It has a power and magnetism few places have. From the “A” on the basketball floor to the banners in the rafters, it is the spirit of Arizona.
McKale Center is an electric place.
I had the chance to see a game in the hallowed structure. The first time I’ve been there in some time. This time it was a U of A versus the BYU women’s basketball game (Cats won!). It was so fun to be sitting in this shrine with notable retired jerseys (Kerr, Elliott, Money, Walton and on and on), Final Four Banners (for both men and women) and the floor.
Yes, that floor.
The Lute and Bobbie Olson Floor. The block “A.” And the other branding.
This place that replaced Bear Down Gym has seen all kinds of events since opening February 1, 1973 (I was there). The famous 12-15-12 game against top-ranked Florida (Cats won) which capped a day that included the football team winning their bowl game. I remember when futurist Buckminster Fuller filled the place for a talk. Where Freddie “The Fox” Snowden (the first D1 black head coach) guided his Fab Frosh and launched a new age in U of A Men’s Basketball. And, of course, Lute’s 1997 National Championship.
Named for former athlete and coach J. F. “Pop” McKale, the place has stood the test of time and earned its place among the great arenas of the world.
Go Cats! Bear Down!
Relentless
