McCann Field House is a 3,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. It was built in 1977 and is home to the Marist College Red Foxes men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams.
The Field House's namesake is James J. McCann. Born in Poughkeepsie in 1880, he and his family operated the McCann Feed and Grain Store on the city's Main Street, and McCann eventually amassed a large estate through the stock market. In 1967, two years before his death, McCann established the McCann Foundation. Support from his charitable trust made construction of the field house possible.
A maple floor was originally donated by former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Rik Smits for use by his alma mater. Following an accidental soaking of the court by a fire sprinkler, Smits re-donated a new court. A display honoring Smits, including an Indiana Pacers jersey, can be found next to the basketball court. Another capital improvement in 2005 included the introduction of a 40-foot (12 m) NBA-style scorer's table. This project featured enhanced seating along the North baseline and an imposing 19-foot (5.8 m) high student section along the south baseline. The student section and pep band have seats located less than 6 feet (1.8 m) from the baseline, creating an imposing and loud student section.
A summer 2011 renovation to the field house upgraded the facility to more modern standards for the college's Division 1 indoor-athletics programs. The original bleachers were removed and replaced with chair-back seating, with corner seating added to maintain capacity and to create more of an atmosphere typically seen at a sports arena. The floor was replaced with a new, all-maple hardwood surface; the lobby and restrooms were renovated, and an addition to the south end of the field house provides new men's and women's locker rooms, as well as offices for both basketball teams. The new floor was retrofit with a ScissorLoc™ DC subfloor system by Aacer Sports Flooring, complete with the PowerVent™ airflow system to ensure environmental control below the Northern Hard Rock Maple surface. Additionally video scoreboards were added in two opposite corners of the arena and a video table was added.
The court is now known as McCann Arena.
Famous quotes containing the words field and/or house:
“There is a call to life a little sterner,
And braver for the earner, learner, yearner.
Less criticism of the field and court
And more preoccupation with the sport.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“In relation to God, we are like a thief who has burgled the house of a kindly householder and been allowed to keep some of the gold. From the point of view of the lawful owner this gold is a gift; From the point of view of the burglar it is a theft. He must go and give it back. It is the same with our existence. We have stolen a little of God’s being to make it ours. God has made us a gift of it. But we have stolen it. We must return it.”
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)