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Alumni Coliseum - McBrayer Arena
Alumni Coliseum (Paul S. McBrayer Arena) has been the home arena for Eastern Kentucky University basketball since the 1963-64 season when the team moved from the Weaver Health Building where it had a record of 225-51 in 31 years.
McBrayer Arena has seen a number of modifi cations and rennovations recently. In the summer of 2014 a new playing surface was installed. It is the fi rst time the court had been replaced since Alumni Coliseum was completed in 1963. The new court is a Connor Floor and is made of grade one maple. Besides the fresh look and design, the fl oor off ers much more resiliency, less wear and tear on knees, and a greater traction and “spring” for student-athletes.
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Other recent improvements include new lighting, more attractive louvers and new basketball goals. Less than 10 schools nationwide had the new indoor LED lighting technology when it was installed. The new system provides much stronger lighting on the playing surface, increasing the strength by more than 100 foot-candles. The new basketball goals are used in the Olympic Games and by many professional and top collegiate teams.
During the summer of 2013, a new video board was installed in McBrayer Arena. The display, manufactured by Daktronics, measures approximately 15 feet high by 26 feet wide and features 10 millimeter line spacing. This display will show one large image to highlight live video and instant replays. It is also able to show a variety of graphics, animations, advertisements, statistics and scoring information.
Included with the video board is a custom audio system. This audio system is integrated with the video and scoring system to enhance the game-day atmosphere.
Since the basketball team began playing its games in AC, the Colonels have compiled an overall record of 505 wins and 248 losses. In the 58-year history of McBrayer Arena, Eastern has suff ered only nine losing seasons in the building.
EKU was a perfect 14-0 in McBrayer Arena in 1990-91 and nearly achieved the same feat on fi ve other occasions, when the Colonels lost only one home game. The 2012-13 team tied the arena record with 15 wins.
Located on a southern slope of the EKU campus, Alumni Coliseum forms the nucleus of a thoughtfully-planned sports complex. The Coliseum is a massive physical plant and features a great triumph in architectural design with its wooden laminated cross-arched roof — the world’s largest of its kind — spanning 309 feet and providing an unobstructed view of events held in the main auditorium. A total of 616,276 board feet of lumber form the 170 beams and roof, which arches gracefully 81 feet above the fl oor level. The wood is southern pine fi nished in its natural beauty.
In addition to the main auditorium, which seats 6,500 for basketball games and 8,000 for other programs, the building contains a practice gymnasium on the east end, numerous athletics offi ces, an indoor pool, shower and locker rooms, a media room and an athletic training room.
Before the start of the 2006-07 season, brand new scoreboards were added above the north and south bleachers.
EKU in McBrayer Arena
Year W- L Pct. 1963-64 8- 2 .800 1964-65 10- 2 .833 1965-66 9- 3 .750 1966-67 3- 7 .300 1967-68 6- 4 .600 1968-69 9- 3 .750 1969-70 9- 3 .750 1970-71 10- 3 .769 1971-72 8- 2 .800 1972-73 6- 4 .600 1973-74 5- 5 .500 1974-75 7- 6 .538 1975-76 6- 4 .600 1976-77 5- 8 .385 1977-78 9- 4 .692 1978-79 14- 1 .933 1979-80 12- 1 .923 1980-81 7- 6 .538 1981-82 2- 10 .167 1982-83 7- 6 .538 1983-84 9- 3 .750 1984-85 10- 3 .769 1985-86 9- 6 .600 1986-87 12- 2 .857 1987-88 12- 1 .923 1988-89 4- 10 .286 1989-90 8- 5 .615 1990-91 14- 0 1.000 1991-92 10- 3 .769 1992-93 10- 2 .833 1993-94 9- 2 .818 1994-95 5- 7 .417 1995-96 9- 4 .692 1996-97 8- 4 .667 1997-98 6- 6 .500 1998-99 2- 9 .182 1999-00 5- 8 .385 2000-01 6- 7 .462 2001-02 7- 6 .538 2002-03 8- 6 .571 2003-04 11- 3 .786 2004-05 12- 1 .923 2005-06 8- 6 .571 2006-07 11- 3 .786 2007-08 9- 7 .562 2008-09 12- 2 .857 2009-10 15- 3 .833 2010-11 8- 5 .615 2011-12 11- 3 .786 2012-13 15- 1 .938 2013-14 12- 2 .857 2014-15 13- 4 .765 2015-16 10- 6 .625 2016-17 8- 6 .571 2017-18 6- 7 .462 2018-19 9- 5 .643 2019-20 10- 4 .714 2020-21 10- 2 .833
