Cole Field House
Encyclopedia
The William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building, more commonly known as Cole Field House, was the home of the University of Maryland
basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center
in 2002. Cole is situated in the heart of the campus, just across a street from Stamp Student Union and near McKeldin Library.
Cole Field House still holds the distinction of being the site of the most upsets of No. 1-ranked men's basketball teams. In 2002, Maryland defeated Duke, the seventh and final top-ranked foe to lose at the arena.
67–55.
When college basketball was achieving its most explosive growth - from the late 1950s to the late 1970s – there was one college gymnasium on the East Coast that sat as many as 12,000 fans.
The first coach at the venue Bud Millikan
did not like its size saying at one point "It's like playing on a neutral court" with seats too far from the courts. In the late 1960s Lefty Driesell
added a nearly 3,000 seats around the court raising the hometown decibel level.
The center was renamed the William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building in 1956 after Judge William P. Cole, Jr., who was chairman of the university's Board of Regents
from 1944 to 1956.
Cole Field House held its first East Regional finals in 1962, when NYU
defeated St. John's in the final, 94–85. The Final Four
was first held here in 1966 between Duke
, Kentucky
, Texas Western (now UTEP)
, and Utah
. Texas Western (which started all black players) upset Kentucky's all white team 72–65 in front of a crowd of 14,253. Future Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams
, then a student, attended the game. Cole also hosted the Final Four in 1970.
In 1991, Cole was the site of the first ever upset of a 2-seed at the hands of a 15-seed, as Richmond
defeated heavily-favored Syracuse
, 73-69. The Maryland Maniacs indoor football team used Cole Field House as its home venue during 2010.
As of 2011, Cole Field House still holds the distinction of being the site of the most upsets of No. 1-ranked men's basketball teams. The Terrapins accounted for six of the upsets at Cole, while the other one occurred in the 1966 Final Four
where No. 3 Texas Western defeated No. 1 Kentucky. The seventh such occurrence was on February 27, 2002, when Maryland defeated No. 1 Duke. The venues which hosted the second- and third-most No. 1 upsets are Notre Dame
's Joyce Athletics & Convention Center (six) and Oklahoma
's Lloyd Noble Center
(five), respectively.
to seek a new facility that provided more seating and amenities than were present at Cole Field House. However, this decision brought some debate. Coach Gary Williams
privately wished the team remain at Cole due to the home court advantage he received. The small, cramped arena made Cole Field House was a loud and difficult place for opponents to play in.
The last Maryland men's basketball game played at Cole Field House was on March 3, 2002, when Maryland defeated Virginia 112–92. The team now plays at the Comcast Center
. Overall, 13 men's All-America
ns and 4 women's All-Americans have played at Cole. Maryland men's basketball remained undefeated at Cole during its last season and went on to win the National Championship.
Because of the grand space enclosed by the structure and its location in the middle of campus, it has been the subject of speculation for renewal and reuse. One such idea is to build a station for the future Purple Line of the Maryland Transit Administration
.
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
in 2002. Cole is situated in the heart of the campus, just across a street from Stamp Student Union and near McKeldin Library.
Cole Field House still holds the distinction of being the site of the most upsets of No. 1-ranked men's basketball teams. In 2002, Maryland defeated Duke, the seventh and final top-ranked foe to lose at the arena.
History
The building was originally constructed in 1955 as the Student Activities Building at a cost of $3.3 million. Although the building's original capacity was 12,000, additional seats were installed throughout the years to bring the final capacity to 14,596 (in 1993). The first basketball game was played on December 2, 1955, when Maryland beat VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
67–55.
When college basketball was achieving its most explosive growth - from the late 1950s to the late 1970s – there was one college gymnasium on the East Coast that sat as many as 12,000 fans.
The first coach at the venue Bud Millikan
Bud Millikan
Harold A. "Bud" Millikan was the head coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1950 to 1967. He compiled a 243–182 record...
did not like its size saying at one point "It's like playing on a neutral court" with seats too far from the courts. In the late 1960s Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
added a nearly 3,000 seats around the court raising the hometown decibel level.
The center was renamed the William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building in 1956 after Judge William P. Cole, Jr., who was chairman of the university's Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
from 1944 to 1956.
