UT Arlington's College Park Center debuts Feb. 1 with basketball doubleheader, action-packed opening celebration

ARLINGTON – UT Arlington basketball fans claim the home court advantage Feb. 1 with the debut of men’s and women’s basketball at the new College Park Center and a series of opening day events unlike anything the University has ever seen.
The celebration will include special effects and pyrotechnics; multi-media entertainment to showcase the 7,000-seat events center and its high-tech, Daktronics video boards; special guests and nationally recognized entertainers.
In short, opening day will be spectacular.
“UT Arlington alumni and supporters have dreamed of a special events center that would be a true home for basketball and volleyball for decades, and today we are seeing that dream realized,” said James D. Spaniolo, president of The University of Texas at Arlington.
“College Park Center will be a wonderful venue for concerts, commencements, guest speakers and all kinds of special events. We are open for business for Arlington and the entire North Texas region.”
Doors open at 5 p.m. Feb. 1 in advance of the 6 p.m. women’s basketball game vs. UT San Antonio. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting extravaganza begins immediately following the women’s game. The UT Arlington men play UT San Antonio at 8 p.m. with special entertainment at halftime.
Tickets for the inaugural events are sold out. Ticket holders are urged to help UT Arlington pack College Park Center for the inaugural events.
If unable to attend, ticket holders may return their tickets to the Box Office before Feb. 1 by sending an email to boxoffice@uta.edu or by calling 817-272-9595. They must include the record locator number located at the top of the ticket and the quantity of tickets to be returned.
Tickets for the Feb. 1 events are good for admission through 8 p.m. Afterward, unscanned tickets will be released, and fans without tickets may be seated on a first-come, first-served basis – in time for the half-time entertainment. Check the box office for availability.
UT Arlington broke ground on the $78 million special events venue in March 2010. The center is designed by HKS Inc., architects of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium among many of the world’s elite athletics facilities.
College Park Center is designed to meet LEED Gold standards for sustainability and is noted particularly for the way the building interacts with its site and adjacent park, The Green at College Park.
College Park Center features a split-bowl arena that places more seats close to the action and intensifies the fan experience. The building incorporates many energy-saving features and makes artful use of natural light throughout its grand atrium and concourses.
The events center boasts two full-size practice courts that allow team workouts while other activities take place in the arena and that can be used for a wide variety of purposes.
The Athletics suite provides a spacious weight room, attractive team and visitors locker rooms, an academic center for student-athletes and a state-of-the-art Sports Medicine Center highlighted by a hydrotherapy room with underwater video cameras that trainers can use to help athletes recover from injury.
“UT Arlington’s College Park Center has the feel of a much larger, professional venue,” said David Skaggs, vice president, HKS Sports & Entertainment Group. “This facility is going to be right up there with American Airlines Center in terms of its quality, the kinds of technology offered, and the fan and athlete experience. And, that’s important.”
More information about College Park Center, including upcoming events such as the Feb. 11 Homecoming street festival and event booking details, is available at www.utacollegepark.com.
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 33,400 students in the heart of North Texas. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.

Media contact: Kristin Sullivan, Kristinsul@uta.edu, 817-272-5364

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