Ritchie Coliseum
| University of Maryland, College Park campus |
 | |
 | |
| Location | 7675 Baltimore Avenue College Park, Maryland 20742 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°59′06″N 76°56′11″W / 38.9850°N 76.9365°W |
| Owner | University of Maryland |
| Operator | University of Maryland |
| Capacity | 1,500 |
| Field size | 11,000 ft2 (1,021.9 m2) |
| Surface | Maple hardwood |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1931 |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Renovated | 1997 |
| Construction cost | $200,000 |
| Architect | H. D. Watts Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
| Maryland Terrapins (1931–2002) Maryland Terrapins men's basketball (1931–1955) | |
Ritchie Coliseum is a multipurpose athletics facility and music venue at the University of Maryland. It served as the home arena for the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1931 to 1955, and for its gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until 2002. It is located on the east side of Baltimore Avenue in College Park, Maryland. The official seating capacity is 1,500.
History
Ritchie Coliseum, named after then
For 26 years at Ritchie Coliseum, basketball games were held immediately before or after boxing matches.[1][2] During the 1930s, boxing was the most popular sport at Maryland and bouts often drew crowds of as many as 6,000, far exceeding the facility's capacity. In 1937, Ritchie Coliseum hosted the Southern Conference boxing tournament, which the undefeated Maryland team won. Terrapins pugilists Ben Alperstein and Tom Birmingham went on to compete in the national intercollegiate championship in Sacramento, California.[2]
After he took over in 1950, basketball coach Bud Millikan said the boxing doubleheader events were indicative of the sad state of Maryland athletics, and put an end to them early in his tenure. He also complained the facility had no ball racks, with basketballs stored in duct-taped cardboard boxes instead, and that the team had played in high school arenas that were more adequate than Ritchie Coliseum.[5]
When Maryland joined the
In 1972,
The building was renovated in the spring of 1997 and is used as a multipurpose facility. It served as the home arena of the
Music Venue
Ritchie Coliseum has also been used as a music venue as long ago as 1956 and holds the Annual College Park Free Blues Festival (11th CPBF is Saturday, November 10, 2018).[9] Duke Ellington performed in 1956, in a Jazz vs. Classics Pop Concert. As reported by The Diamondback, the cost to students to witness this historic concert was only $1 (that's just $8.72 today with inflation).[10]
Description
The floor dimensions are 11,000 ft2 (1,021.9 m2) with a surface of maple hardwood. The official seating capacity used to be 1,500. There are 1,900 total seats, which includes 600 folding seat-back chairs in the upper mezzanine, 700 pull-out bench seats, and 600 chairs on the floor. Other features are concessions stands on two levels, a ticket booth, and scoreboard.[4][7] Additional facilities consist of a weight room with free weights and cardiovascular equipment, and a martial arts room with padded walls and mats.[7]
References
- ^ ISBN 0-7627-3990-8.
- ^ a b c David Ungrady, Tales from the Maryland Terrapins, p. 46–55, 2003, Sports Publishing LLC.
- ^ Morris Allison Bealle, Kings of American Football: The University of Maryland, 1890–1952, pp. 41–47, Columbia Publishing Co., 1952.
- ^ a b c Ritchie Coliseum, Athletics Department, University of Maryland, retrieved March 31, 2009.
- ISBN 0-8018-7221-9.
- ^ Cole's closets to Comcast glory, The Diamondback, March 16, 2006.
- ^ a b c Meeting Facilities and Services, Conferences and Visitor Services, University of Maryland, retrieved March 31, 2009.
- ^ Broken Water Pipe Forces Venue Changes, Atlantic Coast Conference, January 22, 2004.
- ^ "DC Blues Society | DC / MD / VA | Blues". DC Blues Society | DC / MD / VA | Blues. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
- ^ "Musical Showdown". Terrapin Tales. 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2017-11-18.