Convocation Center (Eastern Michigan University)
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The George Gervin GameAbove Center, formerly known as the Convocation Center, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located on
Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public university, public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal ...
’s west campus. Opened in 1998 as part of a campus upgrade initiative, the George Gervin GameAbove Center is a structure that features three levels including arena, concourse, and office. The arena also has multiple seating configurations to maximize space usage. The building serves as the home to EMU athletics and also hosts a wide variety of special events including concerts, conferences, graduations, fairs, trade shows, political rallies, and more. On September 7, 2023, EMU unveiled a commemorative statue for George Gervin, built by artist Ben Victor. The ceremony was attended by Gervin.


History

Construction began in 1996 and was completed in time for the 1998-99 winter sports season; its first men's basketball game was on November 25, 1998, against
Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...
, who defeated EMU 54–53. The Convocation Center was officially dedicated before a near-sellout crowd on December 9, 1998, in an 86–63 loss to
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. Since its opening, it has served as home court for the Eagles' men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. The EMU wrestling team has held several dual meets on the arena floor. It has also served as the site for two
Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...
Championships. EMU hosted the 2000 MAC Gymnastics Championship and the 2002 MAC Wrestling Championship. It has been the host site for four first-round MAC Women's Basketball Tournament games, three first-round MAC Volleyball Tournament games and one first-round game for the men's basketball squad. On December 11, 2021, the arena was renamed to the George Gervin GameAbove Center in honor of Basketball Hall of Fame member and EMU alumnus
George Gervin George Gervin ( ; born April 27, 1952), nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Virginia Squires, ...
. Along with their commitment to EMU Athletics, it has hosted concerts. It is also the site for EMU's spring and winter commencement ceremonies. Other events have included youth sporting competitions, high school commencements, trade shows, job fairs, conventions, charity and community awareness events and a circus.


Layout

The facility features three levels (arena, concourse, and office) and three seating configurations to maximize crowd capacity and space usage. The largest
seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
is for center-stage entertainment activities, with 9,500 seats available. The capacity for basketball games is approximately 8,800. EMU's athletic administration is located on the office level, along with offices for the EMU football, men's and women's basketball and volleyball coaching staffs. The EMU Sports Information Office, as well as offices for the staff, are located on the office level. The main athletic training room and office space for EMU's sports medicine staff is located on the arena level as are strength and conditioning facilities and equipment rooms.


Floor and capacity

* 360 Center Stage (9,375) * Athletic Events (8,800) * End Stage (7,765; sold at 270 degrees / 6,442; sold at 180 degrees)


Rentable spaces

* Arena Floor (with seats retracted) ** 170' x 120' ** * Arena Floor (without seats retracted) ** 131' x 79' ** * Atrium ** 66' x 103' ** * Eagle's Nest ** 75 person capacity ** can be divided into three smaller rooms ** Premium viewing area for the arena * Dressing Rooms / Auxiliary Spaces ** Two visiting team locker rooms, each equipped with carpet, 16 full lockers and full shower and restroom amenities ** Two officials locker rooms, each equipped with four full lockers and full shower and restroom amenities ** Media Room A, a 33' x 17' carpeted room capable of seating up to 60 theater style. This room is ideal for production or food service location


Athletic events


EMU basketball

On March 18, 2014, Eastern Michigan received national attention when a CollegeInsider.com tournament game at the Convo – EMU's first men's basketball postseason game in 16 years – drew 373 fans. Senior forward Glenn Bryant tweeted his frustration at the small crowd, which was picked up by national media. Despite a 22-win season, EMU drew an average of 901 fans per home game in 2013–14 (10.2% of capacity). In 2014–15, EMU chalked up 21 wins and another postseason berth (at the
College Basketball Invitational The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI sel ...
); however, attendance was even lower, just 776 per contest. Attendances have picked up since then, however: another 21-win season (and another CBI berth) in 2015-16 drew 1,228 per game; a 16–17 mark in 2016-17 averaged 1,245; and the 2017–18 season saw Eastern draw 1,513 fans per contest, including 4,767 for their home opener and 1,138 for a CIT victory over Niagara. (Eastern has never come close to selling out in its history; even the 1998 opener against Michigan featured over a thousand empty seats.)


2008 WNBA Finals

Due to the unavailability of
The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...
, the
Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. Th ...
moved three WNBA playoff games to the Convo Center in the fall of 2008: two games in the Eastern Conference Finals and Game 3 of the
2008 WNBA Finals The 2008 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2008 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Detroit Shock, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars, top-seeded champ ...
, against the
San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before th ...
. The Shock won game 3 and the WNBA title, 76–60; the contest was broadcast nationally on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
.


Special events

The building serves as the home to EMU athletics and also hosts a wide variety of special events including concerts, conferences, graduations, fairs, trade shows, political rallies, and more. Some of our more notable events include Jay-Z, Bob Seger, Bernie Sanders, Ellie Goulding, The Killers, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Tiesto, St. Joseph Charity Ball, Harlem Globetrotters, and the WNBA Finals. The center was used for the graduation of the EMU class of 2000. The main speaker was William Jefferson Clinton with an intro from his Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, an EMU alumnus.


See also

*
List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas This is a list of arenas that currently serve as the home venue for NCAA Division I college basketball teams. Conference affiliations reflect those in the 2024–25 season; all affiliation changes officially took effect on July 1, 2024. The aren ...


References


External links

* {{Mid-American Conference basketball venue navbox 1998 establishments in Michigan Eastern Michigan Eagles sports venues College basketball venues in Michigan Detroit Shock venues Eastern Michigan Eagles basketball Sports venues completed in 1998 Indoor arenas in Michigan