Ferrell Center

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = The Ferrell Center| nickname =


location = 1900 S University Parks Dr
Waco, TX 76706
broke_ground = July 1, 1987
opened = November 25, 1988
closed =
demolished =
owner = Baylor University
operator = Baylor University
surface = Hardwood maple (inst. 2002)
construction_cost= $12.5 million
architect =
former_names = | tenants = Baylor Athletics
seating_capacity = 10,347 (basketball)

The Ferrell Center is a arena in Waco, Texas. It was built in 1988 and is located adjacent to the Brazos River. It is home to the Baylor University Bears basketball and volleyball teams. It is named for Charles R. Ferrell, a Baylor student and legacy who died in 1967, and whose family's estate was a major benefactor of the arena. The building replaced the Heart O' Texas Coliseum as the school's primary indoor athletic facility.

The brick and concrete building is capped by a round, gold-plated dome 321 feet across and 111 feet above the playing surface at its apex. It contains 41 rows of seats, seven of which can be retracted for other events. The dome weighs approximately 175 tons and is constructed of structural aluminum beams covered with anodized gold panels with 4" of vinyl faced insulation on the back (in) side on the panel. The dome is fastened together with Huck fasteners, which are manufactured in Waco. Temcor is the manufacturer of the roof. The surface area of aluminum panels is approximately 3 acres. During erection, the dome was suspended by 32 cables on a 220' tall tower. The tower was stabilized during erection with 7 guy cables. Concrete poured to date 9650 cubic yards.Structural steel is approximately 500 tons. General description of construction: Drilled piers with concrete support beams for seating bowl. Slab on grade, slabs and structural pan deck slab (over sub-concourse). Precast concrete construction for seating bowl. Exterior facade is architectural precast with white concrete and 5/8" thick brickettes cast into the panels. The panels are attached to a steel structure.

Within the center is the Paul J. Meyer Arena which seats 10,347 for basketball, 8,000 for concerts, and can seat up to 1,000 for banquets. During the summer of 2002, two scoring/video boards allow for replay, graphics, and other video capabilities to enhance the event atmosphere in the arena. With the addition of the new basketball playing floor the Bears and Lady Bears have the opportunity to be on the hardwood more days out of the year with less coversions time between events and games or practice times. In addition a 43,000 sq ft basketball practice facility was constructed in 2006 on the north west side of the building. It contains 2 full practice courts, a strength and conditioning center, and new offices for the men and women's basketball staff.

The inaugural event held in the area was a political rally for former President Ronald Reagan. Through the years the arena has hosted many famous acts on its stage including: George Strait, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, The Harlem Globe Trotters, and many more. Many world leaders have also spent time on our stage including Collin Powell, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, and most recently Former First Lady Barbara Bush, all part of the President's Forum Lecture Series.

Fans have also seen the best of college basketball on the court with a major upset over the University of Arkansas in the early 90's and more recently with the Bears defeating the #4 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in 2001 and the Lady Bears knocking off a top-ten ranked Iowa State team the same year. The Baylor and Waco communities are making the Ferrell Center a tough place to play basketball with record crowds recorded since the arrival of Kim Mulkey, including a facility record crowd of 10,550 while winning the 2005 women's Big XII regular season title. Following the record crowd Mulkey led the Lady Bears to a first ever Women's National Championship. This marked the first National Championship for the Big XII in basketball. The arena also play's home to Baylor Volleyball.

Its GPS location is: coord|31|32|52.45|N|97|06|21.49|W.

External links

* [http://www.baylor.edu/athletics/facilities Ferrell Center Official Website]
* [http://baylorbears.cstv.com/school-bio/bay-theferrellcenter.html Ferrell Center at BaylorBears.com]