E. A. Diddle Arena
Encyclopedia
E.A. Diddle Arena is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena
in Bowling Green, Kentucky
. The arena, built in 1963, is home to the Western Kentucky University
Hilltoppers men's basketball
team and Lady Toppers women's basketball and volleyball
teams. It is also known as Academic-Athletic Building #1. It also holds Military Science and Physical Education & Recreation classes and offices.
r Edgar "E.A." Diddle
. It hosted the Ohio Valley Conference
men's basketball tournament in 1976, 1978, and 1980-1982 and has hosted the Sun Belt Conference
men’s basketball tournament four times. Dedicated on December 7, 1963, Diddle Arena has hosted some of the finest players and teams ever to play in the college ranks. Originally designed to seat 8,500 fans, the seating capacity has fluctuated over the years and by 1970 the arena had been adjusted to hold 13,508.
The utility and versatility of the arena throughout the years has included the facility being the site of NCAA Regional Tournaments in both men's (1980) and women's basketball, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Girls Sweet 16 basketball tournament, and an NBA exhibition game. The facility has also hosted several Sun Belt Conference basketball tournaments, and was the site of the 2003 and 2009 SBC Volleyball Championship. Diddle Arena has staged numerous concerts, hosted WKU's annual spring and winter commencements, and has even welcomed the President of the United States during a 1988 visit by Ronald Reagan.
In addition to being one of the homes for WKU Athletics, Diddle Arena also contains classrooms and activity areas for the Department of Physical Education and Recreation as well as the WKU Army ROTC program.
Some of the record crowds that the arena has hosted include 14,277 fans for a 1971 battle against former OVC arch-rival Murray State
; 13,000 for the 1984 Wendy's Classic Final versus Louisiana Tech
and All-American Karl Malone
; and 13,300 for a 1986 showdown with former Sun Belt Conference
rival UAB
.
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 Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
. The arena, built in 1963, is home to the Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
Hilltoppers men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team and Lady Toppers women's basketball and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
teams. It is also known as Academic-Athletic Building #1. It also holds Military Science and Physical Education & Recreation classes and offices.
History
Diddle Arena was built in 1963 and is named after legendary WKU men's coach and Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
r Edgar "E.A." Diddle
Edgar Diddle
Edgar Allen Diddle was a college men's basketball coach. He is known for coaching at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky from 1922 to 1964. Diddle became the first coach in history to coach 1,000 games at one school...
. It hosted the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
men's basketball tournament in 1976, 1978, and 1980-1982 and has hosted the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
men’s basketball tournament four times. Dedicated on December 7, 1963, Diddle Arena has hosted some of the finest players and teams ever to play in the college ranks. Originally designed to seat 8,500 fans, the seating capacity has fluctuated over the years and by 1970 the arena had been adjusted to hold 13,508.
The utility and versatility of the arena throughout the years has included the facility being the site of NCAA Regional Tournaments in both men's (1980) and women's basketball, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Girls Sweet 16 basketball tournament, and an NBA exhibition game. The facility has also hosted several Sun Belt Conference basketball tournaments, and was the site of the 2003 and 2009 SBC Volleyball Championship. Diddle Arena has staged numerous concerts, hosted WKU's annual spring and winter commencements, and has even welcomed the President of the United States during a 1988 visit by Ronald Reagan.
In addition to being one of the homes for WKU Athletics, Diddle Arena also contains classrooms and activity areas for the Department of Physical Education and Recreation as well as the WKU Army ROTC program.
Some of the record crowds that the arena has hosted include 14,277 fans for a 1971 battle against former OVC arch-rival Murray State
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
; 13,000 for the 1984 Wendy's Classic Final versus Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
and All-American Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
; and 13,300 for a 1986 showdown with former Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
rival UAB
UAB Blazers
The UAB Blazers are the forest green and old gold-swathed athletic teams at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The school is one of the twelve member institutions of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA...
.