The University of Houston unveiled the Fertitta Center and inducted Tilman Fertitta into the UH Athletics Hall of Honor Nov. 29.
A few hundred Cougar fans, donors and alumni descended on the Fertitta Center for the private event. Notable improvements to the former Hofheinz Pavilion include two new premium clubs for courtside ticketholders, mid-court seating locations closer to the basketball court, a new sound system and a 3D laser light array capable of turning the court into virtually a movie screen.
Fertitta Center has a total capacity of 7,100, down from Hofheinz Pavilion's 8,479.
Fertitta donated $20 million to improve the stadium — the largest individual donation in UH Athletics history. The old arena was gutted in spring 2017 and the $60 million project was completed in November. The UH men's basketball team take on the University of Oregon Ducks basketball team on Saturday, Dec. 1 for the first game inside of the new Fertitta Center.
Fertitta, who is chairman of the UH board of regents, was inducted into the UH Athletics Hall of Honor at the event along with UH president Renu Khator. Since Khator joined the university as president in 2008, UH Athletics has made 103 NCAA postseason appearances, won 34 team conference championships and won five NCAA individual national championships.
Other notable Hall of Honor members include basketball legends Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.
New York-based Turner Construction was the general contractor for the Fertitta Center and Houston-based PGAL and Los Angeles-based AECOM were the project architects.
Fertitta is the chairman and CEO of Landry’s Inc., Fertitta Entertainment Inc. and the Golden Nugget Casinos. He also purchased the Houston Rockets NBA team in 2017 in a record-breaking $2.2 billion deal. Fertitta attended UH but he did not graduate and does not have a college degree.
