Planned Renovation Project Signals a New Era for Carver-Hawkeye Arena
PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM
Carver-Hawkeye Arena is pictured after a new playing surface was installed and painted this past May and June. The UI also received approval in June to move forward on a renovation project for the arena in the coming years.
What it will look like has yet to be determined. But the modernization of Carver-Hawkeye Arena is coming.
The 43-year-old arena will undergo a renovation project after approval to move forward with planning came from the Iowa Board of Regents in June.
The cost estimate of the project is between $50-70 million dollars, funded entirely through private gifts. The specifics of what is coming, and when the project will begin, haven’t been finalized, but the goal is clear: modernize the arena to improve the game-day experience for fans.
“These renovations will take that next step—making events more exciting, more comfortable, and ensuring we preserve the intimidating atmosphere that helps our teams compete at the highest level.” —Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair
PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM
Carver-Hawkeye Arena is the home of Iowa wrestling, which has led the nation in attendance every year since the 2006-07 season.
“The renovation will not only focus on areas where we can modernize the existing structure, but also direct attention to those areas that have reached end of cycle,” says Matt Henderson (91BS), deputy director of athletics for external relations. “Each of these are important to varying degrees and probably differ, depending on if you are a fan, donor, student-athlete, or staff member.”
The improvements being considered include additional premium seating options and club space, as well as upgrades to the concourse, concession areas, restrooms, and the arena’s seating bowl. An emphasis will be on improved accessibility and fan comfort, along with an enhanced game-day atmosphere.
“I love it; I think it’s going to be great for our program, great for our fans,” says Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum.
The arena, which received a 1984 American Institute of Architects Honor Award, is the longtime home for Iowa’s basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics programs, and it hosts commencement ceremonies each year. In 2004, the Iowa Chapter of the AIA named the facility one of the state’s top 100 buildings of the 20th century.
Recent improvements have been made. Risers were added behind the south basket for student seating during games last season. A new basketball court—the one the Iowa men’s team played on during the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games of the NCAA Tournament in Houston in March—was installed this summer.
PHOTO: JUSTIN A. TORNER/UI OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
The UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences hosts commencement ceremonies this past spring at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair Beth Goetz said in a statement that the proposal to modernize the arena came from a feasibility study done in 2023.
“Recent improvements like the student section risers and new court have shown what’s possible,” she said. “These renovations will take that next step—making events more exciting, more comfortable, and ensuring we preserve the intimidating atmosphere that helps our teams compete at the highest level.”
Beginning as early as next summer, the project is expected to be completed in sequenced phases, potentially over two years, to minimize disruption during the sports season and major events.
“There are a lot of things we have to take care of that won’t be noticed,” says P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jan Jensen. “I think it will be fun to see this interior change, the concourse, the seating. And I think it will help us up our game as well.
“It will be great for the fans. It’s a really exciting era that we’re entering into.”