| Tudor Fieldhouse | |
|---|---|
| Autry Court | |
Autry Court prior to a men's basketball game. |
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| Former names | Rice Gymnasium (1960–2008) |
| Location | 6100 Main Street Houston, Texas 77251 |
| Opened | 1960 |
| Renovated | 2008 |
| Owner | Rice University |
| Operator | Rice University |
| Capacity | 5,208 |
| Tenants | |
| Rice Owls men's basketball | |
Tudor Fieldhouse is multi-purpose arena in Houston, Texas. Previously known as Rice Gymnasium, it was renamed in honor of Rice alum Bobby Tudor, who spearheaded the renovation of the facility with a multi-million dollar donation. The court 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 1960. It is home to the Rice University Owls men's and women's basketball, and volleyball teams.
The facility was constructed in 1960. 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 former University of Memphis men's head basketball coach John Calipari. The blue curtain on one side of the court is called a "distraction" by many colleges. At the end of the game, young fans are invited onto the court to shoot a free-throw. If they make it, they win a basketball.
On February 7, 2007, a $23 million renovation of Autry court was announced by Rice University. The renovations are to be completed in time for the 2008-09 basketball season. In the interim, Rice played its home games at Merrell Center in Katy, TX (5 games), Reliant Arena (8 games) and Toyota Center (1 game) in Houston.
On July 29, 2008, Rice unveiled the new name of the arena, Tudor Fieldhouse, within a press release outlining non-conference opponents for the upcoming basketball season.[1][2]
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