"I love the way the Sixth Man Club comes out and supports us." Stanford guard Chris Hernandez

"I can't wait to play in the new Maples Pavilion," said Cardinal senior center Rob Little. "Every team member and everyone associated with Cardinal basketball from the fans to the coaching staff and the Stanford administration is looking forward to a new era of great basketball at Maples Pavilion."

Dr. Ted Leland, former Stanford Director of Athletics said, "Everybody is looking forward to the reopening of Maples Pavilion. This renovation will benefit both our student-athletes and our fans for years to come."

The renovation, financed entirely through private donations, will enhance the college athletic experience for both the student-athletes and the fans. It includes a new covered 29,000 square foot concourse around the exterior of the seating area, state-of-the-art concession and restroom facilities with speaker systems, in addition to a new 4-sided, state-of-the-art center-hung scoreboard with video and replay capability. The concourse will be physically separated from the original building. The gap between the original building and the new concourse was done for two reasons; first to preserve the integrity of the architectural design and secondly to create an open garden feel that is present throughout buildings on the Stanford campus. The renovation will also include new playing court floor, upgraded locker rooms, student-athlete lounges, a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning room and training room, a news media center, and new meeting rooms.

The seating configuration will feature a new lower seating bowl that will take the place of the old floor and loge sections. The new lower seating level will include padded stadium seats that will replace the wood bleachers in the old floor setup. With the upgraded facilities and the improved seating area at floor level, the home team and fans will experience the best playing atmosphere in the Pac-10.

"This was a great chance to both refurbish and reconfigure the seating at Maples Pavilion," Leland said. "But at the same time, this renovation will enable us to enhance the building's fan friendly environment. The exciting and intimate atmosphere of Maples Pavilion will continue to make it a great place for college athletics."

"It's a tremendous home court advantage. The students are real close to the floor, and they have a real effect. I'd say Stanford is right up there among the toughest places to play." Arizona head coach Lute Olson

While the renovation is nearing completion, the Stanford men's basketball program will play its 2004-05 exhibition game (Nov. 13 vs Concordia University) at the Leavey Center on the campus of Santa Clara University (capacity 4,500). The Cardinal women's basketball team will play four home games at Santa Clara. The Cardinal women's volleyball team will play its entire 2004 home schedule on the Stanford campus at Burnham Pavilion (capacity 1,200). In the last several years, Maples Pavilion has become one of the hottest environments for college basketball. "Maples Pavilion has become one of the West's most notorious pits," wrote Arizona Republic sports columnist Greg Hansen. "The Maples Pavilion crowd has a unique feature or two. They are, oh, maybe 3 1/2 inches from the court ... And the raucous Stanford pep band makes it impossible to carry on a conversation."

Veteran Bay Area sports columnist Monte Poole has seen many big games at Maples Pavilion and is impressed with the crowd's love of Stanford Basketball.

"The fans are standing. And standing. And standing. And standing. Some of these people have painted their faces. They're stomping, yelling, clapping, screaming and behaving as if they're in ... well ... Berkeley."

Denver Post sportswriter Mike Knisley once wrote "Maples Pavilion has become one of the most difficult arenas in the Pac-10 Conference for visiting teams ... Stanford enjoys an advantage that has earned the envy - and the enmity - of the league."

Eleven years ago, enthusiasm reached another high level with the introduction of the Cardinal Sixth Man Club, the brainchild of the Stanford sports marketing department. For $10, a student would get a Cardinal Sixth Man T-shirt, center seats at all Stanford home games, and free food before the game at a Palo Alto sports restaurant.

When the Sixth Man Club first started, only 30 students signed on. How times have changed. From 30 members, the club grew to 100, then 350. Last year, nearly 1,200 students signed on with the Sixth Man Club, with another 400 on the waiting list.

"The Sixth Man Club is very devoted to us, our team and Stanford University as a whole," said Stanford senior Nick Robinson. "They set a positive example for everyone - how to be a true fan."

Arizona head coach Lute Olson says Maples Pavilion is a tough environment for visiting teams because of the Sixth Man Club.

"It's a tremendous home court advantage," says Olson. "The students are real close to the floor, and they have a real effect. I'd say Stanford is right up there among the toughest places to play."

Since the 1995-96 season, Stanford is 110-15 (.880) at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford played its first game in Maples Pavilion on Jan. 3, 1969, but lost to Brigham Young, 95-89. The next night, Stanford beat the Cougars, 94-78. The formal dedication game was Mar. 1, 1969, but Stanford lost to USC, 75-66. The 7,233-seat structure serves the entire university as a multi-purpose facility. It was originally built at a cost of $3.3 million. It was named after its principal donor, the late Roscoe Maples, a member of the 1904 Stanford class. The pavilion is utilized throughout the year by university staff and students for recreational and intramural purposes. During the winter academic quarter, Maples is used continually used for noontime recreational basketball, men's and women's varsity basketball practice, and intramurals during the evening hours.

In addition to intercollegiate competition, physical education classes are held in Maples Pavilion. The pavilion is also used for banquets and lectures.

Last Updated: June 12, 2007