Helena Frye
Baylor University's basketball team moved into a new home in 2024, after 35 years of playing at the Ferrell Center. The new arena, called the Foster Pavilion, is located on the bank of the Brazos River and was built with a $100 million gift from Paul and Alejandra Foster. The $212 million facility features a capacity of 7,000 seats, with standing room for 500 more, and includes practice courts, offices, and enhanced spaces for non-athletic events. The City of Waco contributed $34 million to the project, allowing it to be used for city-run events on 25 days each year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the new arena | Foster Pavilion |
| Location | Diagonally across I-35 and the Brazos River from McLane Stadium |
| Construction start date | June 2022 |
| Opening date | 2nd January 2024 |
| Cost | $212 million |
| Seating capacity | 7,000 seats with standing room for 500 more spectators |
| Features | Practice courts, dedicated locker rooms, team lounges, shared spaces for strength and conditioning, athletic training facilities, a full catering kitchen, and additional dressing rooms for performers |
| Donors | Paul and Alejandra Foster ($100 million), Paula Hurd ($7 million) |
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What You'll Learn
Baylor opens a new basketball arena
Baylor University has opened a new basketball arena, the Foster Pavilion, which is located along the bank of the Brazos River. The arena, which opened on January 2, 2024, is a $212 million facility with 7,000 seats and standing room for 500 more spectators. The project was launched with a $100 million gift from Paul and Alejandra Foster in 2019 and received additional funding from the City of Waco, which provided $65 million to allow its use as a city-run concert venue. The new arena offers a more intimate environment for basketball than the previous venue, the Ferrell Center, with vertical, elevated seats that give fans the feeling of being right on top of the court. The facility also includes practice courts, dedicated locker rooms, team lounges, and office space for the men's and women's basketball programs.
The opening of the Foster Pavilion marks a significant upgrade to Baylor University's basketball facilities and is expected to give the teams a better home-court advantage. The previous basketball venue, the Ferrell Center, had been in use for 35 years and was home to both the men's and women's basketball teams. With the move to the new arena, the Ferrell Center will be renovated to better serve Baylor's volleyball and acrobatics & tumbling programs.
The first game at the Foster Pavilion was played between Baylor and Cornell on January 2, 2024, with Baylor winning 98-79. The game was attended by billionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates, who is dating Paula Hurd, a member of Baylor's board of regents. The court at the Foster Pavilion also bears the names of Mark and Paula Hurd, following her $7 million donation to the project.
While the arena has been praised for its design and amenities, there has been some criticism regarding the television camera angle, which has been described as frustrating and nauseating for viewers watching the games on television. Despite this, the Foster Pavilion is expected to be a premier home arena for Baylor University's basketball teams and a source of pride for the Baylor community.
The construction of the Foster Pavilion is part of Baylor University's commitment to providing world-class facilities for its athletic programs and is a testament to the university's vision of becoming one of the best in the country. The new arena is expected to bring new energy and excitement to Baylor basketball and will no doubt be a popular destination for fans and students alike.
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The arena is named Foster Pavilion
Baylor University's basketball teams have a new home along the bank of the Brazos River. The $212 million, 7,000-seat arena, with standing room for 500 more spectators, is named the Foster Pavilion. The facility is named for Paul (BBA '79) and Alejandra Foster, whose $100 million gift in 2019 helped launch the project. The pavilion opened on January 2, 2024, with a men's basketball game against Cornell, which Baylor won 98-79.
The Foster Pavilion is a state-of-the-art fieldhouse that offers a more intimate environment for basketball than the Ferrell Center, which was home to Baylor basketball for 35 years. The new arena will help give the Bears and Lady Bears a better home-court advantage. The facility's size and design will help ensure the new venue is packed with Baylor fans night in and night out. The entire venue was built with fans in mind, with vertical, elevated seats that make it feel as though you are right on top of the court.
The Foster Pavilion is located diagonally across I-35 and the Brazos River from McLane Stadium, adjacent to Robinson Tower. The City of Waco contributed $34 million toward the project, with an additional $4.9 million to a private riverfront developer, for a total contribution of $73 million to transform the surrounding area. In return, the city will be able to use the pavilion for concerts, performances, and other public events for 25 days each year, plus 10 city-booked ticketed performances in the first two years and an additional 10 Baylor events annually.
The new arena also includes practice courts, dedicated locker rooms, and team lounges for the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as shared spaces for strength and conditioning, athletic training, and related needs. The facility also features enhancements to host non-athletic events, such as a full catering kitchen and additional dressing rooms for performers.
