Built in 1950 and formally dedicated on Jan 4, 1951, the A&M-Commerce Field House has served as the home of Lion basketball and volleyball for over six decades.
The Field House covers 69k square feet and will seat 5,000 people for basketball and volleyball games. The facility also hosts the university’s Athletic Department, Athletic Training, Health and Human Performance, and the James Thrower Academic Center. It is also home to the offices of basketball, cross country, track & field, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball.
The building is shaped like an airplane hangar and has five lined basketball/volleyball courts. The floor allows five games to be played at the same time under one roof. It is said to be the largest non-stop hardwood floor west of the Mississippi. Its arched roof -58 feet from the ground at its highest point- is supported on steel beams that are stationary at one end.
In the Fall of 1949, University President James Gee first announced plans for construction of the Field House and Memorial Stadium. At a cost of $325k, the crews of George L. Dahl were able to complete the project in just over a year. Since the original structure was built, there was a renovation in 1969 that included a two-story addition for classrooms, offices, dressing rooms and a storage area. A third renovation came in 1991 to include the installation of new bleachers, scoreboards, heating/ventilation and a refurbishment of the one-acre maple hardwood floor. In 2014, the game-competition surface was replaced with the current iteration, with the light blue design featuring the updated logo.
In addition to being the site of many great Lions basketball and volleyball contests, the facility has been the host to a wide array of concerts and athletic camps.
