College Avenue Gymnasium
Encyclopedia
The College Avenue Gymnasium is an athletic facility on the campus of Rutgers University
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
.
It is the second gymnasium built on the site. The first was built in 1892 on the site of College Field, the former RU football field. The first collegiate game
of American football was played on the site on November 6, 1869, with Rutgers beating Princeton University
, 6 goals to 4 (roughly 42-28 under today's scoring).
The old gym burned down in 1930, and the replacement went up in 1931. Officially, it is the College Avenue Gymnasium, but it is known to the RU community as "The Barn." Most of the seating is in the form of a balcony on three sides, upstairs from the court level, giving the gym one of the most intimate settings in Eastern college basketball while it was RU's main venue for the sport. Seating capacity has been approximately 3,200 throughout its existence.
Rutgers reached its only NCAA Final Four
in the 1975-76 season, going undefeated until losing to the University of Michigan
in the National Semifinal. Home games at The Barn became festive affairs, with the crowd yelling so loudly that paint chips fell from the ceiling. RU knew it was time to build a bigger home court, and the Rutgers Athletic Center was built across the Raritan River
in Piscataway in time for the 1977-78 season. It was renamed the Louis Brown Athletic Center
in 1986.
The College Avenue Gym remains the home of RU's wrestling and volleyball teams, the Rutgers University Dance Marathon
, as well as gym facilities for students, and there are no plans to replace it.
The current New Jersey State Constitution
was written and adopted in a convention held at the College Avenue Gym in 1947.
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
.
It is the second gymnasium built on the site. The first was built in 1892 on the site of College Field, the former RU football field. The first collegiate game
1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game
The 1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game was a college football game between the and the played on November 6, 1869...
of American football was played on the site on November 6, 1869, with Rutgers beating Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, 6 goals to 4 (roughly 42-28 under today's scoring).
The old gym burned down in 1930, and the replacement went up in 1931. Officially, it is the College Avenue Gymnasium, but it is known to the RU community as "The Barn." Most of the seating is in the form of a balcony on three sides, upstairs from the court level, giving the gym one of the most intimate settings in Eastern college basketball while it was RU's main venue for the sport. Seating capacity has been approximately 3,200 throughout its existence.
Rutgers reached its only NCAA 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...
in the 1975-76 season, going undefeated until losing to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the National Semifinal. Home games at The Barn became festive affairs, with the crowd yelling so loudly that paint chips fell from the ceiling. RU knew it was time to build a bigger home court, and the Rutgers Athletic Center was built across the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
in Piscataway in time for the 1977-78 season. It was renamed the Louis Brown Athletic Center
Louis Brown Athletic Center
The Louis Brown Athletic Center, more commonly known as the RAC , is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Rutgers University's Livingston Campus. The building is shaped like a truncated tent with trapezoidal sides on the north and south ends...
in 1986.
The College Avenue Gym remains the home of RU's wrestling and volleyball teams, the Rutgers University Dance Marathon
Dance marathon
A dance marathon is an event in which people stay on their feet for a given length of time. It started as a popular fad in the 1920s and 1930s, when organized dance endurance contests attracted people to compete to achieve fame or win monetary prizes...
, as well as gym facilities for students, and there are no plans to replace it.
The current New Jersey State Constitution
New Jersey State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the state has been governed by three constitutions...
was written and adopted in a convention held at the College Avenue Gym in 1947.