Autry Court

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Autry Court
Autry Court prior to a men's basketball game.
Location	Houston, Texas
Opened	1950
Closed	Open
Demolished	N/A
Owner	Rice University
Operator	Rice University
Architect	N/A
Tenants
Rice University Athletics
Capacity
5,680—1992 record crowd

Autry Court is multi-purpose arena in Houston, Texas. The arena is designated "Autry Court" in memory of Mrs. James L. Autry. Her husband James Lockhart Autry was a descendant of Micajah Autry, who was a hero of the Battle of the Alamo. Her daughter, Mrs. Edward W. Kelley, made a generous donation to the gymnasium building fund in honor of her late mother, an ardent supporter of Rice.The arena opened in 1950. It is home to the Rice University Owls men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and swimming teams.

[edit] History

The facility was constructed in 1950. An air conditioning system was added in 1991. Other renovations include a new ceiling, new lighting, and a new scoreboard. The facility currently seats 5,000 people.

Autry Court is also home of the notorious Autry Army, a group of students who attend every basketball game and heckle opponents. They have recently been referred to as the "Blue Army of Death" by University of Memphis men's head basketball coach John Calipari.^{[citation needed]}

On February 7, 2007, a $23 million renovation of Autry court was announced by Rice University. A $8 million donation by Rice alum Bobby Tudor spearheaded this movement, and renovations will begin in July 2007 ending in January 2009. In the interim, Rice will play basketball and volleyball games at Reliant Arena in Houston.