The Hofheinz Pavilion had a curved design that pushed sideline seats nearly 30 feet away from the court. The Fertitta Center has straightened out the sideline and moved fans closer. | Photo Courtesy of UH Athletics

The Fertitta Center has its official opening date scheduled in December, and the student seating for the new arena puts students in the front.

The University is just one of the few large schools in Texas to have front row, courtside seating for its student section.

The student section will have 400 seats in the front row opposite the team benches and another section on the end line next to the entrance tunnel.

Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, UTSA and Rice have students seated at the end lines with courtside seating reserved for paying alumni and donors.

Texas Tech also has sideline seating for its students, but its arena has over twice the amount of seats the Fertitta Center will have.

“The most important entity that fills up a basketball arena or football stadium is the students. We can count on them,” Sampson said.

Sampson also revealed that last season there was pressure to move the game against Wichita State to the Toyota Center, but he refused so the team could maintain the home field advantage it had built at TSU’s H&PE Arena.

“Bringing students down close to the court, that energy translates to the court, to our kids and helps create a significant home court advantage,” said Chris Pezman, Director of Operations. “[It was] very prevalent to the design and that aspect of this building, that was so important.”

The UH men’s basketball team plays its first game at Fertitta on Dec. 1 against Oregon while the women’s team plays on Dec. 5 against Texas A&M.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Fertitta Center student seating among best in Texas” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar