Robertson Memorial Field House
Encyclopedia
Robertson Memorial Field House was a multi-purpose arena
at 40°41′57"N 89°37′4"W on the Bradley University
campus in Peoria, Illinois
. The arena, built inside two World War II
airplane hangars in 1949 for $400,000 ($ in present terms), had a 3 foot (1 meter) rasied floor as its sports court and event stage.
The Field House was dedicated on December 17, 1949, and named in honor of Alfred J. Robertson, usually known as "Robbie" or "A.J.", who served as Bradley's coach and athletic director for 28 years. When it opened, it had a seating capacity
of 8,300, but more aisles and wider seats soon reduced capacity to 7,800. Since a 2004 renovation, its capacity had been 5,000.
From 1949, it was home to the Bradley University
men's basketball
team, whose winning record there was 400–100 before they moved to Carver Arena in 1982. From 1982 until 2008, the women's basketball and volleyball
teams played their home games at the arena. It hosted the Missouri Valley Conference
men's basketball tournament title game in 1980. The 2007–2008 season was the final year of use for Robertson Memorial Field House; it hosted NCAA women's basketball and volleyball.
In April 2008, Robertson Memorial Field House was demolished. The Field House plot and surrounding land is being used to build a new student recreation and health center with 5 basketball courts and an indoor pool, a 600-space parking deck, and a 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) athletic facility with its own 4,500-seat arena, the Markin Family Student Recreation Center
.
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...
at 40°41′57"N 89°37′4"W on the Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
campus in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. The arena, built inside two World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airplane hangars in 1949 for $400,000 ($ in present terms), had a 3 foot (1 meter) rasied floor as its sports court and event stage.
The Field House was dedicated on December 17, 1949, and named in honor of Alfred J. Robertson, usually known as "Robbie" or "A.J.", who served as Bradley's coach and athletic director for 28 years. When it opened, it had a 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 8,300, but more aisles and wider seats soon reduced capacity to 7,800. Since a 2004 renovation, its capacity had been 5,000.
From 1949, it was home to the Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
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, whose winning record there was 400–100 before they moved to Carver Arena in 1982. From 1982 until 2008, the 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 played their home games at the arena. It hosted the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
men's basketball tournament title game in 1980. The 2007–2008 season was the final year of use for Robertson Memorial Field House; it hosted NCAA women's basketball and volleyball.
In April 2008, Robertson Memorial Field House was demolished. The Field House plot and surrounding land is being used to build a new student recreation and health center with 5 basketball courts and an indoor pool, a 600-space parking deck, and a 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) athletic facility with its own 4,500-seat arena, the Markin Family Student Recreation Center
Markin Family Student Recreation Center
Markin Family Student Recreation Center is a multi-purpose student recreational facility constructed in 2008 at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois....
.
External links
- Remembering Robertson: The Field House Project — Peoria Journal StarPeoria Journal StarThe Journal Star is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley-owned entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse Media.-History:...
site with extensive history and pictures - BUBraves.com: Robertson Memorial Field House — brief sports-related history