Photograph Courtesy Of Scott Trade Center
When the Billikens open their season against UM–St. Louis on November 14, the game will mark more than a heated rivalry: It will be the first regular-season game inside Chaifetz Arena. Compared to last year, when the men’s team shot hoops inside the enormous Scottrade Center and the ladies held court at the 88-year-old Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center, the arena comes as a welcome change. Here’s why.
Suitable Seating
Chaifetz Arena seats 10,600 screaming fans. Last season, the equivalent of a sellout game at Chaifetz would have filled just half the seats at the Scottrade Center. For the ladies, the new arena packs in nearly five times as many fans as Bauman-Eberhardt.
Keeping Score
Forty-five-foot scoreboards in the arena’s four corners make it easy to scope the score. A ribbon board lining the entire arena provides a running ticker with even more info for stats-obsessed fans.
A Welcome Relief
Finding a restroom won’t be difficult with 14 on the concourse level alone. The new facilities are an even greater relief for the women’s team, which used to share public restrooms with fans because Bauman-Eberhardt’s locker rooms didn’t have running water.
Beyond Basketball
Chaifetz Arena houses far more than the main event. It also boasts a strength and conditioning area, a two-court basketball/volleyball practice facility, a sports medicine facility, administrative offices, 14 luxury suites, a club for private dinners and parties, a fan store and the Billikens Hall of Fame walkway. It literally puts all of the program’s needs under one roof.
Playing Host
Beyond basketball and volleyball games, SLU officials plan to host about 100 other events per year, including concerts, trade shows and more. Chaifetz Arena’s first official event was a Harlem Globetrotters game on April 11. Since then, the facility has hosted the likes of Joe Buck, Barry Manilow and Lil Wayne.
