Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center
Aerial of the MAC Center in 2006
Location	East Summit St. Kent, OH 44242
Broke ground	1950^[1]
Opened	1952^[2]
Owner	Kent State University
Operator	Kent State University
Construction cost	$1.33 million^[3]
Architect	Braun and Steidl (1992 Renovation)^[4]
Former names
Men's Physical Education Building (1950-1956),^[5] Memorial Gym (1956-1992)
Tenants
Kent State Golden Flashes Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Gymnastics, Women's Volleyball, Wrestling
Capacity
6,327^[6]

The Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, also known as the MAC Center, MACC, and Memorial Gym is a multi-purpose arena in Kent, Ohio. The arena opened in 1952 and is home to the Kent State University Golden Flashes men's and women's basketball, wrestling, women's gymnastics, and women's volleyball teams. The facility currently seats 6,327 people.

1 Additions and renovations
- 1.1 Future Plans
2 Inside the Arena
3 Notes

[edit] Additions and renovations

In 1977^[7] the MAC Annex was constructed (originally known as the Memorial Gym Annex or MGA), which included a new facility for the gymnasics team that connects with the main gym by way of a removable wall. Most of the Annex addition was built as a separate building behind the MAC Center which was connected by a second floor bridge. The Annex originally included a large central gym with four adjacent basketball courts as well as auxiliary gyms, courts, a weight room, classrooms, and offices for the School of Dance and the School of Exercise, Leisure, and Sport and would serve as the Kent State Recreation Center until 1999. Today the Annex also houses graduate student studios from the College of Architecture in space taken from two of the original four basketball courts. The arena itself underwent a major renovation in 1992. This renovation removed the swimming pool in the front of the building and replaced it with a new three-story lobby and the Blue and Gold Club Loge. The renovation also included a new scoreboard system, parquee floor, improved lighting, and new building facade outside of the lobby. During the summer of 2006, a new court was installed, along with a new scoreboard system.

[edit] Future Plans

In a 5 December 2006 interview to the local Record-Courier newspaper, KSU Athletic director Laing Kennedy discussed future plans for the MAC Center, which include renovating the lower level of seating to create a bowl and installing chair-back seats for the entire level. With the new design, fans would enter all levels of seating from the second level instead of the current court-level entrances. Additional plans include renovating the Blue and Gold Club loge and dividing it into smaller private loges. No timetable has been announced for the changes other than they will follow current plans to upgrade Dix Stadium.^[8]

[edit] Inside the Arena

Built as a physical education building, the interior of the arena is basically a large gymnasium consisting of four seating areas on each side of the floor with balcony seating along each sideline. All seating sections are bleacher seats except for chairback seats in the Blue and Gold Loge and in the lower sideline seats opposite the team benches.

Looking south towards main lobby with Blue and Gold Loge visible at the top.

East sideline seats and balcony

West sideline seats and balcony and team benches

North end zone with removable wall to gymnastics center.

[edit] Lobby

The lobby includes an elevator, concession stands, the ticket office, and the Blue and Gold Trophy Room.

Main lobby, showing ticket office

Another view of main lobby showing elevator and third floor

[edit] Second Floor

Galleries on the second floor honor Kent State's all-Americans and Hall of Fame members.

[edit] Also

The building also houses administrative and coaches' offices and hosts a variety of events including guest speakers, concerts, and graduations for both the university and local high schools.