Kansas Jayhawks Men's Basketball - Facilities

Facilities

Prior to 1907
Before 1907 the Jayhawks played in various venues, ranging from the basement of the original Snow Hall (even though the ceiling was only 14 feet high) to the skating rink at the local YMCA. Although a current campus building bears the same name, the original Snow Hall was demolished in 1934.

Robinson Gymnasium (1907–1927)
Robinson Gym was the first athletic building on the KU campus and featured a 2,500 seat auditorium used for basketball purposes. The building was demolished in 1967.

Hoch Auditorium (1927–1955)
Hoch Auditorium was a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Lawrence, Kansas. It opened in 1927. It was home to the University of Kansas Jayhawks basketball teams until Allen Fieldhouse opened in 1955.

Many of Hoch's nicknames during the basketball years were "Horrible Hoch" and "The House of Horrors." Such nicknames were in reference to the difficulty opposing teams had in dealing with the tight area surrounding the court and the curved walls and decorative lattice work directly behind the backboards. The curvature of the walls made the backboards appear to be moving causing opponents to miss free throws.

On June 15, 1991, Hoch Auditorium was struck by lightning. The auditorium and stage area were completely destroyed. Only the limestone facade and lobby area were spared. When reconstruction of the building was complete, the rear half of the building was named Budig Hall, for then KU Chancellor Gene Budig. The name on the facade was altered to reflect the presence of three large auditorium-style lecture halls within the building: Hoch Auditoria.

Allen Fieldhouse (1955–Present)

Allen Fieldhouse was dedicated on March 1, 1955 when the Jayhawks defeated in-state rival, Kansas State 77-67. Since then renovations have included minor seating expansions in 1986 and 1994, as well as accessibility upgrades in 1999 to modernize concession stands and restroom facilities, and to install an elevator in the south end. Handicapped seating was moved courtside behind both baskets in 2001.

Renovations completed in 2005 include a thorough cleaning of the exterior, and the creation of a new Booth Family Hall of Athletics facility on the east side of the Fieldhouse. Interior renovations include a new hardwood court, new windows, and a multi-million dollar video board and sound system. After 2006, new banners for the retired jerseys and conference and national championships were installed.

Renovations completed in 2009 include an expansion of the Booth Family Hall of Athletics and the creation of a donor atrium, as well as improved concessions, wider concourses, and restroom upgrades. The building also received brand new locker rooms, training rooms, film rooms, and player lounges. A pedestrian bridge connecting the fieldhouse to the existing facility parking garage was also constructed. The improvements cost approximately $7.8 million.

In December of 2010, the Booth family announced that they had purchased the founding document of the game of basketball, Dr. Naismith's original 13 rules of basketball. It is expected that the document will be permanently housed inside Allen Fieldhouse.

Banners hang in the south rafters to honor former players including Wilt Chamberlain, Clyde Lovellette, Jo Jo White, Danny Manning, Paul Pierce, Lynette Woodard, Drew Gooden, Nick Collison, and Kirk Hinrich among others. There is also a banner to honor Max Falkenstien, a former Jayhawks radio announcer, who served the university for 60 years. To date he is the only non-athlete to be honored at Allen Fieldhouse. The east and west sides are devoted to KU's multiple conference championships.

On the north wall hangs a banner reading "Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of the Phog", in reference to the intimidating atmosphere and the team's home court dominance. The original "Pay Heed" banner was constructed out of dormitory shower curtains by a group of KU students before a late season game against the Duke Blue Devils in 1988 and is now on display in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics museum. The slogan was inspired in part by advertisements for the 1980s horror movie The Fog. It hung on the north wall until 1999, by which time it had deteriorated to the point where it was about to fall. The university replaced the banner with a much more regular-looking design, which met with negative reaction from the public. The current banner was redesigned to be more faithful to the look of the original.

There are also banners for national championships in 1922, 1923 (Helms Foundation championships), 1952, 1988, and 2008 that hang below the "Pay Heed" banner. Since February 20, 1994, the Jayhawks have lost only 13 regular season games in Allen Fieldhouse, a 250–13 record (.951). Since February 3, 2007, the Jayhawks have gone 94-1 (.990) at Allen Fieldhouse, as of December 6, 2012. They currently hold the Division I record for most consecutive home wins at 25 in a row.

And if the Jayhawks' home record doesn't scare opponents, the noise level inside The Phog will. On November 4, 2010, ESPN The Magazine named Allen Fieldhouse the loudest college basketball arena in the country, reaching sustained decibel levels over 120.

The Booth Family Hall of Athletics is the future home of Dr. Naismith's Original 13 Rules Of Basketball, purchased at auction by the Booth family for $4.3 million on December 10, 2010. Plans for the document's enshrinement there are in the early stages.

Robinson Gymnasium The remaining facade of what was Hoch Auditorium