California Golden Bears Athletics
California Golden Bears - Men's Basketball
CAL OPENS STATE OF THE ART 12,000-SEAT BASKETBALL ARENA
* Double Harmon
Gym's seating
capacity
* New weight room,
athletic training and
sports medicine areas
* Modernized men's
and women's locker
rooms
* Larger concourses
with spectacular
views
* Better access and
seating for the
disabled
* Expanded office and
conference areas
* Spectator Club with
views overlooking
the Bay Area
* Improved lobby
and concession
areas, including a
team store
The new Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion will make a powerful statement about the stature of athletics at Cal. Along with its most important function -- a state-of-the-art basketball arena with a doubled seating capacity (12,100) -- it adds space for many men's and women's intercollegiate programs, recreational and community activities, and athletic administration.
An innovative plan has been developed to build a shell around the orignial Harmon Gym structure. The new exterior complements Harmon's distinctive architecture. The roof of the Haas Pavilion will be raised to make room for a bowl-shaped arena, a novel design that increases capacity on all four sides, yet creates good views of the court from every seat.
The Pavilion's in-the-round seating gives every visitor a direct sightline to the action on the court. The 12,100-seat arena includes up to 1,500 chairback seats at premium locations and 3,000 seats for students. The court will continue to be named in honor of Pete Newell, legendary coach of Cal's 1959 NCAA championship team.
The Pavilion will be the focal point for Cal's many athletic, recreational and cultural activities. Inside the Pavilion's east entrance, a large lobby will lead visitors to a new team store. Added concession areas and concourses will accommodate larger crowds.
On the concourse level, a new Spectator Club will provide a spacious yet intimate meeting spot for special friends of Cal. A new plaza at the Pavilion's east entrance will reach from Bancroft Way to Strawberry Creek, creating a new campus gateway and an ideal location for outdoor gatherings.
Construction began on the project on June 1997 and is expected to be completed in time for the 1999 Pacific-10 Conference opener. In the interim, Cal will practice at the Golden State Warriors' new practice facility at the downtown Oakland Convention Center. The Bears will play all of their games at the New Arena in Oakland.
Harmon Gym, which opened in 1933 and had a capacity of 6,578 seats, was home to Cal basketball for 65 seasons. The Bears compiled a 586-298 record in the building, including an 18-game winning streak that extended through the final game in Harmon, an 84-66 win over Arizona State on March 6, 1997.
