Thomas J. Frericks Center
Encyclopedia
The Thomas J. Frericks Center is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena
in Dayton, Ohio
. It is the home of the University of Dayton
Flyers volleyball
teams.
played its home games at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Coliseum. On May 3, 1949, the university broke ground on a $600,000 on-campus basketball facility at the corner of Alberta and L streets. Completed the following year, the facility could seat 5,800 patrons for basketball. The Fieldhouse served as Dayton's home court from 1950 to 1969, with the Flyers compiling a 256-33 record in the facility.
Upon completion of the UD Arena
, the Fieldhouse served as a training facility for sports teams, a recreation complex for UD students and office space for the athletic department. In 1975, the Physical Activities Center was built and joined to the south side of the Fieldhouse. In the late 1980s, the University renovated the interior of the facility and updated the western external facade of the Fieldhouse. Following the death of longtime athletic director
Tom Frericks, the university renamed the Fieldhouse in his honor.
of 5,000. In 2004, the university completed a seating renovation and environmental graphics package. The facility also houses volleyball administrative offices.
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 Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. It is the home of the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
Flyers volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
teams.
History
Before 1950, the Flyers men's basketball teamDayton Flyers men's basketball
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The...
played its home games at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Coliseum. On May 3, 1949, the university broke ground on a $600,000 on-campus basketball facility at the corner of Alberta and L streets. Completed the following year, the facility could seat 5,800 patrons for basketball. The Fieldhouse served as Dayton's home court from 1950 to 1969, with the Flyers compiling a 256-33 record in the facility.
Upon completion of the UD Arena
University of Dayton Arena
University of Dayton Arena is a 13,455-seat multi-purpose arena in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams....
, the Fieldhouse served as a training facility for sports teams, a recreation complex for UD students and office space for the athletic department. In 1975, the Physical Activities Center was built and joined to the south side of the Fieldhouse. In the late 1980s, the University renovated the interior of the facility and updated the western external facade of the Fieldhouse. Following the death of longtime athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
Tom Frericks, the university renamed the Fieldhouse in his honor.
Current Use
The Frericks Center is the third-largest volleyball-only venue in the NCAA with a seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating 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...
of 5,000. In 2004, the university completed a seating renovation and environmental graphics package. The facility also houses volleyball administrative offices.