Pan American Center
Encyclopedia
The Pan American Center is a multi-purpose arena
in Las Cruces, New Mexico
, located on the campus of New Mexico State University
. The arena has a current seating capacity
of 12,482 people.
The arena serves as home of the New Mexico State Aggies Men’s and Women’s Basketball
and Women’s Volleyball
teams.
The arena hosted the 2007
and 2008
Western Athletic Conference
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, as well as the 2007 WAC Volleyball Tournament.
opened less than one mile from NMSU’s campus in 1957 the Aggies began to play many of their home games in the high school’s new 3,000-seat gymnasium because it was significantly larger than the university’s own gym. When NMSU alumnus Lou Henson
returned to the school as head coach in 1966 and quickly began building the basketball program into a perennial NCAA Tournament
participant the push for a new facility began in earnest, and the next year the New Mexico State Legislature approved a $22 million capital outlay program that included provisions for a new arena at NMSU (the same bill also funded construction of NMSU’s student union building). Construction of the arena cost $3.5 million, and the building was inaugurated on November 30, 1968 with a 95-89 victory over Colorado State
. The facility’s name was suggested by former NMSU vice president Paul Rader for its location just off Interstate 25
, also known as the Pan American Highway.
venues to feature a parquet floor. The original floor was installed in 1968 and served until being damaged in a flood inside the arena in 1986. Following the flood a new floor was acquired and installed during the 1986-87 season. This floor served through the end of the 2011 volleyball season and basketball preseason exhibition games. A new parquet floor, the arena's third, was dedicated prior to the 2011-12 men's basketball regular season home opener against UTEP
on November 19, 2011.
on January 29. The Aggies wouldn’t lose again on the Pan Am’s parquet floor until dropping the 1971-72 season opener to Angelo State
, snapping an amazing 34-game home winning streak over the course of three seasons. During the Pan Am’s first three seasons NMSU compiled a gaudy 44-1 record within its friendly confines. The Aggies qualified for their third consecutive NCAA Tournament in the building’s inaugural year and hosted BYU
in an opening round matchup at the Pan Am on March 8, 1969 – a 74-62 Aggie victory. The next year saw the most successful season in school history to date as the “Amazin’ Aggies” advanced to the NCAA Final Four
before falling to eventual national champion UCLA in the national semifinal. Three days later the Aggies bounced back to defeat St. Bonaventure
in the now-defunct Consolation game to finish the season third in the nation.
Although the phenomenal success enjoyed by the Aggies during the arena’s first few seasons would not continue, the Pan Am would continue to establish a reputation as an extremely difficult place to play. To date the Aggies have compiled four undefeated seasons at home, and only twice in 43 seasons has NMSU had a losing home record (1984-85 and 2004-05). NMSU's women's basketball team has also compiled a pair of undefeated home seasons in the building. The Pan Am has seen home winning streaks of more than 25 games on three separate occasions - twice by the men's basketball team (34 games from 1968-71 and 29 games from 1989-91) and once by the women's basketball team (38 games from 1986-88). Among the most memorable games in the Pan Am’s history are NMSU’s heartbreaking 91-89 overtime loss to Larry Bird
’s #2-ranked Indiana State
squad on February 2, 1979 (the then-undefeated Sycamores' closest call until losing to Michigan State
in that year’s legendary national title game); a 72-64 win over New Mexico on December 15, 1990 that saw an all-time record 14,845 fans squeeze into the arena, a nationally televised 83-82 upset of #7-ranked eventual national champion UNLV on January 8, 1990, and the Aggies' thrilling 72-70 defeat of Utah State
in the 2007 WAC Tournament Championship Game that clinched the Aggies' seventeenth NCAA Tournament appearance.
During the Aggies' run of success in the early 1990's the Pan Am became known as one of the toughest venues in the nation for visiting teams. The often-raucous crowds led Dick Vitale
to nickname the building the "Pandemonium Center" and refer to the student section as the "Panamaniacs." Vitale named the building the Big West Conference's toughest venue in the 1998 and 1999 editions of Dick Vitale's College Basketball Preview.
Although the renovation was scheduled for completion by the beginning of the 2006-07 basketball season construction delays caused the renovation to drag on throughout the season. Most controversially, the access tunnel linking the new locker rooms in the annex to the arena floor was not completed until February, forcing both the Aggies and the opposition, along with the referees, to enter the arena via the stands for much of the season, Due to the building’s layout, opposing teams had to enter and leave the court through the student section behind the south goal, causing several visiting teams (particularly WAC opponents) to publicly complain about the arrangement. The new tunnel was first used for the January 31 game against Boise State
. The renovations were ultimately completed just in time for the start of the 2007 WAC Tournament, with finishing touches being applied in the final days before the event began.
Former Special Events director Barbara Hubbard once remarked that "it would be easier to compile a list of major recording acts that had not played the Pan Am than it would be to name all those that had."
