Alumni Hall (Providence)
| Mullaney Gymnasium | |
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| Location | Providence College Providence, RI 02918 USA |
|---|---|
| Owner | Providence College |
| Operator | Providence College |
| Capacity | 1,854 (basketball; 2012–present) 2,620 (basketball; 1955–2012) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | December, 1955 |
| Renovated | 2012 |
| Construction cost | $1.5 million |
| Tenants | |
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Providence Friars women's basketball (NCAA) (1974–present) Providence Friars women's volleyball (NCAA) (1977–present) Providence Friars men's basketball (NCAA) (1955–1972) |
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Alumni Hall is the on-campus basketball gymnasium at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It was built in 1955 and was the home court for the school's men's basketball program until 1972. The gymnasium has hosted the Providence College women's basketball team since its inception in 1974.
Alumni Hall was built in 1955 to suit the needs of the men's basketball program, under the direction of then-college president Rev. Robert J. Slavin, O.P. The team had previously played either off-campus or in a small gymnasium in the basement of Bishop Harkins Hall (a space which would later become the Blackfriars Theatre). It was dedicated to those alumni who had fought in World War II.
For its first seventeen years, it was the home of the burgeoning men's basketball program, which won the 1961 and 1963 NIT championships under coach Joe Mullaney. In 1972, the men's team moved to the new Providence Civic Center downtown, which later became the Dunkin' Donuts Center. In 2001, the gymnasium was named the Mullaney Gymnasium in honor of Mullaney.
In 1974, the women's basketball team began playing there, where they currently reside. The gymnasium has hosted several Women's NIT games throughout its tenure, as well as the 1983 (inaugural) and 1993 Big East Women's Basketball Tournaments.
On October 31, 2009, the men's basketball team played an exhibition game against Merrimack, its first game in Alumni Hall since January 22, 1978, an exhibition game against the Soviet national basketball team.
Until 2012, the arena sat 2,620 fans. Bleacher seating was available on the main level, with theater seating in the upper level. When the men's team played there, Alumni Hall's upper level was traditionally reserved for season ticket holders while the bleacher seating was generally filled with students.
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