Marriott Center: Difference between revisions

| image_size = 250

| pushpin_map = Utah#USA#Utah

| citylocation = [[Brigham Young University]]<br>[[Provo, Utah]], [[United States|U.S.]]

| opened = {{Start date and age|1971}}

| seating_capacity = 22,700 (1971–2012)<br>20,951 (2012–2015)<br>18,987 (2015–present2015–2022)<br>17,978 (2022-present)

The '''Marriott Center''' is a multi-purpose [[arena]] in the [[western United States]], located on the campus of [[Brigham Young University]] (BYU) in [[Provo, Utah]]. It is home to the [[BYU Cougars]] [[BYU Cougars men's basketball|men's]] and [[BYU Cougars women's basketball|women's]] basketball teams. The seating capacity for basketball games at the Marriott Center is officially 1817,987978.<ref>{{cite web|title=BasketballIt is the largest Facilities|url=http://byucougars.com/facilities/basketball|publisher=BYU Cougars|access-date=Septemberarena 3,in 2017|quote=BYU'sthe 18,987-seat[[Big basketball12 arenaConference]] and is trulyamong athe hooplargest on-campus basketball arenas in the heavennation.}}</ref>

The largest basketball arena in the [[West Coast<!--Big 12--> Conference]] (in which BYU competes for most sports, except [[BYU Cougars football|football]]), it is among the largest on-campus basketball arenas in the nation. In addition to basketball, the Marriott Center is used for weekly campus devotionals and forums.

The Marriott Center was named in honor of benefactor and hotel tycoon [[J. Willard Marriott]], founder of the [[Marriott Corporation]]. When the arena opened {{Time ago|1971}} in 1971, it passed the [[University of Minnesota]]'s [[Williams Arena]] as the largest college basketball arena in the nation. It was also the largest venue in the nation built for basketball, larger than any [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] (or [[American Basketball Association|ABA]]) arena at that time. It lost both distinctions when the [[University of Kentucky]] opened [[Rupp Arena]] in 1976, but remained as the largest basketball-specific facility on a U.S. college campus until 1987, when the [[University of Tennessee]] opened [[Thompson–Boling Arena]].

Prior to 1971, the Cougars played basketball games at the [[Smith Fieldhouse]], which remains the primary venue for volleyball and gymnastics. The court was replaced in 2003 with a permanent floor.

The Marriott Center has hosted the West Regionals of the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]] four times ([[1972 NCAA University Division basketball tournament|1972]], [[1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1977]], [[1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament|1979]], [[1982 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|1982]]), and the [[Western Athletic Conference]] men's basketball tournament in 1988.

On February 7, 1993, Cody Judy threatened [[TheHoward ChurchW. Hunter]], [[President of Jesusthe ChristQuorum of Latter-daythe Saints|Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles]] apostleof [[Howardthe W.Church Hunterof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), with a supposed bomb in front of a crowd of 15,000–17,000 onlookers in the Marriott Center.<ref>"California Man Threatens President Hunter, Fireside Audience With Fake Bomb" by Gail Sinnott and Carri P. Jenkins, ''BYU Magazine'', February 1993, pages 15–16</ref><ref name=":0">[http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/57824 Daily Universe covers fireside threat on Pres. Hunter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130093403/http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/57824 |date=2010-01-30 }}, by Alicia Barney, BYU ''Daily Universe'', 8 December 2005</ref>

A devotional conferencegathering featuring LDS Church President [[Gordon B. Hinckley]], the LDS Church's [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|president]], on October 17, 1995, drew the largest crowd to ever attend an activity at the arena: 25,875 people.<ref>"Y Magazine: For the Record Books",[https://magazine.byu.edu/article/for-the-record-books/]</ref>

In 1999, the Marriott Center set an NCAA record for highest attendance for a men's volleyball match: 14,156 watched BYU defeat [[Long Beach State]] on February 19, shattering the previous record of 10,225 (held by Hawaii).<ref name=":1">[http://archives.starbulletin.com/1999/02/20/sports/story6.html Honolulu Star-Bulletin Sports: UH falls to BYU]</ref>

[[File:Marriott Center-1.jpg|thumb|left|The Marriott Center in 2017]]

The remaining lower bench seating was replaced after the [[2014–15 BYU Cougars men's basketball team|2015]] season, lowering [[seating capacity]] to around 19,000.<ref>[http://universe.byu.edu/tag/marriott-center-renovations/ Marriott Center renovations], by ''[[The Universe (student newspaper)|Digital Universe]]'', 7 July 2015</ref> The new renovation also installed new video boards forin the Marriott Centerarena and added the Marriott Center Annex building, where practice sessions take place for both BYU's men's and women's basketball teams.<ref name=":1" /> The Marriott Center Annex was placed between the Marriott Center and the BYU Broadcasting Building.<ref name=":0" />

* [http://byucougars.com/facilities/basketball Brigham Young University Athletics] – Marriott Center

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