Moody Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Moody Coliseum is an 8,998-seat multi-purpose arena
in University Park, Texas
. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University
Mustangs basketball
team
. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals
and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association
before they moved to San Antonio, Texas
as the San Antonio Spurs
. It was also later a temporary home for the San Antonio Spurs
.
Moody Coliseum has been the home of SMU basketball since December 3, 1956, when the Mustangs defeated McMurry, 113-36. Moody has hosted Mustang Volleyball since the program's inception in 1996.
It was also home to the Dallas Mavericks
on April 26, 1984
for Game 5 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the Seattle Supersonics
, locally referred to as "Moody Madness". The Mavericks won the game in overtime by the score of 105-104.
Most recently, a brand new $1,000,000 jumbo-tron was installed in December 2006. In addition, in the summer of 2007, the hardwood court was redesigned, with a new color scheme and midcourt logo for the Mustangs. Future renovations planned include removing the empty athletic department offices, widening the concourses, adding restrooms and concessions, and a general interior remodeling.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in University Park, Texas
University Park, Texas
University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a inner suburb of Dallas. The population was 23,324 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. Like its neighbor, Highland Park, it is a city partially surrounded by the municipality of Dallas...
. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
Mustangs basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, later becoming the San Antonio Spurs and joining the NBA.The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas...
and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
before they moved to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
as the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
. It was also later a temporary home for the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
.
Moody Coliseum has been the home of SMU basketball since December 3, 1956, when the Mustangs defeated McMurry, 113-36. Moody has hosted Mustang Volleyball since the program's inception in 1996.
It was also home to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
on April 26, 1984
1984 NBA Playoffs
The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...
for Game 5 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the Seattle Supersonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, locally referred to as "Moody Madness". The Mavericks won the game in overtime by the score of 105-104.
Changes
The Coliseum has undergone several changes in the past few years to modernize the facility. In 1980-81, the newly remodeled E.O. (Doc) Hayes Memorial Dressing Room was opened. In 1984, a new scoreboard was installed over the center circle and new chairback seats were built at floor level on the north side. In 1985, more chairback seats were added, this time in the west end. The original wood floor of Moody Coliseum was replaced with a new wood surface and new lighting was installed in August 1986. In 1996, the court was redesigned to mark SMU's entry into one of the premier basketball leagues in America, the Western Athletic Conference.Most recently, a brand new $1,000,000 jumbo-tron was installed in December 2006. In addition, in the summer of 2007, the hardwood court was redesigned, with a new color scheme and midcourt logo for the Mustangs. Future renovations planned include removing the empty athletic department offices, widening the concourses, adding restrooms and concessions, and a general interior remodeling.
History
- When the building was opened in 1956, it was known simply as the SMU Coliseum. In 1965, the arena was renamed Moody Coliseum in memory of William Lewis Moody, Jr.William Lewis Moody, Jr.William Lewis Moody Jr. was an American financier and entrepreneur from Galveston, Texas, who founded a private bank, an insurance company, and one of the largest charitable foundations in the United States. Moody was active in the day-to-day operations of his companies until two days before his...
of Galveston, TexasGalveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
.
- The Coliseum is used for myriad events, including cheerleader, drill team, and basketball camps throughout the summer. Several concerts and other sporting events have been held at Moody Coliseum in recent years. In the spring of 1992, President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
addressed SMU's seniors during their graduation ceremony at Moody Coliseum.
- Moody Coliseum was the site of the Southwest Conference Post-Season Classic in 1976 and hosted NCAA Regional tournament games, the World Championship of Tennis Finals, the Virginia Slims of Dallas tennis championship, the Rolex National Indoor Intercollegiate Tennis Championships, the McDonald's High School All-American All-Star Game and the NABC College Basketball All-Star Game during the 1986 Final Four held in Dallas.
- The largest crowds ever at Moody Coliseum have been 10,276 vs. Texas A&MTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and 10,091 vs. University of Texas, both in 1979. Changes in the seating arrangement in recent years have reduced the seating capacitySeating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to 9,007 and as of the 1995-96 season, to 8,998.