For many years the building was a natural stop for many concert tours, as it was the largest venue along Interstate 10
between Houston and Phoenix
.
However, the construction of newer comparably sized venues in El Paso
and Tucson, combined with New Mexico's gross receipts tax
on concerts and special events, has led to a significant decline in the number of events scheduled at the arena.
The 2006-07 renovation and a new state law exempting the Pan Am from the gross receipts tax were both approved in part to help the arena once again become more competitive in booking major acts.
Beyond its prolific concert resume, the Pan Am has seen a wide variety of other events, from bull riding
events to professional wrestling
and boxing
matches.
Among the more notable events held in the arena are the 1996 Miss Teen USA
pageant, presidential speeches (most recently a campaign stop by George W. Bush
in 2004), and the annual Las Cruces International Mariachi
Conference.
The arena also hosts the university's annual fall and spring commencement
ceremonies as well as those of several area high schools.
The arena has also occasionally hosted the New Mexico State High School Basketball Tournament when the event's usual venue in Albuquerque was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.
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 Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
, located on the campus of New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. The arena has a current seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 12,482 people.
The arena serves as home of the New Mexico State Aggies Men’s and Women’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...
and Women’s 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.
The arena hosted the 2007
2007 WAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 WAC Men's Basketball Tournament was held in the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico between Tuesday, March 6 and Saturday, March 10. The winners of the tournament were the #2 seeded New Mexico State Aggies.-Bracket:-References:...
and 2008
2008 WAC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 WAC Men's Basketball Tournament, a part of the 2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 11 to March 15, 2008, at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico...
Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, as well as the 2007 WAC Volleyball Tournament.
Construction
By the late 1950’s the need for a new and larger campus gymnasium at NMSU had become evident. As the school and its athletic programs grew, tiny and antiquated Williams Gymnasium had become woefully inadequate. After the new campus of Las Cruces High SchoolLas Cruces High School
Las Cruces High School is the oldest high school in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. LCHS opened in 1954 and serves approximately 2,300 students from grades 9-12.-History:...
opened less than one mile from NMSU’s campus in 1957 the Aggies began to play many of their home games in the high school’s new 3,000-seat gymnasium because it was significantly larger than the university’s own gym. When NMSU alumnus Lou Henson
Lou Henson
Lou Henson is a former college basketball coach. He retired as the all time leader in victories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with 423 victories and New Mexico State with 289 victories...
returned to the school as head coach in 1966 and quickly began building the basketball program into a perennial NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
participant the push for a new facility began in earnest, and the next year the New Mexico State Legislature approved a $22 million capital outlay program that included provisions for a new arena at NMSU (the same bill also funded construction of NMSU’s student union building). Construction of the arena cost $3.5 million, and the building was inaugurated on November 30, 1968 with a 95-89 victory over Colorado State
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. The facility’s name was suggested by former NMSU vice president Paul Rader for its location just off Interstate 25
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
, also known as the Pan American Highway.
Playing Floor
Throughout its history the Pan Am has featured a distinctive parquet-style playing floor, making it one of only a handful of NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
venues to feature a parquet floor. The original floor was installed in 1968 and served until being damaged in a flood inside the arena in 1986. Following the flood a new floor was acquired and installed during the 1986-87 season. This floor served through the end of the 2011 volleyball season and basketball preseason exhibition games. A new parquet floor, the arena's third, was dedicated prior to the 2011-12 men's basketball regular season home opener against UTEP
UTEP Miners men's basketball
The UTEP Miners basketball team is an NCAA Division I men's college basketball team competing in the Conference USA. Home games are played at Don Haskins Center, located on University of Texas at El Paso's campus in El Paso.-Don Haskins Center:...
on November 19, 2011.
Aggie Success in the Pan Am
The university’s investment paid quick dividends, as the Aggies won their first ten games in the new building before falling to archrival New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
on January 29. The Aggies wouldn’t lose again on the Pan Am’s parquet floor until dropping the 1971-72 season opener to Angelo State
Angelo State University
Angelo State University is a public, coeducational, doctoral level degree-granting university located in San Angelo, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1928 as San Angelo College. It gained University status and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1967 and graduate degrees in 1969, the...
, snapping an amazing 34-game home winning streak over the course of three seasons. During the Pan Am’s first three seasons NMSU compiled a gaudy 44-1 record within its friendly confines. The Aggies qualified for their third consecutive NCAA Tournament in the building’s inaugural year and hosted BYU
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in an opening round matchup at the Pan Am on March 8, 1969 – a 74-62 Aggie victory. The next year saw the most successful season in school history to date as the “Amazin’ Aggies” advanced to the NCAA Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
before falling to eventual national champion UCLA in the national semifinal. Three days later the Aggies bounced back to defeat St. Bonaventure
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
in the now-defunct Consolation game to finish the season third in the nation.
Although the phenomenal success enjoyed by the Aggies during the arena’s first few seasons would not continue, the Pan Am would continue to establish a reputation as an extremely difficult place to play. To date the Aggies have compiled four undefeated seasons at home, and only twice in 43 seasons has NMSU had a losing home record (1984-85 and 2004-05). NMSU's women's basketball team has also compiled a pair of undefeated home seasons in the building. The Pan Am has seen home winning streaks of more than 25 games on three separate occasions - twice by the men's basketball team (34 games from 1968-71 and 29 games from 1989-91) and once by the women's basketball team (38 games from 1986-88). Among the most memorable games in the Pan Am’s history are NMSU’s heartbreaking 91-89 overtime loss to 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...
’s #2-ranked Indiana State
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
squad on February 2, 1979 (the then-undefeated Sycamores' closest call until losing to Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in that year’s legendary national title game); a 72-64 win over New Mexico on December 15, 1990 that saw an all-time record 14,845 fans squeeze into the arena, a nationally televised 83-82 upset of #7-ranked eventual national champion UNLV on January 8, 1990, and the Aggies' thrilling 72-70 defeat of Utah State
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
in the 2007 WAC Tournament Championship Game that clinched the Aggies' seventeenth NCAA Tournament appearance.
During the Aggies' run of success in the early 1990's the Pan Am became known as one of the toughest venues in the nation for visiting teams. The often-raucous crowds led Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
to nickname the building the "Pandemonium Center" and refer to the student section as the "Panamaniacs." Vitale named the building the Big West Conference's toughest venue in the 1998 and 1999 editions of Dick Vitale's College Basketball Preview.
2006-07 Renovation
In 2005, the New Mexico State Legislature approved funding for a $23 million renovation of the Pan American Center. Included in the renovation was the construction of a new annex at the building’s south end housing new locker room facilities, athletic and special events offices, and support facilities. Additionally, the older part of the arena was thoroughly renovated, more than tripling the number of restrooms and concession facilities in the building and adding a new, larger concourse around the circumference of the arena. The renovations caused a brief throwback to the 1960’s pre-Pan Am era, as several events (most notably virtually the entire 2006 home volleyball schedule) were moved to Las Cruces High School, as NMSU lacks another facility on campus that could accommodate any significant number of fans. The LCHS arrangement proved a very beneficial one in terms of on-court success as the volleyball Aggies compiled the first undefeated home season in school history while playing all but two home matches at LCHS, including an epic 5-game upset of Hawai'i that ended Nā Wahine's eight-year WAC winning streak.Although the renovation was scheduled for completion by the beginning of the 2006-07 basketball season construction delays caused the renovation to drag on throughout the season. Most controversially, the access tunnel linking the new locker rooms in the annex to the arena floor was not completed until February, forcing both the Aggies and the opposition, along with the referees, to enter the arena via the stands for much of the season, Due to the building’s layout, opposing teams had to enter and leave the court through the student section behind the south goal, causing several visiting teams (particularly WAC opponents) to publicly complain about the arrangement. The new tunnel was first used for the January 31 game against Boise State
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
. The renovations were ultimately completed just in time for the start of the 2007 WAC Tournament, with finishing touches being applied in the final days before the event began.
Other events
In addition to its extensive history as a collegiate basketball venue, the Pan American Center has been a prolific host to a wide variety of concerts and special events in its four decades of service.Former Special Events director Barbara Hubbard once remarked that "it would be easier to compile a list of major recording acts that had not played the Pan Am than it would be to name all those that had."
For many years the building was a natural stop for many concert tours, as it was the largest venue along Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
between Houston and Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
However, the construction of newer comparably sized venues in El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
and Tucson, combined with New Mexico's gross receipts tax
Gross receipts tax
A gross receipts tax or gross excise tax is a tax on the total gross revenues of a company, regardless of their source. A gross receipts tax is similar to a sales tax, but it is levied on the seller of goods or service consumers...
on concerts and special events, has led to a significant decline in the number of events scheduled at the arena.
The 2006-07 renovation and a new state law exempting the Pan Am from the gross receipts tax were both approved in part to help the arena once again become more competitive in booking major acts.
Beyond its prolific concert resume, the Pan Am has seen a wide variety of other events, from bull riding
Bull riding
Bull riding refers to rodeo sports that involve a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider....
events to professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
matches.
Among the more notable events held in the arena are the 1996 Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA 1996
Miss Teen USA 1996, the 14th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Las Cruces, New Mexico on 21 August 1996. At the conclusion of the final competition, Christie Lee Woods of Texas was crowned by outgoing queen Keylee Sue Sanders of Kansas....
pageant, presidential speeches (most recently a campaign stop by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2004), and the annual Las Cruces International Mariachi
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
Conference.
The arena also hosts the university's annual fall and spring commencement
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremonies as well as those of several area high schools.
The arena has also occasionally hosted the New Mexico State High School Basketball Tournament when the event's usual venue in Albuquerque was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.