NCAA.com named Fort Hays State University’s Gross Memorial Coliseum as one of the Best Basketball Arenas in Division II. With a capacity of nearly 7,000 and Fort Hays State’s basketball teams consistently ranking among the top five in NCAA Division II attendance each year, the coliseum provides a great game day atmosphere that is hard to find anywhere else in Division II.
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Now in its 45th year of operation, the coliseum has been home to four national championship teams in Fort Hays State’s rich basketball history, three men’s (1984, 1985, and 1996) and one women’s (1991). The long-term success of each team in the coliseum adds to the mystique of being one of the most difficult places for opponents to play in NCAA Division II. Since joining Division II in 1991-92, Fort Hays State’s men have a record of 358-59 at home, making a staggering win percentage of .859 as of January 23, 2018. The win percentage is nearly just as good all-time at .841 with an overall record of 592-112. On the women’s side since joining Division II, FHSU is 324-67 at home also creating a win percentage north of 80 percent at .829 as of January 23, 2018. Fort Hays State’s current head coaches have very similar win percentages at the coliseum, Tony Hobson (women, 10th year) at .852 and Mark Johnson (men, 17th year) at .840. A total of 22 conference championships have been won by Fort Hays State in its time calling Gross Memorial Coliseum home, 13 by the men and nine by the women. The men’s program has a total of 20 conference championships overall, winning seven before calling the coliseum home.
Add in a tremendous game day atmosphere (which includes top-notch pep band, cheer and dance teams, public address, and game promotions) with some of the best attendance figures yearly in Division II, the coliseum is one of the best places to watch both women’s and men’s college basketball. The Fort Hays State men have been among the top five nationally in home attendance for the last four years, while the women have ranked second in home attendance nationally the last three years and among the top five over the last five years.
The coliseum has seen seven teams reach the 30-win plateau for a season, including five men’s and two women’s. The 1984 and 1985 NAIA men’s national championship teams each had 35, while the 1991 NAIA women’s national title team generated 34. The 1996 men’s team was one of four in NCAA Division II history to go undefeated at 34-0, holding the Division II record for most wins by an undefeated team until Findlay (Ohio) broke the mark in 2009 by going 36-0. Most recently, the 2014-15 women’s team reached 30 wins, its most Division II program history.
Even with the long-term success of the basketball programs, the coliseum is also home to the FHSU volleyball and wrestling programs. With its large capacity the coliseum annually serves as a host site for Kansas State High School Activities Association Championship Tournaments in volleyball, wrestling, and basketball, so it has also seen plenty of high school sports history.
This is the second “Best Arenas” honor for Gross Memorial Coliseum within the last two years. In January of 2017, it was named one of the Five Best Arenas in D2 Basketball by Hero Sports.