On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Wittenberg community will celebrate the Grand Reopening of the 1929 Fieldhouse with special recognitions and a ribbon-cutting ceremony during a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader. The festive day will embody nearly 100 years of athletics history, as the venue previously served as the home competition facility for men’s and women’s basketball, along with men’s wrestling and women’s volleyball. Thanks to recent donor support, which allowed for new bleachers, a new sound system, and boxed seating, the historic facility will once again be the official home for the above teams, as well as women’s wrestling and men’s volleyball. 

"For nearly 100 years, this historic fieldhouse has inspired generations of student-athletes to compete at the highest levels, build community, and lead with integrity on the court and in life," said Wittenberg President Christian M. M. Brady. "We are deeply thankful to those who have enabled this special place to once again be a home for the Tigers now, and for another century to come. I am also grateful to our hometown of Springfield, which came together nearly a century ago to fund the creation of the fieldhouse.”

Between the games, the University plans to invite prominent alumni to join members of the current basketball teams in a ceremonial jump ball followed by a ribbon-cutting to honor some of the donors who made the latest updates possible. Those receiving recognition at the event include local business leader and lead benefactor Alicia Sweet Hupp, Wittenberg class of 1982 and an emerita member of the University’s Board of Directors, her husband, Greg, their daughter, Hannah, Wittenberg class of 2018, along with Tiger fan and geologist Mike Senich, Wittenberg class of 1972, who also served on the University’s Board. 

With the new bleachers that will accommodate up to 1,000 spectators, box seating, and a first-rate sound system, the fan experience will be elevated to a new level of engagement and community-building. Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Brian Agler ‘80 said he is proud of the way Wittenberg alumni and community members stepped up to provide the financial resources that helped the University complete this full-circle moment.

“The power of this place is palpable, and I'm so proud of the work that has gone into restoring our historic fieldhouse,” Agler said. "This is the site of so many championship memories for so many Wittenberg alumni, including me. We are looking forward to creating many more championship moments in the future in a facility that will provide an amazing fan experience, as well."

A point guard on Wittenberg’s 1977 NCAA Division III championship team, Agler spent four years playing his home games in those friendly confines. Like most Tiger men’s basketball players of that era, he rarely lost a game in the Wittenberg Fieldhouse (as it was known from 1929-82). The Tigers compiled a phenomenal home court record of 244-32 between 1955 and 1982.

The first game played in the fieldhouse was a 29-18 win for the Tigers over Georgetown (KY) on Dec. 29, 1929. The facility, built following a community fundraising effort called the “Springfield Campaign,” was dedicated on Feb. 14, 1930, a day before the Tigers toppled the University of Cincinnati by a 29-11 score.

The recent improvements follow other changes in the facility. In 2019, the University formally dedicated the newly renamed and renovated space as the 1929 Fieldhouse, the year of its original founding, as part of the wider Health, Wellness & Athletics (HWA) restoration and expansion initiative. The fieldhouse served as Wittenberg’s main indoor competition space until 1982 when a new arena opened as part of an expansion of the University’s athletics facilities at that time. Since that year, Wittenberg’s indoor court sports have competed in Pam Evans Smith Arena, which was named in honor of the legendary coach following her passing in 2007.