The Wisconsin Field House
A listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the Wisconsin
Field House is the competitive home for the Badger volleyball and
wrestling teams. Since it was built, the Field House has been the
site of numerous other sporting events including basketball, boxing,
and track and field. It also hosted UW commencement exercises, speakers
including John F. Kennedy, concerts and even a carnival.
Volleyball Home Court
As the home of the Wisconsin volleyball team, the Field House is
one of the finest home courts in the country. The Badgers have ranked
among the top 10 teams in national attendance for the last 20 years,
including the last 10 years in the top four.
Located at the corner of Monroe and Regent streets on the southwest
end of the UW campus, the Field House is located in the south end
of Camp Randall Stadium and is connected to the stadium and Kellner
Hall, home of the UW coaches and administration.
The facility includes a recently renovated locker room and ready
room for the volleyball Badgers. The ready room features a projection
television and large screen, leather sofas, pub table and chairs,
and wireless internet access.
The renovation of Camp Randall Stadium in 2005 also included improvements
to the north end of the Field House including updated restrooms
as well as a new media room and opponent locker rooms on the lower
level.
Wrestling
The Field House is also the competitive home of the Wisconsin wrestling
team. Badger fans make the facility one of the loudest and most
intimidating arenas in the country. Wisconsin has earned nearly
100 All-America honors in 100 years of competition.
The facility is also decorated with photos of Badger All-Americans
as well as banners, hanging the ceiling, celebrating the UW's Big
Ten championships and NCAA tournament appearances.
Fans also enjoy the full-service concessions stands and can shop
for UW souvenirs in the Bucky's Locker Room store in the facility.
Field House Construction
The building was a project of former athletic director George Little.
In 1927, Little proposed to the athletic council and regents the
plan under which the Field House was to be constructed. The original
layout included a $650,000 building to house both an indoor training
facility for intercollegiate teams and the required program of physical
education. The portion to be used for intercollegiate athletics
was estimated at $385,000.
The intercollegiate section of the facility housed the men's basketball
and boxing teams, and the wrestling squad. Its construction cost
approximately $434,000. The first game played in the Field House
was on Dec. 13, 1930, when the Badger men's basketball team posted
a 17-14 win over Carroll College. The official dedication game followed
on Dec. 18, when Wisconsin downed Pennsylvania, 25-12.
From 1933 to 1960, Wisconsin established one of the premier boxing
programs in the nation, claiming more team and individual national
championships than any other program. The Badgers needed only six
years to win their first of eight NCAA team titles under head coach
John Walsh. UW added four runner-up team finishes and 38 individual
NCAA champions before the sport was discontinued in 1960.
The Field House originally contained a basketball floor with a seating
capacity of 12,000, a complete track facility and room for indoor
football and baseball training. The football, track and field, and
baseball teams moved to the Camp Randall Memorial Sports Center,
better known as "the Shell", upon its completion in 1956.
The building was renovated in 1976-77 and again in 2009 when the
floor was resurfaced and new bleachers were added to the west side
of the building.
|
