Three weeks to showtime

 
Bradley’s volleyball and women’s basketball teams are movin’ on up—their new home is the university’s soon-to-be unveiled 4,200-seat arena.  The ultra-modern facility will go live later this month, following some finishing touches, but it’s already clear the new digs will take Bradley spirit up a notch this season.

“There’s a realization when you walk in of what a remarkable gift and opportunity we have here,” said director of athletics Dr. Michael Cross, who led area media through a tour of the facility on August 3.

Adjacent to the arena is a state-of-the-art men’s basketball practice facility—a workspace the team is already putting to use with open gym sessions.

Not just a sports arena, the over 165,000-square-foot venue is proving to be a draw for big-time acts. Grammy award-winning rock band Weezer and comedic icon Jay Leno are already booked for fall semester performances scheduled on either side of the facility’s October 15 dedication.

Bradley students seeking part-time employment will be among the first to behold the university’s new 4,200-seat arena, one of the ambitious construction projects included in the Bradley Renaissance campaign.  The arena’s inaugural event, a part-time job fair, is on the books for August 24, which gives workers just 21 days to put the finishing touches on the multipurpose facility.

Those who harbor fond memories of spirited matchups and the Hall-of-Famers who brought life to Bradley’s historic Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse will feel a nostalgic tug at the heartstrings when they step into Heritage Hall, the arena’s tribute to its predecessor.  From a series of folding wooden seats pulled directly from the Fieldhouse stands to red steps that led to the iconic raised floor, the dedication space includes countless relics familiar to diehard Braves fans.

With appropriate homage to the past, the arena is clearly poised to carry Bradley students into the future.  The design allows for integration of athletics and academics while also reaching out to the Peoria community that has so passionately supported the university through the decades.

“Athletically, there’s investment, but there’s also investment in our students.  We’re very proud of what this facility will mean to not only our student-athletes but to the campus community as well,” Dr. Cross said.