Autry Court Photo Historical Gallery
After season spent playing at remote locations while the facility undergoes a multi-million dollar renovation, Autry Court is slated to open a new chapter in its fabled history in November of 2008.
From its construction in 1950 through the end of the 2007 season, all Rice home basketball and volleyball games were played at Autry Court, a facility that provided a substantial home-crowd advantage for the Owls.
The increased interest in Rice Athletics made Autry a feared game site in the past, and will once again in its new incarnation. The enthusiasm of the Rice students, the "Autry Army" and band -- the famous "MOB" -- gives every visiting team an added obstacle when playing the Owls. In 1989, that reputation was enhanced when Dallas Morning News writer Steve Richardson dubbed Autry the "Jungle Gym" due to its lack of air conditioning. That deficiency was eliminated in 1991, however, when a central air conditioning system was added to the facility.
The air conditioning was of most benefit to the Rice student-body that uses the gym for its myriad recreation programs. The project was funded in part by a drive headed by Joyce Pounds Hardy-McDonald, a former member of the university's board of trustees and long-time booster of the Rice athletic program. In addition to the air-conditioning project, Autry Court underwent a number of additional renovations over the past 25 years, highlighted by a state-of-the-art low-impact wood court was installed in the spring of 2002.
Capacity for the original Autry Court was 5,000 on a permanent basis, but as many as 5,600 were wedged inside thanks to the installation of temporary bleachers on the south baseline. A record 5,680 watched the Owls' men's basketball team defeat Texas 103-97 on March 5, 1992.
The arena was originally designated "Autry Court" in memory of Mrs. James L. Autry. Her daughter, Mrs. Edward W. Kelley, made a generous donation to the gymnasium building fund in honor of her late mother, an ardent supporter of Rice.
