Photos: Navigating McKale Center

It took three years to gather the funds to build it and two years of construction to make McKale Center a reality.

Delays pushed the arena’s total cost from $2 million to more than $8 million. When it opened to the first men’s basketball crowd 42 seasons ago, however, McKale became a hit. Today, it packs in more fans than any other Pac-12 Conference venue — and a ticket is a hard prospect when the Wildcats take the floor.

The University of Arizona Alumni Association voted in 1967 to name the proposed arena after Dr. J.F. “Pop” McKale. (The popular former Arizona coach and teacher died earlier that year.) He served as the university’s athletic director from 1914 to 1957, and as a coach for football, baseball, track and basketball.

The McKale Center roof is adorned with a band of copper sheets, which cost $107,000 to install in 1973 (as seen in the photo above).

• This feature is a nod to the state's major mining product.
• Over the years, however, the band's once shiny exterior has taken on a darker demeanor, making its copper glow almost unrecognizable.

Construction begins at the site of McKale Center. Here, it was nothing more than a deep hole in the ground.

Due to construction delays, the Wildcats play their first game at McKale Center with just one month remaining in the season. Arizona defeats Wyoming 87-69. 

An emotional moment of silence precedes the game against ASU. Just four days after his father — Malcolm Kerr, president of American University in Beirut — is assassinated, Steve Kerr scores 12 points in a 71-49 win over the Sun Devils.

A free throw with 7:10 remaining in a game against UCLA gives Arizona forward Sean Elliott the title of Pac-10 career scoring leader — pushing him past UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Elliott led the team in scoring for four consecutive seasons.

At a memorial for Lute Olson’s late wife, Bobbi, the floor in McKale is renamed “Lute & Bobbi Olson Court.” The floor was previously recognized as “Lute Olson Court” on Feb. 26, 2000, in honor of the Wildcats’ head coach. Olson is one of three coaches in NCAA history to post 29 or more 20-win seasons — 20 of those consecutively.

Arizona men’s basketball season tickets are available. Single-game tickets for nonconference home games can be purchased online at www.arizonawildcats.com, from the McKale Ticket Office or by calling 621-2287. Unreserved student-section tickets in Sections 20-24 may be put on sale during game weeks. Women’s basketball single-game tickets range in price from $5 (for children and seniors) to $10. 

2,300

Members in ZonaZoo, the student cheering section.

13,658

Seating capacity for men’s basketball games in 1973

14,700

Current seating capacity

15,176

Biggest home game crowd (March 4, 1978, against Arizona State. The Wildcats won 88-75.)