Sobrato Center facts for kids
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| Location | 2335 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California 94118 |
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| Coordinates | 37°46′37″N 122°26′58″W / 37.77694°N 122.44944°W |
| Owner | University of San Francisco |
| Operator | University of San Francisco |
| Capacity | 3,005 |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Tenants | |
| San Francisco Dons (NCAA) (1958–present) | |
The Sobrato Center is a sports building in San Francisco, California. It is located on the campus of the University of San Francisco (USF). This center is home to the War Memorial Gymnasium. It's where the San Francisco Dons men's and women's basketball teams play. The women's volleyball team also calls it home.
The Sobrato Center also has offices for the university's sports department. It provides training areas for other USF sports teams. It is the oldest basketball venue in the West Coast Conference, which is a college sports league. People often call it "The Hilltop" because USF is on top of Lone Mountain. Sometimes, St. Ignatius College Preparatory also uses the gym for their basketball games.
Contents
Welcome to the Sobrato Center!
A Home for Champions
Before 1958, the USF basketball team did not have its own permanent home. During their amazing national championship wins in 1955 and 1956, the teams had to practice and play at other gyms. These included Kezar Pavilion or the gym at St. Ignatius High School.
After winning two national championships in a row, people wanted to help. They raised money to build a sports place on campus. This led to the opening of War Memorial Gym in 1958.
Important Games and Teams
At first, War Memorial Gym met all of USF's sports needs. It even hosted some games for the San Francisco Warriors basketball team from 1962 to 1967. When women's sports started at the university, the gym also became home to the women's basketball and volleyball teams.
Famous players like Bill Russell and K.C. Jones played before the gym was built. However, the gym was home to other great Dons teams in the late 1970s. These teams featured stars like Bill Cartwright, Phil Smith, and Quintin Dailey. Some very important games were held at bigger places like the Cow Palace or the Oakland Arena.
In 1989, a new building called the Koret Health and Recreation Center was built. After this, War Memorial Gym became only for athletic events. Most of the training areas for student-athletes are still located under the gym in the Moran Center.
Inside the Gym
The War Memorial Gym honors USF students who died serving in wars. It can hold 3,005 people. Above the court, you can see banners celebrating USF's national and conference championships in basketball. This includes titles won by the women's basketball team.
Banners also show the retired numbers of famous players. These include banners for coaches like Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert. In the gym's entrance area, there is a small hall of fame. It displays trophies and special items from USF's sports history.
Making it Modern
In 2008 and 2009, USF made some updates to the gym. The original floor was replaced, along with the seats in the upper section. The old basketball hoops were changed to new, stand-alone ones. New banners were also put up.
In 2015, plans for more renovations were announced. This project cost $15 million and was paid for by business people John and Susan Sobrato. Because of their help, the gym and its practice areas now carry their family name. The updates included a new club seating area and improved restrooms. An elevator was added, and the building was made stronger against earthquakes. A museum about USF's sports history and its university values will also be added.
During the summer of 2019, four big video screens were installed in each corner of the gym. On November 9, 2019, the USF Dons played their first college basketball game at the Chase Center. They beat the Princeton Tigers 82–72.
More Cool Facts
The Sobrato Center was also the place for CBS's first national college basketball TV broadcast. This was a game between USF and the University of Georgia in 1982. The gym hosted the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournaments in 1987, 1989, and 1993.
An episode of Teletubbies called "Basketball" was filmed at the Sobrato Center in 1998. In this episode, Phil Mathews and his son, Jordan, were shown playing basketball.
See also
In Spanish: War Memorial Gymnasium para niños
- List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
