Pete Newell Court | |
 East entrance in 2008 | |
| Former names | Men's Gym (1933–1959) Harmon Gym (1959–1997) |
|---|---|
| Location | 14 Frank Schlessinger Way Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 37°52′10″N122°15′43″W / 37.8694°N 122.262°W /37.8694; -122.262 |
| Public transit |    Downtown Berkeley |
| Owner | University of California, Berkeley |
| Operator | University of California, Berkeley |
| Capacity | 11,858 (2015–present) 11,877 (2003–2015) 11,892 (2002–2003) 12,300 (1999–2002) 6,578 (1988–1997) 6,660 (1981–1988) 7,200 (1933–1981) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 1931 |
| Opened | January 13, 1933 (1933-1-13) 92 years ago |
| Renovated | 1997–1999 |
| Construction cost | $727,500 (original)[1] ($17.7 million in 2024[2]) $57.5 million (renovation) ($109 million in 2024[2]) |
| Architect | George W. Kelham (Original) Ellerbe Becket (Renovation) |
| General contractor | Schuler & McDonald[3] |
| Tenants | |
| California Golden Bears (NCAA) (1933–1997, 1999–present) | |
TheWalter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion is an indoor arena on the campus of theUniversity of California inBerkeley. It is the home venue of theGolden Bearsmen's andwomen'sbasketball, women'svolleyball, and men's and women'sgymnastics teams. The arena is located in the middle of the main sports complex, overlookingEvans Diamond (baseball) andEdwards Stadium (track/soccer).
The arena was originally opened 92 years ago in 1933 as theGymnasium for Men orMen's Gym;[4][5][6] it was renamedHarmon Gym in 1959, afterOakland financier A.K.P. Harmon, who donated the funds to build Cal's first indoor athletic facility in 1879. WhenLou Campanelli arrived in Berkeley in 1985, he tried to change Harmon's name to Harmon Arena, but it never caught on.
One change Campanelli made that stuck, however, was renaming the playing surface Pete Newell Court in 1987 in honor of head coachPete Newell, who led Cal to thenational championship in1959. The floor had been known as simply "Room 100" since Harmon opened.
Proposals for replacing the old gym were bandied about from the 1970s onward, but sentiment was strongly in favor of rebuilding it instead. As a result, the arena was heavily renovated from 1997 to 1999 after a donation of about $11 million fromWalter A. Haas, Jr. ofLevi Strauss & Co., building a new seating bowl within the existing walls.
The new facility retains the intimate atmosphere of its predecessor, while having almost two times theseating capacity at 11,858 (originally 12,300 and later 11,877). In particular, there are no soundproofing devices. The arena containsThe Bench, a courtside section that holds approximately 900 student fans. The amount of student seating doubled from the old arena, up to 2,600 from 1,300. It also holds the Pacific-10 Women's Basketball attendance record of 10,525 people, set during a game against rival Stanford University on February 23, 2008.
The renovation, which cost $57.5 million, began after the final home game in March 1997 and was finished for the start of the 1999 season. During the construction, the basketball teams played at both theKaiser Convention Center and theOakland Arena inOakland.
On December 22, 2018, the 14th ranked California Bears Women's basketball team faced the number 1 ranked University of Connecticut Huskies Women's basketball team. The Connecticut women's basketball team prevailed 76-66 at Haas Pavilion. The game set attendance records at Haas Pavilion with over 10,000 fans in attendance.
The 2009 men's basketball game between Cal and arch rivalStanford on February 14 was part of a special celebration commemorating the 100th season ofGolden Bear basketball, as well as a recognition of the 50th anniversary of Cal's national title in 1959.[7]
On February 28, 2009, ESPN'sCollege Gameday made its first appearance in Berkeley broadcasting live from inside Haas Pavilion for the men's basketball game against the #18UCLA Bruins. Cal lost despite a large turnout.
On January 21, 2009,Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area's Chronicle Live filmed their show inside Haas for the men's basketball game againstOregon, which Cal would win. Chronicle Live Host Greg Papa also called the play-by-play for the game which was televised onComcast Sportsnet California.
