McCann Arena is a 3,200-seat multi-purpose
arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
in
Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson River Valley region, midway between the core of the New ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. It was built in 1977 and is home to the
Marist University
Marist University is a private university in Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Marist was founded by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic Church, Catholic religious institute, in 1905 to prepare brothers for their ...
Red Foxes
The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plu ...
men's and women's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and women's
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
teams.
The arena's namesake is James J. McCann. McCann was born in Poughkeepsie in 1880, and operated, along with his family, the McCann Feed and Grain Store on Main Street. McCann did well in the stock market and used the assets to establish the McCann Foundation in 1967, two years before his death, which began awarding money in 1969 for "progressive human welfare work."
A
maple
''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...
floor was originally donated by former
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) All-Star
Rik Smits for use by his alma mater. Following an accidental soaking of the court by a fire sprinkler, Smits re-donated a new court. A display honoring Smits, including an
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
jersey, can be found next to the basketball court. Another capital improvement in 2005 included the introduction of a NBA-style scorer's table. This project featured enhanced seating along the North baseline and an imposing high
student section
A student section or student cheering section is a group of students, student fans that supports its school's student athlete, athletic teams at spectator sport, sporting events; they are known for being one of the most visible and vocal sections o ...
along the south baseline. The student section and pep band have seats located less than from the baseline, creating an imposing and loud student section.
A summer 2011 renovation to the field house upgraded the facility to more modern standards for the college's
Division 1 indoor-athletics programs. The original bleachers were removed and replaced with chair-back seating, with corner seating added to maintain capacity and to create more of an atmosphere typically seen at a sports
arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
. The floor was replaced with a new, all-maple hardwood surface; the lobby and restrooms were renovated, and an addition to the south end of the field house provides new men's and women's locker rooms, as well as offices for both basketball teams.
The project designer was
Robert A.M. Stern Architects while construction was managed by Kirchhoff Consigli. The new floor was retrofit with a ScissorLoc™ DC subfloor system by Aacer Sports Flooring, complete with the PowerVent™ airflow system to ensure environmental control below the Northern Hard Rock Maple surface.
Additionally video scoreboards were added in two opposite corners of the arena and a video table was added.
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
{{Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference basketball venue navbox
College basketball venues in New York (state)
Marist Red Foxes men's basketball
Sports venues in Dutchess County, New York
Buildings and structures in Poughkeepsie, New York
1977 establishments in New York (state)
Sports venues completed in 1977
College volleyball venues in the United States
Volleyball venues in New York (state)