Gill Coliseum

Gill Coliseum
Ralph Miller Court

Ralph Miller Court basketball setup
Former names Oregon State Coliseum
(1949-66)
Location 660 Southwest 26th Street
Corvallis, Oregon
Coordinates 44°33′41″N 123°16′50″W / 44.5613°N 123.2805°W / 44.5613; -123.2805Coordinates: 44°33′41″N 123°16′50″W / 44.5613°N 123.2805°W / 44.5613; -123.2805
Owner Oregon State University
Operator Oregon State University
Capacity 9,604 (2011-present)[1]
10,400 (1984-2011)
10,000 (1949-1984)
Construction
Broke ground June 5, 1947[2]
Opened December 16, 1949[3]
Construction cost $1.842 million[3][4]
($18.4 million in 2016 dollars[5]
Architect Jones and Marsh[3]
General contractor J. C. Watts Construction Company[3]
Tenants

Oregon State Beavers (NCAA)

OSAA Class 5A State Basketball Championships (2015-present)

Gill Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Opened 67 years ago in 1949, the arena has a seating capacity of 9.604 and is home to the Oregon State Beavers' basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and gymnastics teams.[1] It is named after famed basketball coach Amory T. "Slats" Gill who compiled a 599-392 (.604) record in 36 seasons, from 1928 to 1964.

The court is named after another famed OSU coach, Ralph Miller, who led the men's basketball program from 1971 to 1989. The building also houses a weight room, equipment center, locker rooms, and offices for the Oregon State University athletic department and its teams. Inside, on the south wall of Gill Coliseum is a painted mural of many former Oregon State men's basketball players including Gary Payton, Brent Barry, AC Green, Lester Conner, and Steve Johnson.

History

Inside of Gill Coliseum during a men's basketball game.

Prior to the construction of Gill coliseum, intercollegiate basketball games were hosted in the Oregon Agricultural College Gymnasium,[6] constructed in 1914.[7] This building continues to stand as the current Langton Hall.[6]

Gill Coliseum opened in 1949 and housed the Horner Museum in the basement until 1995 when the museum closed.[8]

The facility has a sports medicine center, located on the lower level of the coliseum, that provides injury prevention and rehabilitation services. The center includes cardiovascular equipment and improved training facilities. Part of a $7 million renovation of the arena, other projects include making Gill compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and painting the exterior.[9]

During the summer of 2009 the outside was sandblasted prior to applying the new paint and new windows were added on the East and West sides.[9] The court has gone numerous remodels as Oregon State has updated their branding. Prior to the 2013-2014 season, the court was updated to reflect the athletic department's re-branding, along with some of the graphics surrounding the lower seating.

Sports Performance Center

Older court design from 2007.

Construction of the Sports Performance Center began in early 2007, and work was completed in spring 2008. The building is located between Gill Coliseum and the Tommy Prothro Football

Complex. The SPC houses a practice facility for wrestling and offices for the weight training staff. The 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) building is the home to over $500,000 in training equipment and a 4-lane 60-yard (55 m) sprint track. A four-story facility which includes two full-size regulation courts and as basketball offices was opened in June 2013.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Oregon State (12–7, 2–5) vs. USC 5–14, 0–6)" (PDF). Oregon State Athletics. January 20, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  2. "The Daily Barometer Index" (PDF). Social Science Humanities Department Oregon State University Library. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Coliseum Dedication Program". University of Oregon. January 12, 1951. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  4. "OSC plays first contest in new cage coliseum". Eugene Register-Guard. December 16, 1949. p. 18A.
  5. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Legendary Hoop Star Red Rocha, Tower of the 'Thrill Kids,' Dies" (PDF). Oregon Stater. OSU Alumni Association. 95 (2): 32. Spring 2010.
  7. OAC's New Gym, Scene of Commencement Activities," Corvallis Gazette-Times, vol. 6, no. 28 (June 4, 1914), pg. 1.
  8. Tomlinson, Stuart (August 26, 2014). "Presidential tokens stolen from Oregon State University museum returned 50 years later". The Oregonian. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Barrels of paint for Gill; big plans for the area" (PDF). Oregon Stater. 94 (3): 48. Fall 2009.
  10. Schnell, Lindsay (June 11, 2013). "Oregon State Celebrates Opening of Basketball Practice Facility". The Oregonian. Portland, OR. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
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