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The arena is located on the bank of the Brazos River
Baylor University's basketball teams have moved into a new home along the bank of the Brazos River. The $212 million facility, named Foster Pavilion, was inaugurated on January 2, 2024, with a men's basketball game against Cornell, which the Bears won 98-79. The women's team debuted the following night against TCU, another undefeated Big 12 team, in a highly anticipated matchup.
The arena is located diagonally across I-35 and the Brazos River from McLane Stadium, adjacent to Robinson Tower. It is part of a projected $700 million project along the riverfront on University Parks Drive. The City of Waco provided $65 million in funding, allowing the arena to be used as a concert venue for the city for 90 days per year. The city council later revised this agreement, reducing the number of days the city can hold events at the pavilion to 25 per year, plus 10 city-booked ticketed performances in the first two years, and an additional 10 Baylor events annually.
The new arena features 7,000 seats and standing room for 500 more spectators. The vertical, elevated seats are designed to give fans the feeling of being right on top of the court. The facility also includes two 2,000-square-foot video boards, practice courts, dedicated locker rooms, and team lounges. The design and size of the arena are intended to give the Baylor basketball teams a better home-court advantage.
The previous home of Baylor basketball, the Ferrell Center, is located adjacent to the Brazos River. The move to the new Foster Pavilion will allow the Ferrell Center to be renovated and better serve Baylor's volleyball, acrobatics, and tumbling programs.
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The $212 million arena has a capacity of 7,000
Baylor University's basketball teams have moved into a new home, the Foster Pavilion, which sits on the bank of the Brazos River. The $212 million arena has a capacity of 7,000 with standing room for 500 more spectators. The first game was played on 2 January 2024, with the men's team winning 98-79 against Cornell.
The arena is part of a $700 million project along the riverfront on University Parks Drive. The City of Waco provided $65 million in funding, allowing the city to use the pavilion for concerts, performances, and other public events up to 25 days a year. The funding also contributed to a nearby parking garage, river walk reconstruction, and road improvements.
The new arena features two 2,000-square-foot video boards, and vertical, elevated seats to give spectators the feeling of being right on top of the court. The facility will also include dedicated locker rooms, team lounges, and practice courts for the men's and women's teams.
The Foster Pavilion is named for Paul (BBA '79) and Alejandra Foster, whose $100 million gift in 2019 helped launch the project. The court also features the "Mark & Paula Hurd Floor" after her $7 million donation.
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The arena was opened with a game against Cornell
Baylor University's new basketball arena, the Foster Pavilion, opened on January 2, 2024, with a men's basketball game against Cornell, which Baylor won 98-79. The game was attended by billionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates and his partner, Paula Hurd, a member of Baylor's board of regents. The $212 million facility features a 7,000-seat arena with standing room for 500 more spectators. The new arena is located along the bank of the Brazos River and is part of a projected $700 million project to redevelop the riverfront on University Parks Drive.
The Foster Pavilion was named for Paul and Alejandra Foster, whose $100 million gift in 2019 helped launch the project. The pavilion features a more intimate environment for basketball games, with vertical, elevated seats that give spectators the feeling of being right on top of the court. The court also features the "Mark & Paula Hurd Floor", named after Hurd and her late husband, Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, in recognition of Hurd's $7 million donation to the project.
The new arena is a state-of-the-art fieldhouse that includes practice courts, dedicated locker rooms, team lounges, and shared spaces for strength and conditioning. The facility also includes enhancements for hosting non-athletic events, such as a full catering kitchen and additional dressing rooms for performers. The opening of the Foster Pavilion marks a new era for Baylor's basketball teams, who previously played at the Ferrell Center for 35 years.
While the arena was ready for games, there were still parts of the facility that were not yet completed at the time of the opening. The decision to move into the arena before completion was a careful consideration by the athletic director, Mack Rhoades, who wanted to give the basketball programs the best home-court advantage during the Big 12 season. However, the new arena has faced criticism for its television camera angle, which some viewers have described as frustrating and nauseating.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Baylor has built a new basketball arena called Foster Pavilion. The arena is located on the bank of the Brazos River and was opened on January 2, 2024, with a men's basketball game against Cornell, which the Bears won 98-79.
The new Baylor basketball arena, Foster Pavilion, cost around \$212 million to build. The funding for the arena came from various sources, including a \$100 million gift from Paul and Alejandra Foster in 2019, \$7 million from Paula Hurd, and \$65 million from the City of Waco.
Baylor built a new basketball arena to provide a better home-court advantage for its basketball teams and to free up space at the Ferrell Center for other sports programs, such as volleyball and acrobatics & tumbling. The new arena also allows the City of Waco to use the pavilion for concerts, performances, and other public events up to 25 days a year.