Cole Field House held its first East Regional finals in 1962, when NYU
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
defeated St. John's in the final, 94–85. The Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
was first held here in 1966 between Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Texas Western (now UTEP)
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
, and Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. Texas Western (which started all black players) upset Kentucky's all white team 72–65 in front of a crowd of 14,253. Future Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
, then a student, attended the game. Cole also hosted the Final Four in 1970.
In 1991, Cole was the site of the first ever upset of a 2-seed at the hands of a 15-seed, as Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
defeated heavily-favored Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, 73-69. The Maryland Maniacs indoor football team used Cole Field House as its home venue during 2010.
As of 2011, Cole Field House still holds the distinction of being the site of the most upsets of No. 1-ranked men's basketball teams. The Terrapins accounted for six of the upsets at Cole, while the other one occurred in the 1966 Final Four
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
where No. 3 Texas Western defeated No. 1 Kentucky. The seventh such occurrence was on February 27, 2002, when Maryland defeated No. 1 Duke. The venues which hosted the second- and third-most No. 1 upsets are Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
's Joyce Athletics & Convention Center (six) and Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
's Lloyd Noble Center
Lloyd Noble Center
The Lloyd Noble Center is an 11,528-seat multi-purpose arena, in Norman, Oklahoma, United States, some south of downtown Oklahoma City...
(five), respectively.
Replacement
In the 1990s, the administration at Maryland followed a trend occurring at other schools in the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
to seek a new facility that provided more seating and amenities than were present at Cole Field House. However, this decision brought some debate. Coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
privately wished the team remain at Cole due to the home court advantage he received. The small, cramped arena made Cole Field House was a loud and difficult place for opponents to play in.
The last Maryland men's basketball game played at Cole Field House was on March 3, 2002, when Maryland defeated Virginia 112–92. The team now plays at the Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
. Overall, 13 men's All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
ns and 4 women's All-Americans have played at Cole. Maryland men's basketball remained undefeated at Cole during its last season and went on to win the National Championship.
Current usage
Cole Field House is still used by the university in athletic and non-athletic ways. The soccer field is used as a practice facility by some athletes. The upper level also serves as a makeshift track. When not used for athletics, the building is used for Homecoming events, classes, and holds offices.Because of the grand space enclosed by the structure and its location in the middle of campus, it has been the subject of speculation for renewal and reuse. One such idea is to build a station for the future Purple Line of the Maryland Transit Administration
Maryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It is better known as MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities' transit agencies who share the initials MTA. The MTA operates a...
.
Other notable events
- 1965: DeMatha Catholic High SchoolDeMatha Catholic High SchoolDeMatha Catholic High School, named after Saint John of Matha, is a four-year Catholic high school for young men located in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA. DeMatha is known for academic achievement, music, arts, service and athletics...
defeated a Power Memorial AcademyPower Memorial AcademyPower Memorial Academy was an all-boys Catholic high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1931 through 1984. It was a basketball powerhouse, producing several NBA players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Len Elmore, Mario Elie, Chris Mullin, NBA referee Dick Bavetta and a record...
team led by Lew Alcindor 46–43, ending its 71-game winning streak in front of over 14,000. - 1966: Texas Western defeated a Kentucky WildcatsKentucky WildcatsThe Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
team led by Adolph RuppAdolph RuppAdolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
72–65, to win the national championship. It was the first game in which 5 black players started in NCAA Division I. Texas-Western's victory is considered one of the most important games in the history of college sports. - 1972: A ping-pong match between the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is played at Cole, the first sporting event between the two countries. - 1972: An exhibition of the Soviet gymnastics team, including gold medalist Olga KorbutOlga KorbutOlga Valentinovna Korbut , also known as the Sparrow from Minsk, is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team....
, sells out the arena and is televised locally in the Washington, D.C. area. - 1973: The NBA's Capital BulletsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(now the Washington Wizards) played its November home games at Cole while the team transitioned from BaltimoreBaltimoreBaltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
to LandoverLandover, MarylandLandover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
. Their new home, Capital CentreCapital CentreThe Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
, opened on December 2. - 1974: Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
sings at Cole. - January 26, 1975: The first televised women's basketball game is played at Cole. Maryland loses to the defending national champions ImmaculataImmaculata UniversityImmaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
80–48. - 1981: The Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
played at Cole. - 1998: Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
performed at Cole.