Surface Maplewood Capacity 8,000 Construction cost 17.5 million USD | Opened 1982 | |
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Location 1650 West Alabama AvenueRuston, LA 71272 Record attendance 8,975 (January 22, 1985) Architect Morgan, Hill, Sutton & Mitchell Architects, LLC. Team Louisiana Tech Bulldogs men's basketball Similar Fredrick C Hobdy Assembly, Joe Aillet Stadium, Reed Green Coliseum, J C Love Field at Pat Patterson, Cam Henderson Center | ||
The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana. The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M. Thomas, is home to the Division I NCAA Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs (men) and Lady Techsters (women) basketball teams. The arena also holds concerts and events.
The arena opened in November 1982 just west of Joe Aillet Stadium, and replaced the then-thirty-year-old Memorial Gymnasium on the corner of Tech Drive and Railroad Avenue. The men's basketball team hosted the Southland Conference tournament in the TAC in 1985 and 1987, and four NIT games, one in 1986, two games in 2002, and one in 2015. The women's team has hosted the first, second and regional rounds of the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament nineteen times, most recently in 2003.
The TAC also serves as the home of the Louisiana Tech Woman's Volleyball team since the program's inception in 1987.
NBA greats such as Karl Malone, P.J. Brown, Randy White and Paul Millsap have all called the Thomas Assembly Center home during their collegiate careers. [1]