The Main Gym's Last Hurrah

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, will be your last chance to see a varsity game played in the University's storied gym

If you've been planning to go to a U of A basketball game at the University Main Gym but just haven't gotten around to it, you might want to move those plans up a bit. On February 12, 2011, Bears and Pandas basketball teams will each play the U of C Dinos in the last-ever conference games to be played in the Main Gym.

For the past 50 years, the gym has been the home to the varsity men's and women's basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams, but beginning this spring, the teams will practice and compete in the University's new GO Centre on South Campus, ushering in a new era for the historic Main Gym.

Opening to great fanfare on May 17, 1960, the Main Gym-often called "Varsity Gym" in those days-boasted state-of-the-art maple wood floors, measuring 108-by-168 feet. Although primarily used for varsity sports, it was also a venue for day-to-day activity classes, intramural and recreational events, and nerve-wracking final exams. GUBA made his debut there in 1971, and, in the early '80s, its glossy floors provided the perfect surface for a break-dancing competition.

Panda's Volleyball Player Tiffany Proudfoot.

Today, 40 national championship banners hang proudly along the Main Gym's walls-six of them for games won on its own courts-including some real nail biters. The 2009 Men's Volleyball National Final against Laval was once such game. "It was an amazing experience for anyone who was lucky enough to be there," remembers Bears Volleyball Coach Terry Danyluk, '91 BPE, '04 MA. "The gym was filled with an extra 1,000 seats, and, with white towels waving, the guys managed to defeat Laval 3-0 in a battle of two undefeated teams.&rdquo

Naturally, the Main Gym has seen its share of heartbreak, too. For Trix Baker, '80 BPE, '85 MA, head coach of the Pandas Basketball team from 1991-2006, the 2000 national championships held at the U of A were one such game. That year the No. 8-ranked Pandas pulled an amazing comeback to beat the No. 1 team, and then won the semi-final to face Regina in the championships. "It was televised live, and when we walked into the gym at 10:15 a.m. it was packed and fans were fighting for the middle section of the bleachers," remembers Baker. "The electricity in the gym was unbelievable, and, even though we didn't win the game, we created a much greater awareness of women's basketball in Edmonton."

Throughout the joy and the heartbreak, the Main Gym has found a special place in the hearts of students and alumni, athletes and fans alike. One of the qualities that made it so memorable was its intimacy. "There is no separation from the stands to the floor," explains Baker. "And when the game is over, people mingle and interact, celebrating our successes."

The chance to be a part of that energy and intimacy one last time is one reason alumni should make every effort to come out on February 12, says Baker, who is helping to organize "The Last Game," as it's being called. The gym will be rocking with a pep band and a light show, and two Bears and Pandas alumni will be chosen to help one lucky student shoot to win their tuition for a semester in contest sponsored by the University of Alberta Alumni Association and Hudsons Tap House. "But the biggest reason is that Calgary is in town," says Baker. "And we all love to cheer against Calgary.&rdquo

Although varsity games will be moving to the GO Centre, the Main Gym won't sit idle-far from it. "The nice thing is that it opens up the main gym for use for recreational leagues and community events," says Hugh Hoyles, '66 BPE, former director of Campus Rec, who sat on the board of the GO Centre. "It's not going to be a white elephant. It will be very well used."

"The big thing about the Main Gym was that it was always intended to be involved in the Edmonton community," says Hoyles. "Thousands and thousands of people from junior and senior high and club teams have played games there, and it's always been available to for these major community events. It was never only for the university community but for the community at large and for getting people involved in physical activity." Now it will be freed up for even more of that original purpose.

In the 1960s, the Main Gym-"Varsity Gym" as it was called-was used not only for varsity sports but for intramural and club sports, community events, as well as the dreaded final exams.