As Denver Athletics returns for the upcoming seasons, there are many changes to get excited about. One of which is the remodel that the multi-purpose collegiate sports venue, Magness Arena, received in this year’s offseason.
Magness Arena, the University of Denver’s famous multi-purpose collegiate sports venue nestled within the Daniel L. Ritchie Center, replaced the former DU Arena and opened its doors in 1999.
The former DU Arena was a donation after World War II and was built in 1948–49 to house the new ice hockey program.
Some best-known features of the former arena included the steep bleacher balcony at the south end and the 1970s rainbow painted on the north end wall.
The current arena has been known to hold some of the best collegiate sporting events in NCAA history including multiple NCAA regional rounds for various sports. The arena also held the 2012 Presidential Debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Magness features 6,026 theater-style seats for both hockey games and gymnastics meets, and 8,000 seats for concerts.
On Sept. 7, the DU hockey social media accounts announced that “upgrades to Magness Arena [are] in the works” and it was later announced that the venue would be getting new seating, new glass and boards and a new center ice logo. While the whole arena received new seating, the majority of it still looks the same as years past, highlighting the school’s primary colors, crimson and gold. One exception to this is on the upper west side of the arena, where there are now rows of black chairs with red lettering. This part of the arena is home to the athletic department’s Gold Club, which is a premium hospitality area and major sponsorship fund for the athletic department.
While the glass and boards around the arena are basically the same for this upcoming season, they received a major upgrade before the 2023-24 season making them “much more forgiving to the student-athletes” according to head coach David Carle. He also mentioned how the glass is much easier to see through, which improves the fan experience.
The ice has also undergone a new transformation, with the old center logo being replaced with a new design resembling the 75th anniversary of DU hockey.
Over the summer, the ice was freshly painted with the help of corporate sponsors and staff of the Magness Arena. The DU Athletics social media accounts have also told fans to be on the lookout for an upcoming auction where fans will get a chance to win some of the old seats. This new remodel at Magness Arena comes at the perfect time and gives fans not only the opportunity to get excited for both the hockey and gymnastics seasons but also for them to experience the new and improved space.
Magness will be the perfect spot for fans who look forward to watching the reigning champions play on home ice to try to defend and bring home an 11th national championship title.
