University Hall (University of Virginia)

University Hall (University Of Virginia)

University Hall is an 8,457-seat multi-purpose arena on the University of Virginia Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. The arena opened in 1965 as a replacement to Memorial Gym, which is still used as the home to the volleyball and wrestling teams. Like many arenas built at the time, the arena is circular, with a ribbed concrete roof and blue and orange seats (the orange seats arranged in a "V" near the top of each section) surrounding the arena. Unlike many other facilities, however, the floor was never lowered for additional seating around the court, leaving large poritions behind press row, the team benches and announcer's table empty on gameday.

University Hall was replaced by the John Paul Jones Arena as the home to the men's and women's basketball teams in August, 2006. The future of UHall is still being debated, though it will likely be retained to host small athletic and University program events. The official final UVa athletic event in University Hall was the men's basketball team against the Maryland Terrapins, on March 5, 2006, which Maryland won 71-70. UVa legend Ralph Sampson sank the ceremonial last baskets at U-Hall, dunking twice during postgame festivities.

However, the women's basketball team made the Women's National Invitational Tournament, and played and won two WNIT games in University Hall.

A book about University Hall and UVa. basketball, "Mad About U: Four Decades of Basketball at University Hall," was released Oct. 5.