CU events center Colorado Quick Facts Dedicated: 1979 First Women’s Basketball Game: Nov. 16, 1979 (Colorado State, W 112-48) Capacity: 11,064 Construction Cost: $7,579,756 Student Seats: 4,000 Basketball Seasons: 39 CU’s all-time record at CECC: 430-176 (.710) Recent additions: Permanent Playing Surface (2008), Practice Facility (2011) New Floor Design (2016), Center-Hung Videoboard (2017) Also home to: Colorado Men’s Basketball, Colorado Volleyball Undefeated Seasons: Five (1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1992-93, 1993-94) Longest Home Win Streak: 53 (Feb. 20, 1980, through Nov. 19, 1983) Longest Home Conference Streak: 31 (Jan. 25, 1992, through Feb. 2, 1996) Since 1979, the CU Events Center on the southwest edge of the Boulder main campus has been home to Colorado women’s basketball. It is the home of the NCAA’s eighth-longest all-time home court win streak, the Big Eight Conference’s longest home league streak and home to five undefeated home seasons. The most dramatic changes in the 32-year history of the CU Events Center have taken place in the last decade, culminating with the dedication of a 43,000 square foot practice facility in August 2011. CU made the commitment to enhance the basketball program by reconfiguring the second level of the CU Events Center for a basketball operations center. The headquarters for Colorado Basketball, completed in April 2008, allows the Buffs’ coaches, student-athletes and staff more convenient access to the playing floor, practice gym, locker rooms, weight room and sports medicine facilities within the Events Center. During the summer of 2008 the CU Events Center underwent a $200,000 “Floor Lift” as a permanent maple surface was installed. The high-grade maple gives the floor and almost white appearance and features the signature Buffalo on Sox Walseth Court. 13 NCAA Tournaments, 6 Sweet Sixteens, 3 Elite Eights 267 CU events center The CU Events Center received another floor lift in the summer of 2016 with a complete redesign. The new features include a black outline surrounding the floor, and most notably, prominently display the Boulder Flatirons outlined along the sideline opposite the benches. A new Bose sound system was also installed in 2016. In the summer of 2017, the CU Events Center received yet another major aesthetic and fan experience upgrade when a brand new, center-hung video and scoreboard was installed. The system includes almost 700 square feet of 6 millimeter digital high definition LED boards and state-of-the-art video processing and graphic interfacing capabilities. The scoreboards include a center court camera recessed in a CU logo. The $10.8 million practice facility, built from private funding, opened in August 2011 adding two full basketball/volleyball courts, a new women’s basketball locker room and additional coaches offices and meeting rooms. The facility is attached to the north side of the CU Events Center and allows CU basketball and volleyball student-athletes greater access and teams better flexibility in practice and workout scheduling. Top Home Crowds Attend. Opponent Date Result 11,199 UNLV 3/18/89 L 74-84 11,198 Oregon 3/19/94 W 92-71 11,072 Holy Cross 3/16/95 W 83-49 11,072 Southwest Missouri State 3/18/95 W 78-34 Basketball 10,929 Kansas 2/4/94 W 75-67 10,322 Tennessee 12/17/94 L 72-78 9,531 UC-Santa Barbara 3/20/93 W 81-54 9,121 Iowa State 2/19/94 W 83-38 8,521 Nebraska 2/21/93 W 71-63 The structure matches the campus architectural Charles 8,282 Kansas State 2/23/02 W 79-58 Klauder theme, a northern Italian, rural Tuscany influence, with varicolored sandstone and red-tiled roofs to match the other 200- plus buildings on the CU-Boulder campus. Colorado The practice facility was given LEED Platinum Certification, the highest possible by the internationally recognized system developed by the US Green Building Council. The CU Events Center is within walking distance from all points of campus, and parking for Colorado basketball games is free to the public in the parking garage located just north of the arena. The southwest entrance faces the majestic flatirons, the mountains located west of campus, providing Colorado fans with one of most beautiful views in all of collegiate athletics when they arrive to the game. CU has hosted its share of concerts. Bob Dylan, Jack Ingram and Juice Newton are just some of the artists who have taken the stage in the Events Center, providing an indoor venue for CU students and Boulder residents equipped to attract some of the best entertainers in the World. 268 2018-19 Colorado Women’s Basketball Colorado Basketball Milestones March 19, 1898—Miss Longon (of East Denver) The Buffs are ranked 20th and celebrate with a season as the nation’s 25th-ranked team. organizes a team and is elected captain. The first 134-33 win over Fort Carson. girls’ basketball game is played at the University March 20, 1993—An 81-74 win over UC-Santa and Denver East High School defeats the Univ- June 14, 1980—Sox Walseth, after a 20-year Barbara in the second round of the NCAA Tour- er-sity, 21-9. career with the CU men’s team, is named Colo- nament catapults the Buffs into the Sweet 16 for rado’s fourth women’s basketball coach. the first time in the program’s history. Colorado 1899—Miss Pinger is elected captain and Colo- would go on to beat defending national cham- rado defeats Colorado Agricultural College, January 15, 1983—Colorado’s first game as a pion Stanford, 80-67, in the regional semifinal twice. member of the Big Eight Conference. The Buffs before falling to eventual national champion lose at Kansas State, 59-75. Texas Tech, 79-54, in the regional final. 1900—Miss Elwell is elected captain and the University has an undefeated season (number March 11, 1983—With four rebounds in the April 16, 1993—After 19 seasons as the Lady of games unknown). first half against Kansas State, Lisa Van Goor Buffs, head coach Ceal Barry announces that the becomes the first Colorado basketball player, team will be referred to as the Buffaloes, drop- February 3, 1900—The University defeats male or female, to grab 1,000 rebounds. She ping the moniker, Lady. Colorado Agricultural College, 30-2. Admission reached the milestone in only her third season. to the game is 25 cents and there is a dance February 25, 1994—The Big 12 Conference given afterwards paid for by the money raised March 15, 1983—After three seasons with the is formed when Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas for admission. Lady Buffs and 20 seasons with the CU men’s and Texas Tech merge with existing Big Eight team, head coach Sox Walseth announces his Conference schools Colorado, Iowa State, retirement. Walseth compiled a career record of Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, 338-266 from 1957-83. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, to create one of Colorado April 12, 1983—Ceal Barry was named Colora- the most formidable women’s basketball confer- do’s fifth head coach in program history. ences in the country. February 23, 1985—Fifth-year senior Lisa Van February 26, 1995—Colorado escapes a last Goor scores 19 points against Kansas State to second shot and beats Kansas State, 74-71, in become the first basketball player in Colorado Manhattan, to become only the second team in history, male or female, to eclipse the 2,000- Big Eight history to have an undefeated (14-0) point career mark, passing Cliff Meely’s 1,940 league season. points. She also became the first CU player to March 13, 1995—Colorado is voted the score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 boards. second-ranked team in the country in the final Associated Press poll of the 1994-95 season. It February 25, 1989—Colorado beats Kansas, Basketball 70-51, in Lawrence, to become the first Big is the highest ranking in the program’s and Big Eight Conference’s history. 1902 Team Eight Conference team to register an undefeated (14-0) conference record. March 23, 1995—In defeating George Wash- March 14, 1902—University defeats Agri- ington, 77-61, Colorado won its 30th game cultural College, 47-8. March 28, 1989—A crowd of 11,199 fans pack the CU Events/Conference Center to watch No. of the season, a program record and its January 17, 1975—A 57-54 win over Weber 9 Colorado play then-No. 16 UNLV in the second 25th-straight game, the longest winning streak State, in the season-opener in Boulder, gives the round of the NCAA Tournament. It is the largest in Colorado history in any sport. program its first win. It also marks Colorado’s crowd to watch a women’s basketball game in March 31, 1995—Shelley Sheetz was named first varsity game and first as a member of the Boulder. Colorado’s first Kodak All-American. The Intermountain Conference. November 24, 1992—Colorado is ranked in announcement came from Minneapolis, Minn., March 20, 1978—Maureen “Rene” Portland is the preseason AP poll for the first time in the sight of the 1995 Final Four. named Colorado’s third head women’s basket- program’s history. The Buffs enter the 1992-93 November 14, 1995—Head coach Ceal Barry ball coach. May 11, 1979—Corky O’Rourke (Most Valuable Player Award), Sue Horner (Senior and Lead- ership Award), Lizz Brugger (Coach’s Award) and Kim Scheidt (Most Improved Player Award) are honored at the first University of Colorado women’s sports banquet.