Bren Events Center

Last updated
Bren Events Center
The Bren
UCI Bren Events Center Basketball Court 2008.jpg
Bren Events Center
Full nameDonald Bren Events Center
Location100 Bren Event Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
Coordinates 33°38′57″N117°50′49″W / 33.64917°N 117.84694°W / 33.64917; -117.84694
Owner University of California, Irvine
OperatorUniversity of California, Irvine
Capacity 4,984 (for basketball)
5,430 (for concerts)
5,608 (maximum)
SurfaceHardwood
Construction
Broke ground1984
OpenedJanuary 8, 1987
Construction cost$14 million
($37.5 million in 2023 dollars [1] )
ArchitectParkin Architects Limited
Tenants
UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball
UC Irvine Anteaters women's basketball
UC Irvine Anteaters men's volleyball
UC Irvine Anteaters women's volleyball

The Donald Bren Events Center, [2] commonly known as the Bren Events Center or simply the Bren, is a 5,608-seat indoor arena on the campus of the University of California, Irvine, in Irvine, California, United States.

Contents

Construction and history

It was conceived and planned in 1981, with the passage of a student referendum authorizing an assessment of $23 per student per quarter as of winter 1987. It opened January 8, 1987, with UCI men's basketball vs. Utah State. Parkin Architects Limited served as the architects for the building, which was renamed "Donald Bren Events Center" in 1988. [3] The University of California, Irvine renamed the structure in honor of real estate mogul and chairman of the Irvine Company, Donald Bren, upon receipt of a $1.5 million donation. [4]

In fall 2023, renovations began on the Bren Events Center to install a new jumbotron on the south wall as well as new ribbon boards around the perimeter of the arena. A temporary court was also installed due to damage from a flood. [5]

Amenities

It is a 65,000 assignable (90,000 gross) square-foot multi-purpose facility servicing the university and all of southern California. It features a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) arena which hosts UCI Anteater Basketball, volleyball and serves as a general assembly space for special events. Additional conference and meeting spaces are available to support arena events and to host small meetings. In addition, it provides:

Tenants

Athletics

It serves as the home to UC Irvine Anteaters athletic programs. Men's basketball, women's basketball, and men's volleyball all play their home games at Bren.

The facility was home to the 1990, 1991 and 1992 U.S. Open Badminton Championships. [6]

Other events

It is also used for concerts, trade fairs, conventions, Broadway shows and graduation ceremonies.

Recent examples of usage include hosting Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, when he spoke in 2004, while Jimmy Carter spoke and answered questions about his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid on 3 May 2007. [7] Bill Clinton spoke at a campaign rally for local Democratic candidates in 2012. [8]

The university's Filipino cultural organization, Kababayan, hosts their annual Pilipinx American Cultural Night, [9] abbreviated to PACN, at the Bren. It is the largest Filipino cultural performance in the state.

TNA Wrestling also held its 2009 Bound For Glory Event here.

Blink-182 headlined a sold-out show at the Bren in 1999.

See also

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The 2018–19 UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball team represented the University of California, Irvine in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Anteaters were led by ninth-year head coach Russell Turner competing in the Bren Events Center. UC Irvine is a member of the Big West Conference, and participated in their 41st consecutive season in that league. The team finished the season with many new records that included a new school record of 31-6, longest game winning streak (17), and first ever NCAA Tournament win over Kansas State in the South Region 1st Round before falling to Oregon in the 2nd Round. Jonathan Galloway became the new program record holder of rebounds (969), career games won (95), career games played (146). Max Hazzard broke the Bren Events Center record for most three pointers made in a game on December 15 against Denver (10) and the team broke the school record for most threes made in a game that night with 18. Evan Leonard set a school record of 44 consecutive free throws made that ended in the NCAA Tournament 2nd Round vs Oregon. The team finished 2nd in the 2018 Asia-Pacific University Basketball Challenge prior to the season and the 2019 Gulf Coast Showcase during the regular season. The team won its 4th regular season title in 6 seasons on March 2, 2019 in a win over UC Riverside. The team won its second Big West tournament title with wins over UC Riverside, Long Beach State, and Cal State Fullerton.

The 2019–20 UC Irvine Anteaters men's basketball team represented the University of California, Irvine in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Anteaters were led by tenth-year head coach Russell Turner and played their home games at the Bren Events Center. UC Irvine was a member of the Big West Conference. The team won their second straight Big West regular-season title before the 2020 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament; subsequently, the remainder of the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season and postseason tournaments were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished 21–11, and won at least a share of 3 of the last 4 Big West regular-season titles. The program has won at least 20 games in 7 of the last 8 seasons. Turner became the winningest coach in program history on January 15 surpassing Pat Douglass's total of 197 wins and won his 4th Big West Coach of the Year Award. Evan Leonard, Eyassu Worku and Tommy Rutherford all recorded their 1,000th point during the season, the first time the program has had three players score 1,000 career points in the same season. The team was 12th in the nation in FG% defense, holding opponents to 38.8% shooting, 11th in total rebounds (1,269), and 3rd in rebounding margin (+9.4). Brad Greene pulled down a Bren Events Center-record 21 rebounds on January 11 vs. Hawaii.

References

  1. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. "Bren Events Center". UC Irvine Anteater Chronicles. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  3. "Timelines: 19801989". UC Irvine Anteater Chronicles. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  4. "Timelines: 19801989". UC Irvine Anteater Chronicles. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  5. Shackleford, Stacey (November 2, 2023). "Bren Events Center Undergoing Renovations". UCI Athletics. University of California, Irvine. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  6. "Bren Events Center". lasports.org. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  7. "1967 oPt, May 2007, Jimmy Carter's book tour (2006-2007)". Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-02-22. Jimmy Carter's book tour (2006-2007)
  8. Zint, Bradley. "Clinton stumps at UC Irvine". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  9. "40th Annual Pilipinx American Culture Night". UCI Athletics. Retrieved 2023-02-09.