Convocation Center (Ohio University)

Convocation Center
Construction
The Convo

Location	95 Richland Avenue Athens, Ohio 45701
Owner	Ohio University
Operator	Ohio University
Capacity	13,080
Surface	Two-layer maple wood
Broke ground	1965
Opened	December 3, 1968
Construction cost	$8.2 million ($55.8 million in 2016 dollars^[1])
Architect	Brubaker and Brandt^[2]
Structural engineer	Fling & Eeman, Inc.^[2]
General contractor	Knowlton Construction Company^[2]
Tenants
Ohio Bobcats (NCAA) (1968–present)

Convocation Center is a 13,080-seat multi-purpose arena that is home to the Ohio Bobcats basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams. The first men's basketball game in the arena featured an 80–70 Ohio victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on December 3, 1968.

The Convocation Center, affectionately called "The Convo," was designed by Brubaker and Brandt Architects of Columbus, Ohio and built by Knowlton Construction Company of Bellefontaine, Ohio. The arena houses offices for the Ohio Athletics Department numerous coaches' offices, team locker rooms, and athletic training rooms. Additionally it houses offices and classrooms for the computer science branch of the Russ College of Engineering. Over the years, there have been numerous renovations, some of the most recent being in 1997, where improved lighting, an expanded press row, and a wider camera deck were added to the arena. Also, The Vern and Marion Alden Basketball Suite which houses offices and meeting rooms for Ohio men's and women's basketball was completed. A few years later, the locker rooms for both basketball teams were expanded and given new furniture, carpeting, and individual wooden lockers. Following the 2004 season, more renovations occurred as a new playing surface was installed and two large Daktronics video boards were added to the venue.

The Convocation Center's atmosphere has helped the Bobcats to win over 75% of their home games since the opening of The Convo in 1968. At the beginning of the 2001–2002 season, a new student cheering section, dubbed the "O Zone," was started for men's basketball games.

The Convocation Center brought in its largest crowd on February 28, 1970, when 14,102 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats men's basketball team defeat the Bowling Green Falcons 77–76.^[3] That year Ohio finished 20–5, winning the Mid-American Conference and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to Ohio basketball, volleyball, and wrestling contests, the Convo hosts numerous other events annually. The facility has held local high school basketball games as well as high school state tournament games as well as a variety of concerts, including a May 17, 1969 concert by Led Zeppelin,^[4] professional wrestling events, and special university events, most notably Ohio University's graduation ceremonies.

The Convocation Center is used for Thursday night rehearsals for The Ohio University Marching 110 when the weather causes temperatures to drop far too low for these late-night sessions. The band uses these rehearsals to learn/polish dance routines for their home football games on the basketball court. The building was also used for several of the Marching 110's LP recording sessions in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Ohio University Athletics Director Jim Schaus announced plans to renovate the Convocation Center athletic training center by 2012 as part of the Bobcat Renaissance, which is an initiative geared toward improving OU's athletic programs.^[5]

The Arena has also hosted some events of WCW.

Largest attendance

Rank	Date	Attendance	Event
1	February 28, 1970	14,102	Ohio vs. Bowling Green (Men's Basketball)
2	December 30, 1997	13,083	Ohio vs. Kentucky (Men's Basketball)
3	February 15, 1997	13,021	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)
4	January 21, 2012	13,011	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)
5	January 8, 1994	12,824	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)

Source : Ohio History and Records 2013-14

Gallery

Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame within the Convocation Center.
Interior of the Convocation Center in 2008.
The Convocation Center prior to the men's basketball game against Hampton in 2012.

References

↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
1 2 3 Lightweight Dome at Ohio University
↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ohio/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/RecordBook.pdf
↑ Cross, Charles; Flannigan, Erik (1991). Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-517-58308-1.
↑ The Post

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Convocation Center (Ohio University).

Ohio University

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Athletics	Bobcats Rufus Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Cross-Country (M) Cross-Country (W) Football Golf Volleyball Swimming and diving (W) Wrestling Other Hall of Fame Traditions Marching 110

Arenas	Peden Stadium Bird Arena Chessa Field Pruitt Field Goldsberry Track Ohio University Aquatic Center Bob Wren Stadium Convocation Center

People	Alumni Roderick J. McDavis

Media	The Post WOUB-TV

Ohio Bobcats men's basketball

Venues	Ewing Hall (1907–1908) Ohio Gymnasium (1908–1923) Men's Gymnasium (1924–1960) Grover Center (1960–1968) Convocation Center (1968–present)

Culture & lore	History

People	Head coaches NBA draftees

Seasons	1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

Basketball arenas of the Mid-American Conference

East Division	Rhodes Arena (Akron) Stroh Center (Bowling Green) Alumni Arena (Buffalo) Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (Kent State) Millett Hall (Miami) Convocation Center (Ohio)

West Division	Worthen Arena (Ball State) McGuirk Arena (Central Michigan) Convocation Center (Eastern Michigan) Convocation Center (Northern Illinois) Savage Arena (Toledo) University Arena (Western Michigan)

Coordinates: 39°19′23″N 82°6′20″W / 39.32306°N 82.10556°W / 39.32306; -82.10556

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