William H. Detrick Gymnasium

Multi-purpose arena in New Britain, Connecticut

41°41′35″N 72°45′54″W / 41.693°N 72.7649°W / 41.693; -72.7649OwnerCentral Connecticut State UniversityOperatorCentral Connecticut State UniversityCapacity2,654SurfaceHardwoodOpened1965TenantsCentral Connecticut State Blue Devils
(NCAA Sports)

William H. Detrick Gymnasium is a 2,654-seat multi-purpose arena in New Britain, Connecticut. It is home to the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball team. In 2005 it received a new floor, the first since the facility opened in 1965. The Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament was held there in 1998, 2002, and 2007. The facility is named after Bill Detrick, who was head coach at CCSU for 29 years, compiling a school-record 468 wins.^[1]

History

In 2020–21, William H. Detrick Gymnasium celebrated its 55th season of Central Connecticut men's basketball. The Blue Devils’ historic home court ranks as the oldest in the Northeast Conference and is the fifth-oldest NCAA Division I home venue in New England.

Matthews Arena, Northeastern (1910)
Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Yale (1932)
Lundholm Gymnasium, New Hampshire (1938)
Patrick Gymnasium, Vermont (1963)
Detrick Gymnasium, Central Connecticut (1965)

Under head coach Bill Detrick, for whom the gymnasium is named, the Blue Devils christened their new home court with a 109–57 win over Coast Guard on December 4, 1965. Central's Bob Plosky scored the first points in the gym's history with a basket at the 19:30 mark of the first half. Gene Reilly, who ranks eighth all-time in scoring at CCSU with 1,597 points, led the way with 21 points in front of a then-record crowd of 3,600 fans. The Blue Devils went on to win their first 10 home games at their new home and posted a 23–3 overall record, which included a trip to the 1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament.

Detrick Gymnasium is part of the Kaiser Hall athletic building, a modern and spacious gymnasium at the time it ushered Central Connecticut's men's basketball program from NAIA era to NCAA Division II. Built with a total capacity of 4,500, it was the second-largest on-campus basketball gym in New England when it opened in 1965.

Greer Field House, Connecticut (4,604)
Detrick Gymnasium, Central Connecticut (4,500)
Curry Hicks Cage, Massachusetts (4,000)
Keaney Gymnasium, Rhode Island (3,885)

References

^ Anthony, Mike (September 19, 2014). "Bill Detrick, Longtime Central, Trinity Coach, Dead At 87". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 11, 2014.

External links

Detrick Gymnasium

Central Connecticut Blue Devils

Sports

Facilities

CCSU Baseball Field
William H. Detrick Gymnasium
Stanley Quarter Park
Arute Field
Stanley Golf Course
CCSU Soccer Field
CCSU Softball Field
Jack Suydam Natatorium
CCSU Track & field

v t e Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball
Venues	William H. Detrick Gymnasium (1965–present)
Rivalries	Hartford
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

v t e Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball
Venues	William H. Detrick Gymnasium (1971–present)
Rivalries	Hartford
Culture & lore	History
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24

v t e Central Connecticut State University
Located in: New Britain, Connecticut
Academics	Carol A. Ammon College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences School of Business School of Education & Professional Studies School of Engineering, Science & Technology
Athletics	Sports: Central Connecticut Blue Devils Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Football Venues:Arute Field CCSU Baseball Field William H. Detrick Gymnasium
Founded: 1849 Students: 9,653 Endowment: uS$80.0 million

v t e Basketball arenas of the Northeast Conference
William H. Detrick Gymnasium (Central Connecticut State) Jones Convocation Center (Chicago State; joining in 2024) Bogota Savings Bank Center (Fairleigh Dickinson) Ted Grant Court (Le Moyne) Steinberg Wellness Center (LIU) Hammel Court (Merrimack; leaving in 2024) William H. Pitt Center (Sacred Heart; leaving in 2024) DeGol Arena (Saint Francis) Merkert Gymnasium (Stonehill) Spiro Sports Center (Wagner)

Basketball arenas of the Northeast Conference