Ritchie Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Ritchie Coliseum is a multipurpose athletics facility at the University of Maryland
. It served as the home arena for the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
team from 1931 to 1955, and for its gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until 2002. It is located on the east side of Baltimore Avenue
in College Park, Maryland
. The official seating capacity
is 2,500.
on the football team
from 1901 to 1903. The building hosted the basketball and boxing teams until 1955, when it was replaced by Cole Field House
centrally located on the campus.
For 26 years at Ritchie Coliseum, basketball games were held immediately before or after boxing matches. During the 1930s, boxing was the most popular sport at Maryland and bouts often drew crowds of as many as 6,000, far exceeding the facility's capacity. In 1937, Ritchie Coliseum hosted the Southern Conference
boxing tournament, which the undefeated Maryland team won. Terrapins pugilists Ben Alperstein and Tom Birmingham went on to compete in the national intercollegiate championship
in Sacramento, California
.
After he took over in 1950, basketball coach Bud Millikan
said the boxing doubleheader events were indicative of the sad state of Maryland athletics, and put an end to them early in his tenure. He also complained the facility had no ball racks, with basketballs stored in duct-taped cardboard boxes instead, and that the team had played in high school arenas that were more adequate than Ritchie Coliseum.
When Maryland joined the Atlantic Coast Conference
in 1953, basketball games routinely attracted capacity crowds to Ritchie Coliseum. Newspapers quoted football coach Jim Tatum
as saying basketball games were always sold out and it was impossible to get tickets. Millikan later said that this was the only thing Tatum ever did to anger him. Millikan said that he told Tatum, "I thought we should be getting students standing in line from Baltimore to D.C.
, trying to get into the damn games. Please don't tell people the games are sold out."
In 1972, Title IX
was enacted and the women's basketball
team was formed. With a requirement for equal facilities, the university offered to make Ritchie Coliseum a dedicated arena for the women. Head coach Chris Weller
rejected this, wanting instead to use the same facility as the men's team, Cole Field House
.
The building was renovated in the spring of 1997 and is presently used as a multipurpose facility. It served as the home arena of the Maryland Terrapins
gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until the completion of the Comcast Center
in 2002. Those athletics teams temporarily returned to Ritchie when a water main burst in 2004. The facility also is the host site of the Maryland state high school volleyball championships.
hardwood. The official seating capacity
was originally 1,500. Currently, there are 1,900 total seats, which includes 600 folding seat-back chairs in the upper mezzanine, 700 pull-out bench seats, and 600 chairs on the floor. Other features are concessions stands on two levels, a ticket booth, and scoreboard. Additional facilities consist of a weight room with free weights and cardiovascular equipment, and a martial arts room with padded walls and mats.
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. It served as the home arena for the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
team from 1931 to 1955, and for its gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until 2002. It is located on the east side of Baltimore Avenue
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
in College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
. The official 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...
is 2,500.
History
Ritchie Coliseum, named after then Maryland governor Albert Cabell Ritchie, was built in 1931, at a cost of $200,000, to replace a facility known as "the Gymnasium" as the home arena for the basketball and boxing teams. The arena was built by the H. D. Watts Construction Company, which was owned by Harry Watts, an alumnus who played as a fullbackFullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
on the football team
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
from 1901 to 1903. The building hosted the basketball and boxing teams until 1955, when it was replaced by Cole Field House
Cole Field House
The William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building, more commonly known as Cole Field House, was the home of the University of Maryland basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center in 2002...
centrally located on the campus.
For 26 years at Ritchie Coliseum, basketball games were held immediately before or after boxing matches. During the 1930s, boxing was the most popular sport at Maryland and bouts often drew crowds of as many as 6,000, far exceeding the facility's capacity. In 1937, Ritchie Coliseum hosted the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
boxing tournament, which the undefeated Maryland team won. Terrapins pugilists Ben Alperstein and Tom Birmingham went on to compete in the national intercollegiate championship
NCAA Boxing Championship
The following is a list of NCAA Team Champions in Boxing. The National Collegiate Athletic Association discontinued the boxing championship after 1960; however in 1976, American collegiate boxing was picked up again by the National Collegiate Boxing Association....
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
After he took over in 1950, basketball coach Bud Millikan
Bud Millikan
Harold A. "Bud" Millikan was the head coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1950 to 1967. He compiled a 243–182 record...
said the boxing doubleheader events were indicative of the sad state of Maryland athletics, and put an end to them early in his tenure. He also complained the facility had no ball racks, with basketballs stored in duct-taped cardboard boxes instead, and that the team had played in high school arenas that were more adequate than Ritchie Coliseum.
When Maryland joined the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in 1953, basketball games routinely attracted capacity crowds to Ritchie Coliseum. Newspapers quoted football coach Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
as saying basketball games were always sold out and it was impossible to get tickets. Millikan later said that this was the only thing Tatum ever did to anger him. Millikan said that he told Tatum, "I thought we should be getting students standing in line from Baltimore to D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, trying to get into the damn games. Please don't tell people the games are sold out."
In 1972, Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
was enacted and the women's basketball
Maryland Terrapins women's basketball
The University of Maryland women's basketball team has been a prominent program in the history of women's basketball. As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Lady Terrapins have been regular season and tournament champions on numerous occasions. They were struggling with a losing record...
team was formed. With a requirement for equal facilities, the university offered to make Ritchie Coliseum a dedicated arena for the women. Head coach Chris Weller
Chris Weller
Chris Weller is a former University of Maryland, College Park women's basketball coach from 1975-2002.She led the Lady Terps to 2 NCAA and 1 AIAW Final Four appearances. She also attended the University of Maryland graduating in 1966. Weller retired with 499 wins in 27 seasons as the Lady Terps...
rejected this, wanting instead to use the same facility as the men's team, Cole Field House
Cole Field House
The William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building, more commonly known as Cole Field House, was the home of the University of Maryland basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center in 2002...
.
The building was renovated in the spring of 1997 and is presently used as a multipurpose facility. It served as the home arena of the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until the completion of the Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
in 2002. Those athletics teams temporarily returned to Ritchie when a water main burst in 2004. The facility also is the host site of the Maryland state high school volleyball championships.
Description
The floor dimensions are 11,000 ft2 (1,021.9 m2) with a surface of mapleMaple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
hardwood. The official 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...
was originally 1,500. Currently, there are 1,900 total seats, which includes 600 folding seat-back chairs in the upper mezzanine, 700 pull-out bench seats, and 600 chairs on the floor. Other features are concessions stands on two levels, a ticket booth, and scoreboard. Additional facilities consist of a weight room with free weights and cardiovascular equipment, and a martial arts room with padded walls and mats.