Vanderbilt’s historic gym takes center stage for Women's NCAA Tournament – USA Today

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gymnasium hasn’t had many moments in the spotlight recently. It’s been 14 years since the Commodores last hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
But now that coach Shea Ralph and sophomore All-American Mikayla Blakes have powered Vandy to the winningest season in school history, Memorial, and all its idiosyncrasies, will be on display. Its character isn’t a design flaw, but rather a slice of history.
Opening in 1952, Memorial Gymnasium is the oldest arena in the SEC. The court is elevated above the first row of fans. And team benches are positioned along the baselines instead of the sidelines. The stands feature a mix of both the original wood benches and modern seating.
For most of its history, coaches were forced to operate from the baseline, out of earshot from players on the other side of the court. It wasn’t until the 2015-16 season that the NCAA approved the use of a sideline coach’s box, a designated area on the floor where they can actually communicate with their team.
“When I was here as an assistant, I don’t think the coaches could go on the sideline. I remember as a player I loved it, I was like, ‘I couldn’t hear you, coach,’” Illinois women’s basketball head coach Shauna Green said.
So why the strange design?
The arena was originally built to serve as both a gymnasium and a concert hall. The raised court required bench placement along the baseline rather than the sidelines to preserve clear sightlines for students.
Architect Edwin Keeble drew inspiration for Memorial Gymnasium when studying architecture in France. He enjoyed playing basketball in a Paris YMCA basement gym, but the story goes that he repeatedly ran into one issue — the wall at the edge of the court. When returning to Nashville, he set out to design a court with plenty of space beyond the basket.
While basketball and volleyball have been the primary recent events in the venue, it has also hosted concerts, boxing and tennis matches. Memorial welcomed Martin Luther King Jr. for the 1967 annual student IMPACT speakers symposium and was the site of Otis Redding’s final concert.
With the addition of the elaborate March Madness branding this weekend, the arena has been brought to life in a whole new way.
“It’s so cool,” Ralph said. “I just spent 20 minutes walking around on the court making sure I knew where my box was. Same as it always is, but I get in trouble every game. It looks great. It looks amazing.”
Fans have dubbed the unique atmosphere “Memorial Magic,” which has translated to success for the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team. The Commodores are 16-0 at home this season. They’ll look to extend their win streak at 7 p.m. ET Monday night against Illinois.
Lily Cincola is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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