McCarthey Athletic Center facts for kids
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The New Kennel, K2, The Kennel
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February 2013
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| Location | Gonzaga University 801 N. Cincinnati Street Spokane, Washington |
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| Coordinates | 47°39′54″N 117°23′56″W / 47.665°N 117.399°W |
| Owner | Gonzaga University |
| Operator | Gonzaga University |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 24, 2003 |
| Opened | November 19, 2004 |
| Construction cost | $25 million ($38.7 million in 2025 ) |
| Architect | ALSC Architects & Ellerbe Becket |
| Project manager | Garco Construction Inc. |
| Structural engineer | DCI Engineers Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs (2004–present) (Men's and Women's basketball) (West Coast Conference, NCAA) |
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| Website | |
| McCarthey Athletic Center | |
The McCarthey Athletic Center is a large indoor sports arena. It is located in Spokane, Washington, on the campus of Gonzaga University. This arena opened in November 2004.
It is the home court for the university's Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball teams. These teams play in the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the NCAA. The arena can hold 6,000 fans.
People often call it "The New Kennel." This nickname comes from the school's older basketball arena, the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. That arena was known as "The Kennel" for 39 years. Now, many fans just call the McCarthey Athletic Center "The Kennel." The old one is now known as the "Martin Centre."
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History of the McCarthey Athletic Center
Building the Arena
Work on the McCarthey Athletic Center began in April 2003. It was built where the university's baseball field used to be. The arena was named after the McCarthey brothers from Salt Lake City. They gave large donations to Gonzaga University. Both brothers had attended Gonzaga.
A new baseball stadium was built later, opening in 2007. While the new baseball stadium was being built, the Bulldogs baseball team played at Avista Stadium. This stadium is home to the Spokane Indians, a minor league baseball team.
First Games and Tournaments
The McCarthey Athletic Center officially opened on November 19, 2004. The first game was a non-conference basketball win for Gonzaga against Portland State.
In its second year, the arena hosted the WCC post-season tournament in March 2006. This was the first time Spokane hosted this event. The original "Kennel" was too small. The larger Spokane Arena was not available due to other events. Gonzaga won both of their games in the tournament. One game went into overtime, and the final game was won by just one point.
Home Winning Streaks
By February 2007, the Gonzaga Bulldogs had won 38 games in a row at the McCarthey Athletic Center. They also had a 50-game winning streak at home, including games at the old Martin Centre. The Santa Clara Broncos team ended this long winning streak. At that time, it was the longest home winning streak in the NCAA.
In February 2015, the BYU team ended another long winning streak for Gonzaga. Gonzaga had won 41 games in a row at the McCarthey Athletic Center. This was also the longest active home winning streak in the NCAA at the time.
As of February 6, 2020, the Gonzaga teams have a great record at the McCarthey Athletic Center. They have won 223 games and lost only 15. This includes 105 wins and 8 losses in non-conference games. They also have 116 wins and 7 losses in conference games. In the WCC Tournament, they have won 2 games and lost none.
Concerts and Comedy Shows
The McCarthey Athletic Center is not just for sports! It has also hosted many concerts. Bands like Switchfoot, Yellowcard, and Death Cab for Cutie have performed there. Singers such as Ben Folds and Jay Sean have also held concerts.
Famous comedians have also performed at the arena. These include Bill Cosby, Jeff Foxworthy, and Kevin Hart.
Amazing Player Records
The McCarthey Athletic Center has seen some amazing sports records:
- On January 16, 2010, Heather Bowman broke a record for women's basketball. She scored the most points ever in the WCC.
- On March 21, 2011, Courtney Vandersloot made history. She became the first basketball player (men's or women's) to score 2,000 points and make 1,000 assists in their college career.
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
In October 2009, the NCAA announced that the McCarthey Athletic Center would be a host site. It hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament in 2011. The arena also hosted these rounds in 2012 and 2013. This means many top college women's basketball teams played important tournament games there.
