Secrets of the UW Field House
August 20, 2008 | Volleyball
There are no ghost stories but the Wisconsin Field House has a number of secrets. While most people know it as the historic landmark standing tall behind Camp Randall Stadium and the home of the Badger volleyball team, there is much more behind the 78-year old building on Monroe Street.
Thousands of fans have walked through the UW Field House over the years to cheer on the Badger teams from boxing to track and field to basketball and now volleyball. But the 'Barn', which has a fascinating history all of its own, has also seen some of the world's greatest speakers and musical groups.
Here are some fun facts about the UW Field House that you may be surprised to hear.
Did you know'
- The Field House was built without the second balcony to save money. The original building seated 8,000 fans and in 1936, the second balcony was added to raise the capacity to 12,000.
- Muhammad Ali suffered one of his few losses in the Field House as an amateur boxer in the 1959 Pan American Games trials.
- The Field House was home to the UW boxing team for 28 years. Wisconsin was almost unbeatable at home and had a 105-8-10 record in the UW Field House. Wisconsin went on a 73-match home unbeaten streak against collegiate competition that spanned from 1933-50. A record crowd of 15,200 watched the Badgers battle Washington State in 1949.
- Then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy spoke at the Field House while campaigning in 1960. Other notable speakers included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Jesse Jackson, the Dalai Lama and author Toni Morrison.
- The Field House used to have skylights that dripped condensation on the competition floor when the facility was full. The skylights were removed in 1940. You can still see where the skylights were on the building's ceiling.
- Badger women's sports officially began calling the Field House home in 1974-75. This is when the women's sports teams achieved varsity status and officially became part of the UW Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.
- There used to be a dirt floor inside the Field House while an eighth-of-a-mile cinder track ringed the perimeter of the building. Two portable basketball courts were used for practice, though they were replaced by one large court for competitions. The baseball and football teams used the building during inclement weather while the track team practiced and competed in the Field House.
- Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Hope and The Grateful Dead are just a few of the entertainers who performed in the Field House. Most recently, in May 2008, the Field House hosted rap artist Talib Kweli for the annual All-Campus Party.
- It can get cold in the Field House! At least cold enough to put ice on the floor and host figure skating ice shows.
- UW commencement ceremonies used to take place in the Field House. During the first commencement on June 2, 1931, graduates had to walk on the dirt floor of the building to get their diploma.
- The Field House hosted the first five-figure crowd for any women's sporting event in Madison during the 1990 NCAA volleyball tournament. Big Ten champion Wisconsin qualified for its first NCAA post-season appearance and played Illinois in the first round in front of 10,935 fans.
