Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/41155
MCKALE CENTER/EDDIE LYNCH PAVILION The opening of McKale Memorial Center in February 1973 marked a new era in Wildcat athletics. Named after the late J.F. "Pop" McKale, athletics director and coach from 1914 to 1957, the arena is just part of a series of showcase athletics facilities located on the extreme eastern edge of campus. It is situated off the UA mall, adjacent to the Arizona Stadium, baseball's Sancet Stadium, at Kindall Field and the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. McKale houses the offices for the entire athletics department and in basking in the glow of renovations and expansions that added a state-of-the-art 24,000-square-foot weight room, 10,000-square-foot athletic training facility and new locker rooms within the Eddie Lynch Athletics Pavilion, including the Jim Click Hall of Champions—all located at the north end of the building. Since its initial construction at a cost of $8.1 million in 1973, McKale Center has undergone numerous face lifts to keep up with the times. Sophisticated computerized message boards spanning the upper deck on both sides of the court, along with padded press row and officials' tables with computer-driven scoreboards, were added in the early 1990s. The 1992 season saw the installation of four huge video replay screens in each corner of the arena. The 2001-02 season brought new changes as well. A new four-sided scoreboard with video replay screens was installed and hung from the center of the arena, ensuring that once again it meets the standard as one of the finest facilities in the country. The opening of the Eddie Lynch Athletics Pavilion in 2002 paved the way for further enhancement of the building as additional locker room space and an expanded academic services department only adds to the complete student-athlete experience. A new lighting system was installed in August 2006. In 2008, the McKale Center floor received a complete facelift with an Arizona Block A, which was placed at center court. The facility is 428 feet long, 339 feet wide and 77 feet from the floor to parapet, and houses the entire off-field operations of the University's athletics department, as well as a suite of 20-plus office labs for the Optical Sciences department. With three levels that consist of equipment rooms, a training and rehabilitation center, locker rooms, storage areas, ticket operations, academic services, computer lab facilities and administrative offices, McKale Center is the primary gathering place for all of UA athletics. 4 PREVIOUS 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NEXT BACK TO INDEX