Univ. Of Houston Giving Special Farewell to Hofheinz Pavilion

After 48 years, the Univ. of Houston will "say goodbye" to Hofheinz Pavilion. The school will hold "a series of events before, during and after" today's 3:00pm CT regular-season finale against East Carolina. A new era will "begin immediately" with a $60M transformation of the arena, which will reopen as the Fertitta Center for the '18-19 season. During the final ceremony at the end of the game, a "current UH player will make a basket on one end of the court" and the ball will then be "passed through generations of former players." Basketball HOFer and former UH player Hakeem Olajuwon is "expected to take the final shot." Afterward, UH Board of Regents Chair Tilman Fertitta, whose $20M gift will go towards renovation and naming rights, will then "take the ball and walk up a section of steps and out of the arena" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/4).