Joan Perry Brock Center

Last updated

Joan Perry Brock Center
JPB
Joan Perry Brock Center
Address405 Spruce Street
Farmville, VA
Coordinates 37°17′54″N78°23′44″W / 37.29833°N 78.39556°W / 37.29833; -78.39556
Owner Longwood University
OperatorCENTERS
Capacity 3,000 (basketball) [1]
Construction
Broke groundMay 2021 [2]
OpenedAugust 25, 2023 [3]
Construction cost $40 million [4] [5]
ArchitectRRMM and AECOM [6] [7]
BuilderSkanska USA [8]
Tenants
Longwood Lancers men's basketball (NCAA) (2023–present)
Longwood Lancers women's basketball (NCAA) (2023–present)

The Joan Perry Brock Center is a 3,000-seat indoor multi-use arena and convocation center, located on the campus of Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The arena is home to the university's men's and women's basketball programs, replacing Willett Hall. [9]

Contents

The arena is named after Joan Brock, a philanthropist and 1964 alum, who provided $15 million, the largest gift in Longwood University's history. [2] [10] Like Willett Hall the basketball court is named after former Longwood basketball player Jerome Kersey, officially making the hardwood Jerome Kersey Court. [11] [12]

Architecture/Design

The center was designed to reinforce the historical traditional Jeffersonian architecture and features the traditional campus palette of red brick and light colored trim, with a series of continuous arches of precast stone. [6] Elements like wood paneling and the student bleachers were influenced by the Palestra and Cameron Indoor Stadium. [13]

The arena features a removable grandstand to allow a stage for concerts and convocations. Premium seating includes the president's suite and unique opera boxes in each of the corners. [7]

Arena usage

Sports

The arena is the home court for both the men's and women's basketball programs at Longwood University, and held its first game on November 11, 2023.

Other events

The venue's first public event was a sold-out concert by Oliver Anthony. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longwood University</span> Public university in Farmville, Virginia, US

Longwood University is a public university in Farmville, Virginia. Founded in 1839 as Farmville Female Seminary and colloquially known as Longwood or Longwood College, it is the third-oldest public university in Virginia and one of the hundred oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Previously a female seminary, normal school, and college, Longwood became coeducational in 1976 and gained university status on July 1, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolstein Center</span> Indoor arena in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball teams and previously served as the home of the Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League from 1992 to 2005 and the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League from 2021 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savage Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Toledo, Ohio

Savage Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Toledo, Ohio, on the campus of the University of Toledo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convocation Center (Northern Illinois University)</span>

Northern Illinois University's Convocation Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, at 1525 W Lincoln Hwy, in DeKalb, Illinois, US. The arena opened in 2002. The Convocation Center is home to both the Northern Illinois Huskies men's basketball and women's basketball teams, volleyball, Wrestling, gymnastics, and women's indoor track and field squads. Previously, the basketball teams played at the Chick Evans Field House. The Convocation Center also houses many other events including the opening convocation ceremony for freshmen, concerts, job fairs, expositions, and the annual graduation ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Maravich Assembly Center</span> Indoor arena in Louisiana, United States

The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,215-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center, but was renamed in honor of Pete Maravich, a Tiger basketball legend, shortly after his death in 1988. Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer signed an act to rename the building in Maravich's honor. Maravich never played in the arena as a collegian but played in it as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in a preseason game. But his exploits while at LSU led the university to build a larger home for the basketball team, which languished for decades in the shadow of the school's football program. The Maravich Center is known to locals as "The PMAC" or "Pete's Palace", or by its more nationally known nickname, "The Deaf Dome", coined by Dale Brown. The Maravich Center's neighbor, Tiger Stadium is known as "Death Valley".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liacouras Center</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Liacouras Center is a 10,206-seat multi-purpose venue which opened in 1997 and was originally named "The Apollo of Temple". The arena was renamed in 2000 for Temple University President, Peter J. Liacouras. It is part of a $107 million, four-building complex along North Broad Street on the Temple University campus in North Philadelphia. The Liacouras Center is the largest indoor, public assembly venue in Philadelphia north of City Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Kersey</span> American basketball player

Jerome Kersey was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Portland Trail Blazers (1984–1995), Golden State Warriors (1995–96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996–97), Seattle SuperSonics (1997–98), San Antonio Spurs (1998–2000), and Milwaukee Bucks (2000–01). Kersey won an NBA championship with the Spurs in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convocation Center (Ohio University)</span> Arena in Ohio, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States

St. John Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The arena was named for Lynn St. John, who served as Ohio State's men's basketball coach and athletic director until 1947. It was designed by Howard Dwight Smith, architect of Ohio Stadium. It opened in 1956 to serve as the home of multiple Buckeye athletic teams, primarily the men's basketball team. Prior to its construction, the men's basketball team played off-campus in the Fairgrounds Coliseum at the state fairgrounds. St. John Arena served as home of the men's and women's basketball teams until it was replaced by Value City Arena in 1998, while the remaining tenants moved to the Covelli Center in 2019. It is still occasionally used by the men's and women's basketball teams for games and is used before every OSU football home game for The Ohio State University Marching Band's Skull Session.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watsco Center</span> Arena in Florida, United States

The Watsco Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, and serves as the home court to the Miami Hurricanes' men's and women's basketball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addition Financial Arena</span> Indoor arena in Orlando, Florida, U.S.

