Northern Michigan University will hold a rededication ceremony for Vandament Arena, which has been newly renovated to serve a dual purpose as the home court for both Wildcat volleyball and basketball. The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. It will be followed by a reception and the volleyball team's first home game of the season at 5 p.m. against Findlay.
NMU began renovating the arena in November 2023. The $2.8 million project created a larger court area, four-sided stadium seating for about 1,400—including some courtside—and a modernized look.
Wildcat fans will be closer to the action, particularly for basketball. The men's and women's teams formerly practiced in Vandament, but competed in the Berry Events Center, sharing the facility with the hockey program.
"I'm very excited for the official opening of Vandament,” said NMU Athletic Director Rick Comley. “When I came back, one of my goals was to make situations better for multiple teams, and the new Vandament is an opportunity for us to reward volleyball and put basketball in an environment that better suits them. There's a benefit to hockey with this whole change as well. It's not very often you get a win-win-win. The look is great, the environment will be tremendous, and our student-athletes will be the ones to benefit the most.”
"The new Vandament Arena will provide an excellent and needed opportunity for our basketball athletes to practice where they compete in a first-class venue,” said Matt Majkrzak, head coach of the men's team. “It's a beautiful building that will make NMU one of the premier atmospheres in DII basketball. We are all really appreciative of all the hard work that has gone into this project by so many throughout the Northern Michigan administration and can't wait to get in front of our fans."
Moving basketball to Vandament not only creates an elevated experience for athletes and fans. It also alleviates the issues that came with transitioning the Berry Events Center ice sheet to a wooden floor and then back again—sometimes twice on the weekends.
NMU Vice President for Finance and Administration Gavin Leach previously told the NMU Board of Trustees finance committee that the floor was more prone to damage from being inserted and removed frequently. He also said there were challenges related to labor availability and costs to complete the work. While the floor was in place, NMU lost ice rental revenue and incurred costs for the hockey team to practice elsewhere.
Originally named the NMU Volleyball Arena when it opened prior to the 1995 season, the facility was officially dedicated as Vandament Arena in November 1997. The name change occurred soon after former NMU President and avid volleyball supporter William Vandament retired following a six-year tenure in the post. He was in office when the Wildcats won their back-to-back NCAA Division II national championships in 1993 and 1994.