Hanner Fieldhouse
{{Short description|Indoor arena in Statesboro, Georgia, U.S.}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Hanner Fieldhouse
| nickname =
| logo_image =
| logo_caption =
| image = Hanner Fieldhouse.jpg
| fullname =
| former names =
| address = 590 Herty Drive,
Statesboro, GA 30458
| location = Statesboro, Georgia
| coordinates = {{coord|32|25|40|N|81|46|46|W|type:landmark_scale:3000|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground =
| opened = 1969
| cost =
| renovated = 1995, 2016, 2022
| owner = Georgia Southern University
| operator =
| architect =
| capacity = 4,325
| suites =
| record_attendance =
| dimensions =
| acreage =
| volume =
| tenants = Georgia Southern Eagles (NCAA)
Men's basketball (1969–2024)
Women's basketball (1973–2024)
Women's volleyball (1985–present)
| embedded =
| website = {{URL|https://gseagles.com/sports/2013/7/23/MBB_0723133304.aspx|Hanner Fieldhouse}}
| publictransit =
}}
Hanner Fieldhouse is a 4,325-seat{{cite web|title=2015-16 Georgia Southern Men's Basketball|url=http://www.gseagles.com/documents/2015/6/15/2015_16_GS_MBB_Quick_Facts.pdf|publisher=GSEagles.com|access-date=September 12, 2015}} multi-purpose arena in Statesboro in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was built in 1969 and was home to the Georgia Southern University men's and women's basketball teams. It currently serves as home to the Georgia Southern Eagles women's volleyball team. It hosted the 1985 and 1992 Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball tournaments.
In addition to athletic events, Hanner Fieldhouse was also home to the university's fall commencement ceremonies and featured an election rally by then-president George W. Bush in 2006.{{Cite web |date=2006-10-31 |title=President's Visit Excites Folks in Statesboro |url=https://www.wtoc.com/story/5609815/presidents-visit-excites-folks-in-statesboro/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=WTOC 11 |language=en}} In 2007, the university held three separate ceremonies at the facility to accommodate the university's growing number of graduates. The older Hanner Gymnasium, which is part of the newer complex, hosted a Rolling Stones concert on May 4, 1965.
On July 21, 2014, the university announced that Hanner Fieldhouse was closed until further notice for construction. In October 2014, the Fieldhouse reopened after minor renovations and held the university's 23rd-annual fall commencement.
New arena
{{main|Hill Convocation Center}}
In February 2021, Georgia Southern unveiled plans for a new convocation center in the university's "South Campus" expansion to replace Hanner Fieldhouse. The arena was named the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, after the late Jack and Ruth Ann Hill, both of whom were Georgia Southern alumni.{{cite web |last1=Cannady |first1=Dal |title=New Georgia Southern building to be named after Sen. Jack Hill, Ruth Ann Hill |url=https://www.wtoc.com/2021/02/13/new-georgia-southern-building-be-named-after-sen-jack-hill-ruth-ann-hill/ |publisher=WTOC |access-date=September 22, 2021 |date=February 12, 2021}} Natives of nearby Reidsville, Jack Hill was a long-serving Georgia state senator whose district included Statesboro and Bulloch County, and Ruth Ann Hill was a career educator, retiring as principal of Reidsville Elementary School. The convocation center cost $64.4 million and seats 5,500 people for basketball games and up to 5,900 for convocation, commencement, and other events.{{cite web |title=Details finalized for new Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center at Georgia Southern |url=https://news.georgiasouthern.edu/2022/04/26/details-finalized-for-new-hill-convocation-center-at-georgia-southern/ |publisher=Georgia Southern University |access-date=May 28, 2022 |date=April 26, 2022}} Groundbreaking for the new convocation center took place on May 26, 2022, and the center opened in December 2024.{{cite web |title=Groundbreaking held for the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center |url=https://www.wtoc.com/2022/05/26/groundbreaking-held-jack-ruth-ann-hill-convocation-center/ |publisher=WTOC-TV |access-date=May 28, 2022 |date=May 26, 2022}} As of the 2024–25 season, Hill Convocation Center will begin hosting men's and women's basketball games while Hanner Fieldhouse will continue to host women's volleyball matches.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Georgia Southern University}}
{{Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball navbox}}
{{Georgia Southern Eagles women's basketball navbox}}
Category:College basketball venues in the United States
Category:Georgia Southern Eagles men's basketball
Category:Basketball venues in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Buildings and structures in Bulloch County, Georgia