Bud Walton Arena facts for kids
| Basketball Palace of Mid-America | |
 |
|
| Location | 1270 Nolan Richardson Drive Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701-5570 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°03′41″N 94°10′41″W / 36.061518°N 94.178188°W |
| Owner | University of Arkansas |
| Operator | University of Arkansas |
| Capacity | 19,368 (2009–present) 19,200 (1993–2009) |
| Record attendance | 20,344 (November 29, 2023 vs. Duke) |
| Surface | Hardwood Floor |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 28, 1992 |
| Opened | November 29, 1993 |
| Construction cost | $30 Million ($60.8 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Rosser International Mott Mobley McGowan & Griffin |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichiols |
| Tenants | |
| Arkansas Razorbacks men's and women's basketball teams (1993-present) | |
Bud Walton Arena, also known as the "Basketball Palace of Mid-America," is a huge sports arena. It is the home court for the men's and women's basketball teams. These teams play for the University of Arkansas and are called the Razorbacks. The arena is located right on the university campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It can hold 19,368 fans, making it one of the largest college arenas in the United States!
Inside the arena, you can also find the Bud Walton Arena Razorback Sports Museum. It's on the ground floor and shows off the history of many Razorback sports. You can learn about basketball, track and field, baseball, tennis, and golf.
Contents
Building the Arena
This amazing arena is named after James "Bud" Walton. He was one of the people who started Walmart. Bud Walton gave a lot of money to help build the arena. He donated about $15 million, which was half of the total cost!
Building the arena was very fast. It only took 18 months to finish. The architects, Rosser International, designed it to fit many seats in a smaller space. This helped create a loud and exciting atmosphere for the games.
First Games and Big Wins
Bud Walton Arena opened in November 1993. The men's basketball team had an incredible first season there. They won the national championship that year!
Before this arena, the teams played at Barnhill Arena. That old arena was later changed to be used for volleyball and gymnastics. In the early years, coach Nolan Richardson's teams often filled Bud Walton Arena. More than 20,000 fans would come to watch the games!
Cool Upgrades Over Time
Since it first opened, Bud Walton Arena has had many improvements. In 2004, a new, giant scoreboard was added. It is 24 feet wide and 22 feet tall! It has four big video screens to show all the action. There's also a cool LED ring at the top that displays game stats.
In 2005, the locker rooms were updated. New lounge and meeting areas were also added for the teams. More luxury suites were built in 2008, bringing the total to 47. They also added more seats right next to the court. These changes helped the arena hold even more fans, reaching its current capacity of 19,368.
Nolan Richardson Court
On February 6, 2018, students at the University of Arkansas voted for a special idea. They wanted to name the basketball court after former coach Nolan Richardson. He was a very important coach for the Razorbacks.
On March 28, 2019, the university's leaders agreed. They voted to officially name the court "Nolan Richardson Court." This honors his great contributions to the team.
Arena Records
Bud Walton Arena has seen some huge crowds! The record for attendance was 20,361 fans. This happened on February 8, 2022, during a game against Auburn.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
