This past year, Pauley Pavilion has been home to a national
champion in men’s volleyball, an NCAA Tournament runner-up in
men’s basketball, and thousands of fans, Bruin and otherwise.
It is also considered a mostly outdated facility with seats too far
from the courts and poorly placed food stands.
But for another year, it will likely not be playing host to any
construction crews.
Renovations on the arena, which first opened in 1965, have been
a subject of discussion for several years now. But all major
construction on the pavilion would be dependent on significant
donation money which the Athletic Department has been unable to
secure.
“Nothing has changed (in the past year),” said Ken
Weiner, associate athletic director of business operations and the
point man for this phase of the Pauley Pavilion renovation project.
“Right now we’re in what’s known as a
“˜quiet phase.’ That means we’re mostly trying to
gauge the interest of potential donors.”
Named after original donor Edwin Pauley, Pauley Pavilion
currently accommodates up to 12,819 people when the basketball
bleachers are fully extended. In recent seasons, only about
three-fourths of the seats have been filled, making seating an
unlikely target of projected renovations. Instead, frequently
congested patron amenities such as rest room accommodations and
concession areas will be a major focus for improvement. Locker and
conference room facilities could also be upgraded.
But for the moment all renovations are stalled, pending further
donor support. One possible point of contention is the naming
rights to the arena: For the amount of money involved in renovating
Pauley Pavilion, most corporate sponsors would expect to be able to
attach their name to the new building. But the Athletic Department
has said in the past that it has no intention of completely selling
the naming rights for either Pauley Pavilion or the Nell and John
Wooden Court it famously houses. While this has made for a slow
fundraising process, many students agree that it’s the right
decision.
“The John Wooden Court is the John Wooden Court,”
said Norullah Sharifi, a third-year political science student.
“I don’t want to see (Wooden’s) legacy tarnished
by having that changed. If we had a corporate sponsor with naming
rights, it’d be like an NBA court. We’re trying to
differentiate because this is for student-athletes, not
professionals.”
Another option that has been briefly considered is completely
rebuilding Pauley Pavilion. While this isn’t likely to happen
because of the costs involved, some students have been receptive to
the idea.
“I’d definitely like to see a whole new
building,” Sharifi said. “It’d be great for the
campus, and it would also help with recruiting, as a way to attract
students and student-athletes. I mean, isn’t that what Pauley
Pavilion is for ““ the students and
student-athletes?”
Other students would welcome a brand new Pauley Pavilion as one
more part of the UCLA-USC rivalry.
“In my opinion they should tear it all down,” said
Chris Lawrence, a second-year biology student. “Because if
‘SC gets a new stadium then we should have one too. We always
have to be better than ‘SC.”
Still, all renovations remain on hold until the Athletic
Department can find the right donors for the project. Until then
there is no time-table set for Pauley Pavilion renovations.
Other logistical concerns also need to be addressed, the most
important of which is how the construction would impact campus
life. Alternative sites would have to be found for home basketball
and volleyball games, as well as the many campus events which also
take place at Pauley Pavilion.
But both students and the Athletic Department remain cautiously
optimistic that the process will continue to move forward.
“We’re out there hitting the streets,” Weiner
said. “It’s all a matter of finding the right donors
for the project.”