Memorial Floor Gets Update
MOORHEAD, Minn. (7/05/18)----The home floor of Concordia basketball, volleyball and wrestling will have a new look for the 2018-19 seasons. The Cobbers’ parquet floor in Memorial Auditorium was just stripped, painted with a new design and sealed as part of an update to the arena.
“The update was part of a regularly scheduled maintenance plan,” Concordia Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson said. “The floor is used for many games, matches, events and concerts and the wear and tear it takes makes it necessary to resurface the entire court every few years.”
The main difference in the current update is the enlarged “C” logo in the middle of the floor. The other highly visible additions are the MIAC logos on either side as well as the two-colored “Concordia College” lettering at the ends of the court.
Memorial Auditorium has been an icon on the Concordia campus since it was built in 1952. The multifunctional home of the Cobber basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams also serves as the host for the annual Concordia Christmas Concert which attracts thousands of people to campus each December. It is also used throughout the year for various other concerts as well as graduation and other college-wide events.
Memorial Auditorium was named to honor the veterans of World War II. It features two full-sized basketball courts – a parquet-style wood competition floor and a synthetic practice court. The first basketball game in the arena was played on Dec. 2, 1952 and attracted a crowd of 5,500 who watched the Cobber men defeat North Dakota State University 69-59.
“I am really happy with the way the update turned out,” Cobber men’s basketball coach Grant Hemmingsen said. “All the updates they made really make the court stand out and it will be an exciting floor to play all our home games on.”
The first formal competition on the new court will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 5 when the Concordia volleyball team hosts Valley City State at 7 p.m.
Time Lapse Video of Memorial Auditorium Floor Update: