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Storied Pauley Pavilion, the home of many UCLA athletic programs as well as the 11-time national

This past year, Pauley Pavilion has been home to a national champion in men’s volleyball, an NCAA Tournament runner-up in men’s basketball, and thousands of fans, Bruin and otherwise. It is also considered a mostly outdated facility with seats too far from the courts and poorly placed food stands.

But for another year, it will likely not be playing host to any construction crews.

Renovations on the arena, which first opened in 1965, have been a subject of discussion for several years now. But all major construction on the pavilion would be dependent on significant donation money which the Athletic Department has been unable to secure.

“Nothing has changed (in the past year),” said Ken Weiner, associate athletic director of business operations and the point man for this phase of the Pauley Pavilion renovation project. “Right now we’re in what’s known as a ‘quiet phase.’ That means we’re mostly trying to gauge the interest of potential donors.”

Named after original donor Edwin Pauley, Pauley Pavilion currently accommodates up to 12,819 people when the basketball bleachers are fully extended. In recent seasons, only about three-fourths of the seats have been filled, making seating an unlikely target of projected renovations. Instead, frequently congested patron amenities such as rest room accommodations and concession areas will be a major focus for improvement. Locker and conference room facilities could also be upgraded.

But for the moment all renovations are stalled, pending further donor support. One possible point of contention is the naming rights to the arena: For the amount of money involved in renovating Pauley Pavilion, most corporate sponsors would expect to be able to attach their name to the new building. But the Athletic Department has said in the past that it has no intention of completely selling the naming rights for either Pauley Pavilion or the Nell and John Wooden Court it famously houses. While this has made for a slow fundraising process, many students agree that it’s the right decision.

“The John Wooden Court is the John Wooden Court,” said Norullah Sharifi, a third-year political science student. “I don’t want to see (Wooden’s) legacy tarnished by having that changed. If we had a corporate sponsor with naming rights, it’d be like an NBA court. We’re trying to differentiate because this is for student-athletes, not professionals.”

Another option that has been briefly considered is completely rebuilding Pauley Pavilion. While this isn’t likely to happen because of the costs involved, some students have been receptive to the idea.

“I’d definitely like to see a whole new building,” Sharifi said. “It’d be great for the campus, and it would also help with recruiting, as a way to attract students and student-athletes. I mean, isn’t that what Pauley Pavilion is for – the students and student-athletes?”

Other students would welcome a brand new Pauley Pavilion as one more part of the UCLA-USC rivalry.

“In my opinion they should tear it all down,” said Chris Lawrence, a second-year biology student. “Because if ’SC gets a new stadium then we should have one too. We always have to be better than ’SC.”

Still, all renovations remain on hold until the Athletic Department can find the right donors for the project. Until then there is no time-table set for Pauley Pavilion renovations.

Other logistical concerns also need to be addressed, the most important of which is how the construction would impact campus life. Alternative sites would have to be found for home basketball and volleyball games, as well as the many campus events which also take place at Pauley Pavilion.

But both students and the Athletic Department remain cautiously optimistic that the process will continue to move forward.

“We’re out there hitting the streets,” Weiner said. “It’s all a matter of finding the right donors for the project.”