The Athletics–Recreation Center is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena

Arena

An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

 in Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, located at 1009 Union Street. It serves as the home court for Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...

men's and women's basketball teams as well as the volleyball team. The oldest parts of the building date to 1939 and are among the first facilities built at the University after it was purchased by the Lutherans. This original building was expanded in 1962 to include more seating for basketball and a swimming pool on the first floor http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/index.php?a=t&nid=18. Known as the Hilltop Gym this facility was home for Valpo basketball when it competed in the NCAA's old "college" classification, for smaller schools. Despite this the gym was still witness to a number of historic individuals including Larry Bird

Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...

 who competed in the gym when Valpo played against his Indiana State Sycamores, and Robert Kennedy, who gave a speech there during his presidential campaign. Beginning in the late 70's it was decided that Valpo needed to expand its basketball facilities again, and in 1984, the $7.25 million expansion on the north side of the gym, named the Athletics and Recreation Center (or ARC for short) was completed. The men's basketball team played their first game there on November 27, 1984 against Western Michigan University

Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball

The Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school's team competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2004...

 http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/assets/pdfs/Game%20Notes/mbb/123007%20North%20Carolina%20notes.pdf. The men's basketball team played their dedication game there on December 9, 1984 against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame University

Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...

, from nearby South Bend, Indiana

South Bend, Indiana

The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/arc.php. The greatest upset in the ARC occurred four years later against this same team, when Valpo defeated the then 19th ranked Fighting Irish in front of 4,913 fans. In 1995 the ARC hosted the finals of the Mid-Continent Conference men’s basketball tournament. Since that time a number of smaller renovations have occurred in and around the facility. In the fall of 1999 the men's and women's coaching staffs moved into the new Schrage Basketball Wing, added to the east side of the main arena. In 2005 the old Hilltop Gym on the south side of the building was renovated with new flooring, lighting, windows and numerous banners celebrating Valpo's basketball tradition. It is now used as a practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams http://nwitimes.com/articles/2005/08/07/sports/top_sports/842c9cf7cda2568186257055001b0139.txt. In 2006 the weight lifting facilities were rearranged with athletes now having access to the Mosak Performance Center, a refurbished room in the building with new customized weight lifting equipment. The ARC's capacity can easily be increased by adding bleachers to the East side which is usually left open. Also the building architects, Barton-Malow Company, left the north side of the building ammenable to future expansion. The largest crowd in school history was for a game against the (then-ranked 10th) Butler University

Butler University

Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...

 Bulldogs on February 5, 2008. The attendance was 5,432 fans http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=280362674, barely enough to eclipse the total of 5,425 in attendance for the November 16th, 2001 meeting between Valpo and the Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

 Boilermakers http://www.valpo.edu/athletics/index.php?a=t&nid=18. Future improvements to the facility have been floated but none are in the works for the near future http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/06/06/sports/college_sports/3dad3bc0537c57d1862571850010cbef.txt.