The Knapp Center is a 6,424-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

on the campus of

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. His ...

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States. It was built in 1992. The Knapp Center is the center building for three athletic buildings combined. The Bell Center to the west is a general athletic building with offices, a pool, gym, and locker rooms. To the east is the Shivers' Basketball Practice facility, which opened in 2014. The Knapp Center itself also holds a weight room by the northwest corner of the basketball court. The namesake of the arena comes from William Knapp, who is the chairman of Iowa Realty and a member of the Drake University Board of Trustees. He played a key role in financing the arena with a $3 million gift towards construction.2011-12 Drake Men's Basketball Yearbook
/ref> After receiving a donation from

Hy-Vee Hy-Vee, Inc. () is an employee-owned chain of supermarkets in the Midwestern and Southern United States, with more than 280 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and soon Indiana, Kentucky, ...

, the court was named in honor Drake alum and former Hy-Vee CEO Ron Pearson as "Ron Pearson Court" on September 18, 2010. Renovations in the summer of 2022 reconfigured the lower bowl of seating, reducing capacity but filling in corners and adding premium seating options. https://www.draketix.com/knappcenterrenovation

Events

The arena is the home arena for Drake Men's and Women's Basketball and Drake Women's Volleyball. The first Drake Bulldogs basketball game was played on December 5, 1992. During a

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

record 47 straight conference win streak spanning from 2016 to 2019, the

Drake Bulldogs women's basketball The Drake Bulldogs women's basketball team represents Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. Drake competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. Record By year Drake was awarded a forfeit victory ...

team recorded a conference record 22 straight home conference wins during the span. Both records are second in NCAA women's history to UConn Huskies women's basketball. During the

Drake Relays The Drake Relays (officially the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom) is an outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University. Billed as ''America's Athletic Classic'', i ...

the arena hosts the Beautiful Bulldog Contest and serves as a media center for athlete interviews along with providing additional locker room and warm-up facilities for athletes. Each May, in addition to Drake University commencement ceremonies the arena hosts numerous area high school graduation ceremonies. The arena has also hosted media & campaign spin rooms during on-campus political debates and hosted various academic lectures, including lectures from Maya Angelou, Tim Gunn, as well as appearances by former Presidents

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

Gallery

Image:Inside_the_Knapp_Center.JPG, Inside the Knapp Center Image:Knapp Center 2010 3.JPG, Inside the Knapp Center during the Iowa vs Drake game on December 18, 2010

References

External links

The Knapp Center - GoDrakeBulldogs.comDRAKE UNIVERSITY KNAPP CENTER - Shuck-Britson
College basketball venues in the United States Sports in Des Moines, Iowa Sports venues in Greater Des Moines Basketball venues in Iowa Drake Bulldogs men's basketball Tourist attractions in Des Moines, Iowa Buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa Indoor arenas in Iowa 1992 establishments in Iowa Sports venues completed in 1992 College volleyball venues in the United States {{DesMoinesIA-stub

Events

Gallery

See also

References

External links