The long wait is finally over! Duquesne Athletics announced Friday afternoon that the UPMC Cooper Field House is set to open on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The project, which took a total of 22 months to complete, was extended further than the University had originally anticipated due to pandemic related pauses in work.
"While we had many obstacles along the way with the pandemic and challenging work environments, UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse is finally going to open due to the efforts of all involved with the project," Director of Athletics Dave Harper said. "I'd like to thank everyone for making this possible, our donors and community partners, the contractors and construction crews, and our Duquesne team. While the opening is somewhat muted due to the pandemic, it doesn't dampen our excitement."
The venue will be located at the same site as the A.J. Palumbo Center and will serve as the home facility for both mens and women's basketball and volleyball.
"We took (the team) in about a month ago," Keith Dambrot said Friday afternoon during a zoom call with local reporters. "I was in probably three or four days ago. It's a nice building. I think you'll be impressed with it, and I'm critical. They did a really, really, good job with it."
Dambrot gave credit to Harper, saying the design of the entire building, inside and out was well done. He then spoke about what the facility will mean to his team now and moving forward.
"We've been basically a junior college for two years, maybe worse," Dambrot said. "We've had it hard, you know? When we go back into the arena, I'm sure things aren't going to be done like showers and things like that but it should provide a pretty good stimulus for us."
The Duquesne men's basketball team will play the first contest in the UPMC Cooper Field House on Tuesday night, taking on Dayton at 9 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU.