LAKEFRONT ARENA (M/W Basketball + Volleyball) The University of New Orleans men's and women's basketball programs are back in their permanent home, the multi-purpose Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena. The arena, which suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, recently underwent major renovations that include new locker rooms, team lounge and new arena seating.
EXTERIOR REPAIRS Installation of the new $1.5 million state of the art modified bitumen roof system has been completed with the highest available roof wind rating of 135mph. Replacement of the entire exterior metal fascia and sloped roof panels is also complete at a cost of $3.5 million. As part of a pre-Katrina project, all four ramps were to be restored and resurfaced. This $800,000 endeavor has now been revived and work on the ramps will soon be underway. Together, these projects will give the Arena an entirely new look.
INTERIOR REPAIRS The scope in the interior of the arena includes replacement of all permanent seats, lighting, sound system, scoreboards, main arena ceiling grid, and HVAC.
The new basketball floor has been installed, and the team locker rooms have been updated.
HISTORY
The facility officially opened on Nov. 26, 1983, when the Privateers hosted rival Louisiana State in a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. Since then, UNO Athletics has called the arena home, and the building has served as the homecourt for the school's men's and women's basketball and volleyball programs.
All Privateers' men's and women's basketball games are played on the arena's main court, which can accommodate 8,933 fans in comfort. Every theater-type seat offers an unobstructed view of the court. The arena also has an auxiliary gymnasium with room for two practice basketball courts or three volleyball courts and an indoor batting cage for baseball and golf. Adjacent to the auxiliary gym are eight locker rooms, a fully-equipped weightroom and a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility.
Also housed in the arena is the UNO Aquatic Center, which holds an Olympic-size 50-meter swimming pool (the pool is adjustable to a 25-meter/25-yard setup) with lockerrooms and a sauna. During the summer of 1997, a new 50-meter, six-lane outdoor swimming pool opened next to the arena which accommodates the new swimming program.
Since beginning play in the arena in 1983-84, the Privateer men's team has posted a sterling 242-65 (.788) record within its friendly confines, including a mark of 9-3 in 2004-05. In addition to being the homecourt of UNO basketball, Lakefront Arena also houses the program's offices.
In addition to serving as the home for UNO Athletics, Lakefront Arena also hosts a number of entertainment events. In 2001, the arena ranked fourth in the world in concert arena revenue for its size and was top-ranked university venue in its category. Concert events in 2003-04 included the likes of Tom Petty, John Mayer, REM, Kid Rock 311 and Dave Chapelle. Lakefront Arena is also an annual home to events like Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Disney on Ice, Wiggles, Barney, Dragon Tales Live, and The Harlem Globetrotters.
The arena, which has parking for 7,000 cars, is named for Nat G. Kiefer, the late state senator who aided UNO's efforts to obtain state funding for the $38 million construction of the facility. It can convert into a 1,500-seat theater for dance recitals or plays and host concerts, conventions, trade shows and sporting events (including boxing and wrestling matches).
The building was the site of the 1991 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four and the 1987 and 1993 National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America games.
Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena is located at 6801 Franklin Avenue, a half-block south of Lake Pontchartrain, and can best be reached by Interstate 610.
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