Capacity has been reduced to 7,100, down from 8,479, though there are 712 premium seatsUNIV. OF HOUSTON
The Univ. of Houston will show off the $60M renovations to its basketball arena on Dec. 1 against the Univ. of Oregon. The arena has a new name, the Fertitta Center, thanks to a $20M gift from Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta that helped pay for the renovations. Fertitta is an alum of the school and serves as Chair of its Board of Regents. The renovation was a complete interior modernization of the nearly 50-year-old arena with new video boards, more concessions points of sales, new lighting, audio and mechanical systems. UH AD Chris Pezman said fans will not recognize the interior. “It’s a totally different facility,” he said. Capacity has been reduced to 7,100, down from 8,479, though there are 712 premium seats. That includes 542 club seats, 20 seats with Barcaloungers and 76 floor seats. The floor seats cost $500 per seat for a season plus a $50,000 donation to the university. Asbestos was removed and more bathrooms were built as part of the renovations. UH and concessionaire Aramark will have 30 permanent points of sale and another eight to 12 portable food and beverage carts. “We might have had 10 permanent before,” said UH Senior Associate AD for Capital Projects T.J. Meagher. The Oregon game is 49 years to the day from when the arena opened in '69.
