THE PIT Arena

The Pit, formally named Dreamstyle Arena, is an arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico serving primarily as the home venue of the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball teams. The facility opened in 1966 as University Arena, but soon gained the nickname "The Pit" due to its innovative subterranean design, with the playing floor 37 feet below street level. The arena is located on the UNM South Campus and has a seating capacity of 15,411 for basketball and up to 13,480 for concerts, with forty luxury suites and 365 club seats.The Pit has been widely recognized as one of the top college basketball venues in the nation, and as one of the loudest. The New Mexico Lobos have enjoyed tremendous success at The Pit, winning over eighty percent of their games there, while attendance for their games has consistently been among the best in college basketball. Renovations completed in 2010 added space to the facility, as well as state-of-the-art amenities for fans, coaches, and players.The Pit has frequently hosted NCAA basketball tournament games, including the memorable 1983 Final Four.HistoryBefore construction of The Pit, Lobo basketball teams played at Johnson Gymnasium, a 7,800-seat multi-purpose gym on the University of New Mexico main campus. Lobo basketball was unsuccessful at the time that Johnson Gym opened, and it was rarely more than half-full for games. In 1962, UNM hired Bob King as head basketball coach, and he immediately transformed the Lobos into a winning program, reaching the finals of the National Invitation Tournament in his second season. Attendance at Lobo home games doubled, tickets were soon selling out, and plans for a larger arena began to take shape.

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