Williams Arena is located on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. The most popular sport played at Williams Arena is Gophers men's and women's basketball. Williams Arena was opened in 1928. It is one of the oldest college arenas in the country. From 1928 to 1950, Williams Arena was simply known as the Minnesota Field House. In the 1950s the arena was renamed after Dr. Henry L. Williams, who was the Gopher football coach from 1900 to 1921. Williams Arena is often referred to as "The Barn" today.
Williams Arena hosts a myriad of collegiate sporting events, including volleyball matches and gymnastic and wrestling meets. The Williams Arena schedule however has its most popular dates when the men's basketball team hosts its Big Ten opponents. The Big Ten is one of the premier conferences in the nation, and top-ranked teams often come to visit the Gophers at Williams Arena.
The court is raised at Williams Arena, requiring players, coaches and refs to climb steps to reach the playing surface. The raised floor remains at Williams Arena despite its safety hazards because it is part of the tradition of the arena.
Williams Arena has a large capacity and sells many tickets to the events on its schedule. Until the Marriott Center was opened at Brigham Young University in 1971, Williams Arena had the leading capacity of any collegiate basketball arena in the nation. From 1993 to today, Williams Arena seats 14,321 fans.
Parking around Williams Arena in Minneapolis is easy to access. There are ramps up and down University Avenue and 4th Street. The Oak Street ramp is a cheap alternative if you don't mind walking a little further.
Minnesota Gophers men's basketball tickets are hotter than ever right now. The Gophers is currently the hottest ticket in Minneapolis. Tubby Smith is running the show at Williams Arena for the Gophers, and he is bringing in fans simply with his aura. Don't hesitate to get Gophers men's basketball tickets or you won't have a seat.
