Walsh Gymnasium

Walsh Gymnasium
New Jersey’s Most Historic Gymnasium
	Walsh Gymnasium during a basketball game in December 2022
Location	Seton Hall University; South Orange, NJ 07079
Coordinates	40°44′30″N 74°14′42″W / 40.741690°N 74.244921°W
Public transit	South Orange station: NJ Transit Morristown Line Gladstone Branch: Weekdays Only NJT Bus : 92
Owner	Seton Hall University
Operator	Seton Hall University
Capacity	1,316 (basketball); 1,100 (volleyball)
Surface	Hardwood
Construction
Broke ground	1939
Opened	1941
Renovated	2020-2021
Construction cost	$600,000; ($13.1 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Anthony J. DePace
Tenants
	Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball (1941–1985; Occasional Non-Big East Games 1985-present); Seton Hall Pirates women's basketball (1973-present); Seton Hall Pirates women's volleyball

Walsh Gymnasium is a multi-purpose arena in South Orange, New Jersey on the campus of Seton Hall University. The arena opened in 1941 and can seat 1,316 people.^[2] It was home to the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team before they moved to the Meadowlands in 1985 and then Prudential Center in 2007. Currently, the arena hosts the women's basketball and volleyball teams, but continues to host men's basketball for preseason exhibitions, postseason invitational games such as early rounds of the NIT, and occasionally a regular season non-conference game if there is a conflict with Prudential Center's event schedule. The building is part of the Richie Regan Recreation & Athletic Center, and, like the school's main library, is named for Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, fifth bishop of Newark and former President of the Board of Trustees.

Walsh hosted a semifinal game of the ECAC Metro Region tournament, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball tournament organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), in 1977.^[3]^[4] The Pirates played two games in the 2012 NIT and three games in the 2024 NIT in Walsh.

History

Walsh Gymnasium was the first permanent basketball facility to be built on the Seton Hall campus. The architect was Anthony J. DePace.^[5] Construction began in 1939 as part of a project that would cost $600,000 (equivalent to $13.1 million in 2023)^[6] and was completed in the winter of 1941, when the men's basketball team played its first-ever game there. According to Alan Delozier in his book "Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History" Seton Hall University president Monsignor James F. Kelley based the Walsh Gymnasium concept on facilities found at St. Catherine's College and Yale University for their multipurpose dynamics.^[7]

When it opened in 1941, Walsh seated 3,200 and was one of the largest arenas in the northeast. The last major renovation, during Tommy Amaker’s coaching tenure in the late 1990s, replaced nearly an entire bank of balcony seating with offices.^[8]

In 2020 Walsh Gymnasium received a significant facelift following the conclusion of the 2019-20 collegiate basketball season. Upgrades included: Complete replacement of the seating including the court level bleachers with chair-back seating; a new center-hung scoreboard, as well as two new video boards flanking the stage; new ceiling-mounted baskets which will replace the portable baskets; a new sound system; and a new hardwood court.^[9]

Events

Over the years, Walsh Gym has been host to countless events including post-season games, religious ceremonies, graduations and concerts featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen.^[10]

References

^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "Facilities". Seton Hall University Athletics. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
^ "ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments - Varsity Pride". jonfmorse.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
^ Varsity Pride: 1977 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
^ "Marine Corps Seeks Men For Volunteer Reserve; DESIGN OF NEW BUILDING FOR SETON HALL COLLEGE". The New York Times. 1939-06-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
^ "Seton Hall College To Get A Gymnasium; Ground for $600,000 Edifice to Be Broken Thursday", The New York Times, June 27, 1939. Accessed April 28, 2022. "Ground for a $600,000 gymnasium, to include an auditorium, a theatre and two swimming pools, will be broken Thursday at Seton Hall College here, it was announced today by the Rev. Dr. James F. Kelley, president of the college."
^ "Walsh Gym Renovation Project Begins". Seton Hall University Athletics. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
^ "Seton Hall Basketball: a first look at renovated Walsh Gym". Asbury Park Press. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
^ "Walsh Gymnasium Renovation to Commence April 2020". Seton Hall University Athletics. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
^ "Walsh Gymnasium - Facilities - Seton Hall University Athletics". Seton Hall University Athletics. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

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[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[Listed_capacity_is_1,655.-2] "Facilities". Seton Hall University Athletics. Retrieved 4 January 2019.

[3] "ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments - Varsity Pride". jonfmorse.com. Retrieved 2023-01-31.

[4] Varsity Pride: 1977 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments

[5] "Marine Corps Seeks Men For Volunteer Reserve; DESIGN OF NEW BUILDING FOR SETON HALL COLLEGE". The New York Times. 1939-06-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-04.

[6] "Seton Hall College To Get A Gymnasium; Ground for $600,000 Edifice to Be Broken Thursday", The New York Times, June 27, 1939. Accessed April 28, 2022. "Ground for a $600,000 gymnasium, to include an auditorium, a theatre and two swimming pools, will be broken Thursday at Seton Hall College here, it was announced today by the Rev. Dr. James F. Kelley, president of the college."

[7] "Walsh Gym Renovation Project Begins". Seton Hall University Athletics. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

[8] "Seton Hall Basketball: a first look at renovated Walsh Gym". Asbury Park Press. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

[9] "Walsh Gymnasium Renovation to Commence April 2020". Seton Hall University Athletics. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.

[10] "Walsh Gymnasium - Facilities - Seton Hall University Athletics". Seton Hall University Athletics. Retrieved 3 December 2021.

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v t e Basketball arenas of the Big East Conference
Men only	Capital One Arena (Georgetown) CHI Health Center Omaha (Creighton) Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence) Fiserv Forum (Marquette) Madison Square Garden (St. John's) Prudential Center (Seton Hall) Wells Fargo Center (Villanova)
Women only	Alumni Hall (Providence) D. J. Sokol Arena (Creighton) McDonough Gymnasium (Georgetown) McGrath–Phillips Arena (DePaul) Al McGuire Center (Marquette) Walsh Gymnasium (Seton Hall)
Both sexes	Carnesecca Arena (St. John's) Cintas Center (Xavier) Finneran Pavilion (Villanova) Gampel Pavilion (UConn) Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler) Wintrust Arena (DePaul) XL Center (UConn)

v t e Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey
Academics	College of Arts & Sciences Stillman School of Business College of Education and Human Services School of Health and Medical Sciences Whitehead School of Diplomacy School of Law Immaculate Conception School of Theology College of Nursing
Athletics	Walsh Gymnasium Prudential Center The Pirates Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Men's soccer Fight song
History	Boland Hall fire Seal
People	Alumni and faculty
Media and publications	The Setonian The Stillman Exchange Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations The Liberty Bell The Whitehead Envoy WSOU

v t e Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball
Venues	Walsh Gymnasium (1939–1982) Continental Airlines Arena (1982–2007) Prudential Center (2007–present)
Rivalries	Rutgers
Culture & lore	Gambling scandal "Onward Setonia"
People	Head coaches NBA draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1903–04 1904–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

History

Events

See also

References