G. Rollie White Coliseum
The building was built in 1954, and was located directly to the northeast of Kyle Field. The U-shaped building seated 7,800 in the main grandstand on three sides, with a small auxiliary bleacher section on the flat end of the building. The sandstone exterior was originally visible outside the northern corner of the field.
The renovation of the Memorial Student Center (MSC), directly to the north of where the coliseum stood, required the relocation of the campus bookstore, which occupied the arena floor at G. Rollie from the summer of 2009 until April 2012 when the MSC reopened. G. Rollie White hosted the NCAA volleyball tournament ten times.
In November 2012, the request for proposal to renovate Kyle Field called for the demolition of G. Rollie White. Began in August 2013, the demolition resulted in the removal of nine dual basketball-volleyball courts, fourteen racquetball-handball courts, four activity rooms, several classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices, although some of these were from the adjacent Read Building, which was also razed.
John David Crow, former Aggie football player and athletic director, regarded the demise of G. Rollie White as a farewell to an old friend: "I hate to see anything demolished." Crow was present when G. Rollie White opened to replace DeWare Field House.
References
- ^ "Kyle Field Redevelopment Timeline". Texas A&M Athletics. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ^ Texas State
- ^ "Kelly Brown, "Aggies reminisce on G. Rollie White ahead of demolition"". Bryan-College Station Eagle. Retrieved August 18, 2013.