Addition Financial Arena is a sports and entertainment arena located near Orlando in Orange County, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida. It was constructed beginning in 2006 as a replacement for the original UCF arena, and as a part of Knights Plaza. The arena is home to the UCF Knights men's and women's basketball teams. The arena also hosted the annual Science Olympiad in 2012 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrell Center</span>

The Leonard E. Merrell Center is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Katy, Texas. It was built in 2005 and was the former home of the Katy Copperheads and the Katy Ruff Riders of the Intense Football League. The Merrell Center has hosted the Southland Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments from 2008 to 2022, but both tournaments will move to The Legacy Center on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2023. The Houston Stallions of the Lone Star Football League moved to the Merrell Center in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willett Hall</span> Building in Virginia, United States

Willett Hall is an academic facility and previously served as a 1,807-seat multi-purpose arena in Farmville, Virginia. It was built in 1980 and was home to the Longwood University Lancers men's and women's basketball teams until 2023. On December 3, 2016, the basketball court was named after former Longwood basketball player Jerome Kersey, officially making the hardwood Jerome Kersey Court.

Old Dominion University Fieldhouse was a 5,200-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Opened in 1970, it was home to the Old Dominion Monarchs and Lady Monarchs college basketball teams until the 2002–03 season, when the Ted Constant Convocation Center opened. The fieldhouse was demolished in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stroh Center</span>

The Stroh Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. It replaced Anderson Arena as the home of the Bowling Green Falcons men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams, and hosts music concerts and the university's commencement ceremonies. The arena was designed by the architectural firm Rossetti Architects, designers of Red Bull Arena and Rio Tinto Stadium, and engineering firm URS Group Inc. The building opened in September 2011 and seats 4,387 people for basketball and volleyball games and 5,209 for convocation events and concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center</span> Arena in Pennsylvania, United States

The California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center is a multi-purpose arena in California, Pennsylvania, United States. The arena is the home of the California Vulcans men and women's basketball and volleyball teams, as well as the host of graduation commencement. The Convocation Center is able to host other sporting events, concerts, and trade shows, featuring a removable hardwood surface. The building, covering over 142,000 sq. feet, is the largest indoor venue between Morgantown, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cal U Convocation Center is also home to the "Rivers Bend Conference Center," which features executive-level conferencing facilities. Also included in the venue are "smart" classrooms, configurable for large or small-group presentations, high-tech audio and visual systems, wireless Internet access, webcams, videoconferencing equipment, and interactive response systems. The building replaces the Vulcans previous basketball and volleyball arena, Hamer Hall, which opened its doors in 1965.

The Longwood Lancers men's basketball team is the Division I basketball team that represents Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Since 2012, the team has competed in the Big South Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Their current head coach is Griff Aldrich, a one-time lawyer and chief financial officer of a private equity firm who formerly served as the recruiting director for UMBC. The Lancers made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2022, followed by another appearance in 2024.

The 2023–24 Longwood Lancers men's basketball team represented Longwood University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lancers, led by sixth-year head coach Griff Aldrich, played their home games at the newly opened Joan Perry Brock Center in Farmville, Virginia as members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 21–14, 6–10 in Big South play to finish in a tie for fifth place. As the No. 5 seed in the Big South Tournament, they defeated Winthrop, High Point, and UNC Asheville to win the Big South tournament championship, as a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history. As a No. 16 seed in the South region, they lost to Houston in the First Round.

The 2023–24 Longwood Lancers women's basketball team represented Longwood University during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Lancers, led by second-year head coach Erika Lang-Montgomery, played their home games at the newly opened Joan Perry Brock Center in Farmville, Virginia as members of the Big South Conference.

References

  1. "Joan Perry Brock Center". Longwood University. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Joan Perry Brock Center". Longwood University. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  3. Bagent, Tyler. "Joan Perry Brock Center Opens To Fanfare, Pep Rally". The Rotunda. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  4. Kerkhoff, Blair (May 16, 2023). "UMKC hopes to build new on-campus arena for basketball, volleyball and other events". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  5. "Coming Soon: A sampling of sports venue projects scheduled to finish in 2023". Sports Business Journal. January 30, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Joan Perry Brock Center". Franck & Lohsen Architects. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Longwood University: Joan Perry Brock Convocation Center". RRMM Architects. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  8. "Skanska to Provide Construction Management Oversight for Longwood University's New Joan Perry Brock Center". citybiz. October 28, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Laukaitis, Tobi (November 10, 2023). "New 3,000-seat arena brings growth, pride to Farmville". Cardinal News. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  10. Laughrun, Alyson (April 10, 2019). "Longwood University receives largest donation in its history". WRIC. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  11. Cook, Chris (November 25, 2016). "Longwood to Name Court in Honor of Jerome Kersey" (Press release). Longwood Lancers . Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  12. "The Joan Perry Brock Center: Longwood Basketball's New Home" . Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  13. "Swan Song: Longwood basketball says goodbye to Willett Hall". The Farmville Herald . February 23, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
Preceded by Home of the
Longwood Lancers men's basketball

2023–present
Succeeded by
Current
Preceded by Home of the
Longwood Lancers women's basketball

2023–present
Succeeded by
Current