Photos: Pauley Pavilion comes back

This week, UCLA unveils the new Pauley Pavilion after the completion of a two-year long, $136 million dollar renovation project. For sports fans, Pauley is holy ground for collegiate athletics, especially when it comes to basketball. It’s the place, after all, where legendary coach John Wooden led his men’s basketball team to 10 NCAA national titles in 12 seasons. In fact, between 1965 and 1975, UCLA basketball won 149 games to 2 losses at home. Yeah, 2!

Over the decades, Pauley has also hosted countless campus events, rock concerts, political debates, awards shows and global happenings, like the gymnastics competitions for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

How has the renovation changed Pauley? Well, much has stayed the same, but the venue now comes with a new wrap around glass concourse, additional food and retail space, new locker and weight training rooms for student athletes, and lots more electronic razzle dazzle above the stadium floor.

Of course there are some clouds above Pauley. The stadium is being reopened at a time UCLA is cutting classes and raising student tuition payments as a response to harsh economic times.

You can learn more about Pauley by listening to my story below and checking out the photos I took during a sneak preview visit.

The view from the floor. Along with basketball, Pauley will also be home to UCLA’s volleyball and gymnastic competitions as before. It will also host concerts, rallies and campus special events.