Schmidt Gymnasium was the home venue of Razorback basketball at the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

from 1923 until 1937. Completed prior to the Razorbacks' inaugural season, the gym was a former car showroom and garage that local businessman Jay Fulbright (father of future U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, University of Arkansas president, and Razorback football player,

J. William Fulbright James William Fulbright (April 9, 1905 – February 9, 1995) was an American politician, academic, and statesman who represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1945 until his resignation in 1974. , Fulbright is the longest-serving chair ...

) worked to acquire with

Francis Schmidt Francis Albert Schmidt (December 3, 1885 – September 19, 1944) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1919–1921), the University of Ark ...

when Schmidt became athletic director and coach of the basketball, football, and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

teams in 1922. The wooden gym was made from surplus

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

material and became known as "Schmidt's barn" or "Schmitty's barn" in reference to the coach who started the basketball program and its makeshift nature. Schmidt Gymnasium was built just north of the fine arts building on campus. After the 1936–37 season, the building was sold and moved to Fayetteville High School, before it became a river cabin on Big Piney Creek near

Russellville, Arkansas Russellville is the county seat of and the largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a 2022 estimated population of 29,133. It is home to Arkansas Tech University. Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant is nea ...

. The Razorbacks then played their basketball games at the Men's Gymnasium from the 1937–38 season until the 1954–55 season.

References

Arkansas Razorbacks basketball venues Defunct college basketball venues in the United States 1923 establishments in Arkansas 1937 disestablishments in Arkansas {{Arkansas-sports-venue-stub