Convocation Center (Ohio University)

Convocation Center
The Convo
Location	95 Richland Avenue; Athens, Ohio 45701
Coordinates	39°19′23″N82°6′20″W / 39.32306°N 82.10556°W
Owner	Ohio University
Operator	Ohio University
Capacity	13,000
Surface	Two-layer maple wood
Construction
Broke ground	1965
Opened	December 3, 1968
Construction cost	$8.2 million; ($71.8 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Brubaker/Brandt
Structural engineer	Fling & Eeman, Inc.
General contractor	Knowlton Construction Company
Tenants
	Ohio Bobcats (NCAA) (1968–present)

Last updated December 18, 2024

The Convocation Center is a 13,000-seat^[3] multi-purpose arena that is home to the Ohio Bobcats basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams.

History

The Convocation Center, also known locally as "The Convo," was designed by architecture firm Brubaker/Brandt of Columbus, Ohio and built by Knowlton Construction Company of Bellefontaine, Ohio. The first men's basketball game in the arena featured an 80–70 Ohio victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on December 3, 1968. The arena houses offices for the Ohio Athletics Department, numerous coaches' offices, team locker rooms, and athletic training rooms. Additionally it houses offices and classrooms for the computer science branch of the Russ College of Engineering. Over the years, there have been numerous renovations, some of the most recent being in 1997, where improved lighting, an expanded press row, and a wider camera deck were added to the arena. Also, The Vern and Marion Alden Basketball Suite which houses offices and meeting rooms for Ohio men's and women's basketball was completed. A few years later, the locker rooms for both basketball teams were expanded and given new furniture, carpeting, and individual wooden lockers. Following the 2004 season, more renovations occurred as a new playing surface was installed and two large Daktronics video boards were added to the venue.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Convocation Center's atmosphere has helped the Bobcats to win over 75% of their home games since the opening of The Convo in 1968.^{[ citation needed ]} At the beginning of the 2001–2002 season, a new student cheering section, dubbed the "O Zone," was started for men's basketball games.

The Convocation Center brought in its largest crowd on February 28, 1970, when 14,102 fans were in attendance to watch the Bobcats men's basketball team defeat the Bowling Green Falcons 77–76.^[4] That year Ohio finished 20–5, winning the Mid-American Conference title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to Ohio basketball, volleyball, and wrestling contests, the Convo hosts numerous other events annually. The facility has held local high school basketball games as well as high school state tournament games as well as a variety of concerts, including a May 17, 1969 concert by Led Zeppelin,^[5] professional wrestling events,^{[ citation needed ]} and special university events, most notably Ohio University's graduation ceremonies.

The Convocation Center was used for Thursday night rehearsals for The Ohio University Marching 110 when the weather caused temperatures to drop far too low for these late-night sessions. The band used these rehearsals to learn/polish dance routines for their home football games on the basketball court. The building was also used for several of the Marching 110's LP recording sessions in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Ohio University Athletics Director Jim Schaus announced plans to renovate the Convocation Center athletic training center by 2012 as part of the Bobcat Renaissance, an initiative geared toward improving OHIO's athletic programs.^[6]

Largest attendance

Rank	Date	Attendance	Event
1	February 28, 1970	14,102	Ohio vs. Bowling Green (Men's Basketball)
2	December 30, 1997	13,083	Ohio vs. Kentucky (Men's Basketball)
3	February 15, 1997	13,021	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)
4	January 21, 2012	13,011	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)
5	January 8, 1994	12,824	Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (Men's Basketball)

Source : Ohio History and Records 2013-14 Archived March 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

Gallery

Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame within the Convocation Center.
Interior of the Convocation Center in 2008.
The Convocation Center prior to the men's basketball game against Hampton in 2012.
Ohio vs NIU men's basketball game February 6, 2016 at the Convocation Center in Athens, OH
A new court was installed in 2021 as seen in November 2022

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References

↑ 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.
1 2 3 "Lightweight Dome at Ohio University" (PDF). Modern Steel. IX (2). American Institute of Steel Construction: 3–6. 1969. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 16, 2020.
↑ "Convocation Center". Ohio University . Retrieved April 16, 2020.
↑ "Ohio Bobcats 2010–11 Record Book" (PDF). cstv.com. Ohio Bobcats. October 26, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
↑ Cross, Charles; Flannigan, Erik (1991). Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-517-58308-1.^{[ page needed ]}
↑ Gartner, Steve (July 3, 2008). "AD outlines plans for indoor facility despite deficit". The Post. Ohio University. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2020.

External links

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[inflation-US-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.

[construction-2] 1 2 3 "Lightweight Dome at Ohio University" (PDF). Modern Steel. IX (2). American Institute of Steel Construction: 3–6. 1969. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 16, 2020.

[OU-CC-3] "Convocation Center". Ohio University . Retrieved April 16, 2020.

[OU-RB2010-4] "Ohio Bobcats 2010–11 Record Book" (PDF). cstv.com. Ohio Bobcats. October 26, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2020.

[5] Cross, Charles; Flannigan, Erik (1991). Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell. Harmony Books. ISBN 978-0-517-58308-1.^{[ page needed ]}

[OUP-20080703-6] Gartner, Steve (July 3, 2008). "AD outlines plans for indoor facility despite deficit". The Post. Ohio University. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2020.

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v t e Ohio Bobcats men's basketball
Venues	Ewing Hall (1907–1908) Ohio Gymnasium (1908–1923) Men's Gymnasium (1924–1960) Grover Center (1960–1968) Convocation Center (1968–present)
Culture & lore	Rufus the Bobcat
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

v t e Ohio Bobcats women's basketball
Venues	Convocation Center (1973–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25