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Hynes Athletics Center
The Hynes Athletics Center main gym is the home of Iona University's volleyball, men's and women's basketball programs. The Hynes Center underwent major renovations during the summer of 2019 that turned the Maroon & Gold's home court into a more transformational and state-of-the-art facility.
The complex contains one main basketball court and two practice courts. The volleyball matches take place on the main court. The seating in the Hynes Center are retractable bleachers surrounding the main court. The capacity of the Hynes Athletics Center is 2,578.
The re-imagining of the Hynes Athletics Center was possible thanks to a generous lead gift from Edward F. Arrigoni '56, '91H.
The dramatically changed the experience for both student-athletes and fans with seating around all four sides of the court, state-of-the-art LED scoreboards, improved lighting and sound, a new playing surface, and further supported Iona's ESPN School Productions efforts. A new Arrigoni Hall of Excellence was created in the front entranceway to showcase Iona's accomplished student-athletes creating a fitting tribute to the fine men and women who have represented Iona and its athletic legacy.
First built in 1974, the Hynes Athletics Center has seen immense success in recent years.
Under former men's basketball head coach Tim Cluess, the program appeared in the NCAA tournament six times in nine seasons, winning five MAAC tournament championships and three regular season titles. Rick Pitino's Gaels added to the legacy with two regular season and two conference tournament titles from 2021-2023.
Former women's head coach Billi Chambers claimed the MAAC Regular Season Championships in 2013-14 and 2022-23 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament following the program's first and second MAAC tournament championships in 2016 and 2023.
The Iona volleyball program plays its home matches in the Hynes Center and won the MAAC regular season and tournament championship in 2018.
Below are some of the latest additions of the detailed renovations within the Hynes Athletics Center.
ENTRANCE
The new Arrigoni Hall of Excellence will be created in the front entranceway to showcase Iona's storied past in athletics. It will feature cases displaying championship trophies and memorabilia and showcase all members of the University's Arrigoni Hall of Fame.
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SEATING
A needed replacement for Iona's seating areas is one of the more dramatic changes of the project. The current east bleachers, or general admission section, are the original stands from the opening of the then-named John A. Mulcahy Campus Events Center in 1974. The west stands, or reserved seating, were installed in 1998. The east and west bleachers will be replaced with four banks of seating surrounding the main playing court. As a result, the orientation of the court will be rotated 90 degrees to accommodate the new seating. The configuration allows for seating on all four sides of the court for the first time in building history while allowing for a defined student section and band platforms along the east end of the building. Defined accessible seating will also be available with the installation of new seating. Iona's current seating layout contains 225 chairbacks and 40 courtside seats. The new configuration allows for 253 chairbacks on the north side while maintaining current courtside numbers.
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The maximum gymnasium occupancy was originally 3,000 several decades ago. In recent years, seating was reduced to approximately 2,600 by upgrades, including a temporary camera platform installed to facilitate television broadcasts, a band platform for Iona's student pep band and a defined reserved seating section on the general admission side for complimentary tickets provided to visiting teams. As a result of the new configuration, the official capacity of the Hynes Athletics Center will be adjusted to 2,578.
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PLAYING SURFACE
The playing surface maintains three full basketball courts with north-south orientation for varsity athletics practices. Two additional baskets will be hung for the new main court, which as noted will be rotated to allow for the new seating banks. Iona's bench will be along the south wall, in the southwest corner of the building, near where the team exits from the locker room area. The visiting bench is located on the southeast corner of the facility. An updated look on the floor featuring Iona's primary shield logo in the center will be unveiled with the renovations. The current maple floor was installed in 2008.
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SCOREBOARDS
The current scoreboards, which measure approximately 16' x 12', and were installed in 2014, will be reconfigured into fascia ribbon displays along the north and south walls. The 10mm LED display will be made into a 65.6' ribbon along the south wall behind the benches and two 16.4' ribbons along the north wall on either side of the TV camera platform. In addition, four 4mm LED displays measuring 12.6' x 9.45' will be installed in each corner of the building, more than tripling the current square footage of LED scoreboards in the building. The four corner displays, fascia ribbon boards and sideline scorer's tables will be integrated to operate from the same area. Iona has retained its current partner, ANC Sports, for scoreboard installation.
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SOUND
A new state-of-the-art sound system replaces the current system, which was installed in 2013. The current system was sufficient to facilitate athletics events, however, with the addition of the video boards a year later, the design was not ideal for assemblies held in the gymnasium. The sound system will be configured to accommodate both athletics contests and events such as admissions and commencement assemblies, convocations and high school graduations that are currently hosted in the Hynes Athletics Center.
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LIGHTING
Upgrades to the lighting system will also be made and – as with the sound – will be adaptable to all events taking place in the facility including practices, contests and assemblies. The new lighting ensures better service of our top quality, student-produced ESPN game coverage to television broadcasts. The current lighting system was installed in the early 2000s.
Home of Iona University Basketball, Swimming, Volleyball, and Water Polo
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