Smith Fieldhouse

Last updated
George Albert Smith Fieldhouse
Smith Fieldhouse.JPG
Seating at the Smith Fieldhouse
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Provo
Location in the United States
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Provo
Location in Utah
Address150 East 1230 North
Location Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Coordinates 40°14′49″N111°39′14″W / 40.247°N 111.654°W / 40.247; -111.654
Public transit UTA icon.svg UVX
OwnerBrigham Young University
Capacity5,000
Construction
Opened1951;74 years ago (1951)
Tenants
BYU men's volleyball
BYU women's volleyball

The George Albert Smith Fieldhouse (SFH) is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Provo, Utah.

Contents

History

The Smith Fieldhouse during a BYU Cougars men's volleyball match in 2017 Smith Fieldhouse volleyball game (33610314393).jpg
The Smith Fieldhouse during a BYU Cougars men's volleyball match in 2017

The Smith Fieldhouse was opened in 1951. [1] It is named after named after George Albert Smith, the 8th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who died the year the fieldhouse opened. [2] The building was originally constructed to provide space for the men’s basketball team and their games, which had previously been hosted in off-campus courts, but it has taken on many different uses over the years both athletic and social, including school dances, intramural sports, debates, religious services, concerts (the Tabernacle Choir, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and The Carpenters), and other event such as the Harlem Globetrotters. [3] In 1958, an unidentified assailant broke into the Smith Fieldhouse and stole the Y Bell held in the facility. [4]

The Smith Fieldhouse held the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship twice, in 1960 and 1970, [5] and the West Regionals in 1962, 1963 and 1965. It served as home to BYU's basketball teams until they shifted to the Marriott Center in 1971. While it served as home for BYU's basketball teams, it had a max capacity of 10,500 people. In 1971, the basketball teams relocated to the Marriott Center, and the Smith Fieldhouse was reorganized and subdivided to include an indoor track, offices for the athletic department, and a student wellness center. [6]

BYU's volleyball teams began playing in the facility in 1990, followed later by the school's gymnastics team. In 2009, the facility hosted the 2009 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship. [7]

See also

References

  1. Parry, Matthew. "The evolution of BYU over the last 50 years". Daily Universe. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  2. Dickson, Darrell. "BYU Men's Volleyball: Smith Fieldhouse provides one-of-a kind experience". heraldextra.com. The Daily Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  3. Gardner, Peter. "100 Years on Temple Hill". Y Magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  4. Meza, Lindsey. "George Albert Smith Fieldhouse (SFH)". Intermountain Histories. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  5. "1960 Tournament". NCAA. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  6. "Student Wellness Center Maps". BYU. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  7. "Men's Volleyball Championship History". NCAA. Retrieved 12 December 2025.