DANA CENTER BASKETBALL & VOLLEYBALL COURTS

 

Bentley's Dana Center

Bentley University’s Charles A. Dana Physical Education Center, located within the Waltham campus on Beaver Street, has been the home of Falcon basketball teams since 1973.

The floor was replaced in 2003 The state-of-the-art court features the high-performance "Bio-Channel Classic" subfloor system manufactured exclusively by Robbins Sports Surfaces, one that reduces the incidence of injury traced to overuse and impact trauma.

In 2006, construction was completed on a multimillion dollar expansion of the Dana Center, with the addition featuring a new 10,000-square foot fitness/weight room for students, a boosters suite, a new entryway and two restaurants, including Currito.

The existing weight room was converted into one exclusively for varsity athletes. Both facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment, giving the Bentley community the finest in workout opportunities.

Although basketball is its prime function, the field house is also home to Bentley’s women’s volleyball team. But the versatility of this colorful and well-designed building doesn’t stop there.

The fieldhouse portion of the building contains eight basketball hoops, three volleyball courts, a baseball batting cage, and a golf cage.

The stands, replaced in 2008, have a capacity of 2,600 and fold neatly against the wall when not in use. During athletic events calling for a larger capacity, portable stands can be placed along the baseline, swelling the capacity to nearly 4,000.

In 1984, the original Dana Center was expanded with the addition featuring a 25-meter by 25-yard swimming pool with a separate diving tank.

The building also includes a therapy room, a dance room, steam and sauna baths, locker facilities for men and women and office space housing the entire athletic department.

Since its construction, the Dana Center has hosted such events as the NCAA Women’s Division II Fab Four, other NCAA Division II tournament games, Northeast-10 tournament games, the Massachusetts State schoolboy tournament, the New England invitational mile which was sponsored and telecast by WCVB-TV and numerous concerts.

In February 1992, the fieldhouse was named the "Elwood (Al) Shields Fieldhouse" in honor of the college’s former athletic director. In 2001, the foyer was named in honor of Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a long time Bentley professor, NCAA faculty representative and supporter of Bentley athletics.