Need some help .. MU History

[rocky_warrior]

For the history buffs...I want to fill in some information on Marquette facilities and I don't have much information on when Marquette played in the Milwaukee Auditorium (now the Milwaukee Theater)

This is about all I've found...

When Marquette University decided that its basketball program needed a bigger venue in the 1960s, it moved the games from the Milwaukee Auditorium to the Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center Arena (MECCA). Marquette coach Al McGuire once said if he was able to look into the corners of the MECCA at tip-off and see the seats filled, then he felt he had done his job. The MECCA was sold out for almost every game in the McGuire era, as he built the Warriors into a national powerhouse.

Anybody have more specific dates?  As far as I know Marquette originally played in the "Old Gym" when it opened in 1922, but presumably they moved to the Auditorium and played there full time at some point. 

Of course, that also begs the question, what did the team do from 1916-1922 before the Gymnasium opened - was there an "older gym"?  I guess they may have used the Auditorium then too since i think it opened sometime before 1910.

Anything you know would help!

[Ahoya06]

Can't help you from way back, but I do know I went to an MU women's game in the Auditorium somewhere around 2000 or 2001. Once in a blue moon, they played there, when there were no other available venues. Some of the seats in the orchestra were removed for the court, and folding chairs were set up. It was quite possibly the weirdest venue I've ever been to for a basketball game.

[rocky_warrior]

Hmmm...I was able to find that on Google.  Wish I could have seen it.

Feb. 21, 2001

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University Athletics Department will honor Carol Wolter with the seventh annual Milwaukee Women's Sports Leader of the Year Award, sponsored jointly by Marquette and Conference USA.

Wolter will receive the award for more than 40 years of service to women's and girls' athletics at a halftime ceremony during the Feb. 23 women's basketball game between Marquette and Saint Louis at the Milwaukee Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Funny, before I started researching this I never even knew Marquette had played games at the Auditorium.  Don't even know if I can call myself a fan anymore 

[Ahoya06]

I never knew the Men played a single game there, so don't feel too bad!

[ChicosBailBonds]

Hmmm...I was able to find that on Google.  Wish I could have seen it.

Feb. 21, 2001

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University Athletics Department will honor Carol Wolter with the seventh annual Milwaukee Women's Sports Leader of the Year Award, sponsored jointly by Marquette and Conference USA.

Wolter will receive the award for more than 40 years of service to women's and girls' athletics at a halftime ceremony during the Feb. 23 women's basketball game between Marquette and Saint Louis at the Milwaukee Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Funny, before I started researching this I never even knew Marquette had played games at the Auditorium.  Don't even know if I can call myself a fan anymore 

I had a picture in my office when MU played at the Auditorium.  I'm sure if you went to the Al they have some photos somewhere of it.

[77fan88warrior]

Was the MECCA capacity 11,052?

[MikeyT42]

if my memory serves me correct. Ground Breaking for the Bradley Center was done, the day I was born. November 20th 1985

I was a really smart baby

[Marquette84]

Was the MECCA capacity 11,052?

For a time, yes.  It was also 10,746 and 10,938. 

If I recall, the bump from 10,746 to 10,938 came with new seats in the end-zone bleachers.  The bump from 10,938 to 11,052 came with the replacement of the seats over the tunnels. 

[romey]

I have in my hands a very old publication that I received one Christmas that became my basketball bible so to speak.  The Milwaukee Bucks had won the NBA Championship the year before and the National Basketball Association Guide for 1971-72 was under the Christmas tree.  I wore that thing out.  According to the guide, the Milwaukee Arena was the home of the Bucks and had a capacity of 10,746.  I know Marquette played there at that time as well because we went to the games there.  It was always the Milwaukee Arena to me.  I fact, I don't remember the arena being referred to as the MECCA even when I attended MU in the early 80's 

[romey]

One more thing that caught my eye - ticket prices for the Bucks games  - per the NBA guide 1971-72 $7.0, $5.50, $4.50 and $3.50!!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I have in my hands a very old publication that I received one Christmas that became my basketball bible so to speak.  The Milwaukee Bucks had won the NBA Championship the year before and the National Basketball Association Guide for 1971-72 was under the Christmas tree.  I wore that thing out.  According to the guide, the Milwaukee Arena was the home of the Bucks and had a capacity of 10,746.  I know Marquette played there at that time as well because we went to the games there.  It was always the Milwaukee Arena to me.  I fact, I don't remember the arena being referred to as the MECCA even when I attended MU in the early 80's 

The thing I like about your post, romey, is imagining a kid today receiving a NBA guide under the Christmas tree. I'm not sure it would go over well. If it's not a video these days, forget about it! I myself used to go over the season end baseball statistics from November until March!

[romey]

Funny thing is, I had older brothers who had girlfriends and they would come over Christmas Eve to open their gifts with my parents.  I had three other siblings, not part of the Christmas Eve ritual (good midwestern Catholic family - 7 of us kids).  Our gift opening was in the morning.  So to appease us on Christmas Eve, we each got to open one gift.  Mine was the guide.  I never slept that night!!  I pored over that guide with a flashlight all night long!   And I couldn't tell you any other gift I received the next morning.

[Sir Lawrence]

From the online archives of the year book "The Hilltop", I found in the 1917 edition the story of how basketball got off the ground at MU--and that the games were held at the Milwaukee Public School owned "Lapham park pavilion" floor (located at, 650 W. Reservoir Ave., Milwaukee {corner of North Sixth Street
and West Reservoir Avenue}) and that the Milwaukee school board wouldn't allow MU to charge admission (see page 169):

http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p4007hilltop&CISOPTR=44720&REC=3

The 1921 edition describes games and crowd sizes at the Milwaukee Auditorium (p. 202) as well as mentioning that other games were played at the YMCA:

http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p4007hilltop&CISOPTR=38260&REC=2

Then in the 1951 edition, there is a reference to playing in the Arena, but also in the gym on Clybourn street, and a photo that sure looks like the Old Gym (on page 201). 

http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p4007hilltop&CISOPTR=20367&REC=1

The 1952 edition of the Hilltop has the BB season summarized on pages 216 to 225, and talks again about a game in the "new" arena, and other games in the gym, with photos of each venue:

http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p4007hilltop&CISOPTR=42510&REC=2

Don't have the time right now to go through more but the advanced search feature is pretty user friendly.

[rocky_warrior]

Great idea Sir Lawrence - I completely forgot about the Hilltopper archives.

Looking at the 1918 sports section, the team had nowhere to practice (since the Gym wasn't built yet) so they were ill prepared for their first few opponents.  It does look like "home" games were played at the YMCA at that time.

The 1915 version mentions that they were unable to put a team together that year due to a lack of facilities.  What a difference 93 years makes

[oldwarrior81]

there also are pictures from 1955 of a MU-Bowling Green game in the Clybourn gym.
I believe MU did play games in the Arena shortly after in opened in 1950.

[Sir Lawrence]

there also are pictures from 1955 of a MU-Bowling Green game in the Clybourn gym.
I believe MU did play games in the Arena shortly after in opened in 1950.

Found it.  The first college game played at the Arena (or MECCA, which it was renamed much later) was on December 19, 1950.  MU beat UW 61-58.