Dale F. Halton Arena

Dale F. Halton Arena

Dale F. Halton Arena at the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center (commonly shortened to Halton Arena) is an indoor sports venue located on the main campus of UNC Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the home venue of the Charlotte 49ers men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team.

Halton Arena was named for the former President and CEO of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Charlotte. She remains a benefactress to the university and has served on the University's Board of Trustees. The building was funded entirely through private donations and student fees.

The arena is located inside the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center (known commonly by students as "The SAC"). Its seating capacity for basketball and volleyball is listed as 9,105, though most of the upper level is curtained off for women's basketball and volleyball games, reducing seating capacity to around 4,000. The University holds its commencement ceremonies every December and May inside the arena.

The arena opened on December 2, 1996 when the 49ers men's basketball team defeated Appalachian State in a non-conference game. It was the fourth primary home court for the 49ers since they joined the NCAA's Division I in 1970; previously the 49ers played at the on-campus Belk Gymnasium, or "The Mine Shaft" (1970–76), Bojangles' Coliseum (1976–88, 1993–96), and the Charlotte Coliseum (1988–93). Even after the men's basketball team began playing its home games off campus, the women's basketball and volleyball teams remained at Belk Gym.

Halton Arena has undergone several upgrades over the past several years. In 2002 the Miltimore-Wallis Athletics Training and Academics Center was opened providing a new weight room, The Charles Hayward Memorial Practice Court, Video Communications Center, new Media Relations Office and new coaches' offices for men and women's basketball and volleyball. In 2006, a new high-resolution video screen was added to the hanging scoreboard in the center of the arena. In 2008, the arena purchased the LCD floor displays used at the 2008 Final Four from the NCAA and installed them for use at athletic events. The base of the bell tower contains the ticket office and ticket booths. The 2nd floor salon features temporary offices for the football staff, and new permanent offices for the athletics marketing department. The 2nd floor bell tower and tower access hall hold the offices for facilities management. The 3rd floor salon houses the athletic departments administration offices and gameday receptions area. The 3rd floor bell tower and tower access hall hold the offices for the athletics foundation. Current speculation has the administration moving into the temporary football offices once that program moves to its permanent location at McColl-Richardson Field; allowing the conversion of the 3rd floor salon into a combination of an expanded gameday reception area, hall of fame/trophy presentation hall, and luxury suites.

Halton Arena was the location for the 2005 Conference USA women's basketball tournament and the 2009 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament, as well as the 2007 Atlantic 10 volleyball tournament.