26°18′37″N 98°10′41″W / 26.31028°N 98.17806°W / 26.31028; -98.17806
OwnerUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley
OperatorUniversity of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Capacity
  • Current: 2,500
  • Pre-renovation: 4,000
Record attendance5,649 (Jan. 24, 1981 vs Lamar Cardinals)
SurfaceMulti-surface
Construction
Built1969
Opened1969; 55 years ago (1969)
Renovated2010, 2012–2013
Tenants
UTRGV Vaqueros (NCAA) (2015–present)
Website
goutrgv.com

Located on the far east end of the campus, the UTRGV Fieldhouse is among the oldest Division I arenas in Texas. While capacity is officially listed at 2,500, a record crowd of 5,649 jammed the Fieldhouse in 1981 to see the Vaqueros' predecessors, Coach Bill White's Pan American University Broncos battle Pat Foster's [2]Lamar Cardinals.

Improvements

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While maintaining a sense of history and tradition, the UTRGV Fieldhouse has undergone renovations. A new center court, new bleachers, and court-side seating were added in 2010. In 2012, a new electronic scoreboard was added. Volleyball offices, locker rooms, and team meeting rooms were renovated in 2012. Basketball offices, locker rooms, and team meeting rooms were renovated in 2013. New scoreboards and shot clocks were installed in 2014. The court was refinished in 2015. In 2017, a new sound system was installed. Several improvements were completed in 2019 including refinishing the court to a new color scheme, new sideline tables, new scoreboards, and renovated home and visitor's locker rooms.[3][4]

The venue's name changed in 2015, when UTRGV began operation following the merger of UTPA and the nearby University of Texas at Brownsville.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "UTRGV Fieldhouse". University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  2. ^ "FINAL 1981 CUMULATIVE BASKETBALL STATISTICS REPORT" (PDF). Pan American University. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  3. ^ "UTRGV Athletics Celebrates Completion of Renovations to UTRGV Fieldhouse". University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. December 3, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ^ "UTRGV Athletics set to launch Vaquero Village". University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. November 22, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
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