Bud Walton Arena
Bud Walton Arena (also known as the Basketball Palace of Mid-America) is the home to the men's and women's basketball teams of the University of Arkansas, known as the Razorbacks. It is located on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas and has a seating capacity of 19,368, which is the fifth largest for an on-campus arena in the United States.
Basketball Palace of Mid-America | |
| |
| Location | 1270 West Leroy Pond Drive Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701-5570 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36.061518°N 94.178188°W |
| Owner | University of Arkansas |
| Operator | University of Arkansas |
| Capacity | 19,368 (2009–present) 19,200 (1993–2009) |
| Record attendance | 20,320 (January 26, 1997 vs. Kentucky) |
| Surface | Hardwood Floor |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 28, 1992[1] |
| Opened | November 29, 1993 |
| Construction cost | $30 Million ($53.1 million in 2019 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Rosser International[1] Mott Mobley McGowan & Griffin[1] |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichiols[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Arkansas Razorbacks men's and women's basketball teams (1993-present) | |
The arena features Bud Walton Arena Razorback Sports Museum on the ground level about the history of Razorback basketball, track and field, baseball, tennis and golf.
Construction
The arena is named after James "Bud" Walton, co-founder of Walmart, who donated a large portion of the funds needed to build the arena. Walton purportedly gave $15 million, or around half of the construction cost.[3] Construction of the arena took only 18 months, a short time considering the size of the undertaking.
When it was built, it was touted as a larger version of Barnhill Arena, the team's former home. In hopes of recreating the formidable home-court advantage the Razorbacks enjoyed at Barnhill, architect Rosser International built an arena that, as the company put it, had "more seats in less space than in any other facility of the same type anywhere in the world."[4]
Early years
The arena has been the home to the Razorbacks since November 1993; the men's team won the national championship[5] in the arena's first season of operation. The basketball team's former home, Barnhill Arena was renovated into a volleyball-specific facility and now houses the Razorback women volleyball team.[6]
In its early years, Nolan Richardson's teams frequently attracted standing-room-only crowds of over 20,000.
Improvements
The past few years have brought a number of enhancements and improvements to the arena. In 2004, a new custom scoreboard was debuted which is 24 feet 3 inches (7.39 m) wide by 22 feet (6.7 m) tall, features four video screens, each 12 feet 6 inches (3.81 m) wide by 8 feet 10 inches (2.69 m) tall. (Also, there is an LED ring at the top that is used to display game statistics.) In 2005, the locker rooms were remodeled, and a lounge and meeting area were added. Prior to the 2008–09 season, the University of Arkansas expanded the arena by eight luxury suites, raising the total to 47. In addition, courtside seating was added, the student section was reconfigured, and press seating was moved to the East side of the arena behind the basket. LED ribbon boards were also installed around the ring between the upper and lower decks and were first used during Arkansas's upset of #4 Oklahoma on December 30, 2008.[7] The addition of these improvements expanded seating to 19,368. Prior to the 2013-14 season, the University of Arkansas, again, reconfigured press seating to the southeast corner of the bottom bowl, reserving its existing place for an expanded student section, commonly referred to as "The Trough."
Nolan Richardson Court
On March 28, 2019, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the court at the arena in honor of former Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson.[8]
Statistics of Bud Walton Arena
Attendance Record: 20,320 vs. Kentucky, January 26, 1997
Attendance Chart (men) for every year Bud Walton Arena has been in operation[7]
| Season | Overall Record | SEC Record | Overall Attendance | Average Attendance | Rank Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 16–0 (1.000) | 8–0 (1.000) | 322,146 | 20,134 | 4th |
| 1994–95 | 14–1 (.933) | 7–1 (.875) | 301,212 | 20,081 | 4th |
| 1995–96 | 14–4 (.778) | 6–2 (.750) | 346,698 | 19,261 | 5th |
| 1996–97 | 15–3 (.833) | 6–2 (.750) | 329,540 | 18,308 | 5th |
| 1997–98 | 15–0 (1.000) | 8–0 (1.000) | 291,089 | 19,406 | 4th |
| 1998–99 | 14–2 (.875) | 6–2 (.750) | 292,704 | 18,294 | 5th |
| 1999–00 | 9–5 (.643) | 5–3 (.625) | 249,300 | 17,807 | 6th |
| 2000–01 | 16–2 (.889) | 7–1 (.875) | 292,057 | 16,225 | 9th |
| 2001–02 | 11–5 (.688) | 5–3 (.625) | 241,033 | 15,065 | 13th |
| 2002–03 | 8–8 (.500) | 3–5 (.375) | 236,638 | 14,790 | 14th |
| 2003–04 | 10–6 (.625) | 4–4 (.500) | 236,676 | 14,792 | 13th |
| 2004–05 | 13–3 (.813) | 5–3 (.625) | 252,608 | 15,788 | 9th |
| 2005–06 | 15–1 (.938) | 7–1 (.875) | 239,336 | 14,958 | 12th |
| 2006–07 | 13–3 (.813) | 5–3 (.625) | 267,520 | 16,720 | 9th |
| 2007–08 | 15–1 (.938) | 7–1 (.875) | 274,360 | 17,148 | 8th |
| 2008–09 | 12–6 (.667) | 2–6 (.250) | 288,781 | 16,043 | 11th |
| 2009–10 | 11–8 (.579) | 5–3 (.625) | 256,667 | 13,509 | 17th |
| 2010–11 | 15–3 (.833) | 5–3 (.625) | 216,999 | 12,055 | 29th |
| 2011–12 | 17–3 (.850) | 5–3 (.625) | 262,329 | 13,116 | 23rd |
| 2012–13 | 17–1 (.944) | 9–0 (1.000) | 252,857 | 14,047 | 17th |
| 2013–14 | 17–2 (.895) | 7–2 (.778) | 280,465 | 14,023 | 10th |
| 2014–15 | 16–2 (.889) | 7–2 (.778) | 283,485 | 15,749 | 11th |
| 2015–16 | 13–4 (.765) | 6–3 (.667) | 258,705 | 15,217 | 12th |
| 2016–17 | 15–3 (.833) | 6–3 (.667) | xxx,xxx | xx,xxx | nth |
| 2017–18 | 15–2 (.882) | 7–2 (.778) | xxx,xxx | xx,xxx | nth |
| 2018–19 | 12–6 (.667) | 5–4 (.555) | xxx,xxx | xx,xxx | nth |
| 2019–20 | 14–4 (.778) | 5–4 (.555) | xxx,xxx | xx,xxx | nth |
| Totals | 316–73 (.812) | 135–53 (.718) | 6,273,705 | 16,197 | Avg. Rank: 11th |
References
- Waldon, George (March 29, 1993). "Everybody Wants a Seat in Bud's Building". Arkansas Business. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "Old Model, New Money". Scout.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-20. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
- "Bud Walton Arena". University of Arkansas Athletic Department. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
- Berkowitz, Steve (April 5, 1994). "Arkansas hits Hog Heaven With NCAA Title". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
- "Barnhill Arena: Home of the Lady Razorbacks". University of Arkansas Athletic Department. Archived from the original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
- "Basketball at Bud Walton Arena". University of Arkansas Athletic Department. September 17, 2013. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- "Nolan Richardson Court: Home To Razorback Basketball". Retrieved March 29, 2019.
External links
- Bud Walton Arena - Arkansas Razorbacks
- Google Maps Satellite/Map of Bud Walton Arena
- Bud Walton Arena overview at LadyBacks.com (official site of Arkansas women's athletics)
- FayettevilleTourism.com information on Bud Walton Arena
- RateItAll.com Rating of Bud Walton Arena
