Tech's United Spirit Arena opens to glowing reviews

By BRIAN WILLIAMS
Avalanche-Journal

Texas Tech Chancelor Monford welcomes everyone to the ribbon cutting ceremony at the United Spirt Arena Friday afternoon. A-J photo/Lara Meckfessel

United Spirit Arena will be a good recruiting tool for Texas Tech as well as a positive addition to Lubbock's landscape, according to a few people who toured the facility Friday.

The public, self-guided tours of the $62 million arena were part of grand opening festivities.

Garrett McKinnon, a Tech graduate, said the arena would help attract higher-caliber basketball and volleyball players.

''I think it will be a really great recruiting tool,'' McKinnon said.

He also was impressed with the locker rooms and layout of the arena.

''I think that probably the most impressive part was the main floor,'' McKinnon said. ''There's not a bad seat in the house.''

A grand time on tap for unveiling of Spirit Arena

Jackie Lindsey,left, and Sherri Fitz look at the United Spirit Arena during the Arena Gala Thurseday evening. A-J photo/Lara Meckfessel

Lubbockites will get a chance to explore the new $62 million United Spirit Arena during grand opening festivities that begin at 2 p.m. today.

The three days of festivities, intermingled with a Red Raider football game against rival Texas A&M, include public tours, a pep rally and a ribbon cutting.

At 2 p.m. today, a procession will be led by the Goin' Band from Raiderland from the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum to the arena on the opposite side of campus in a ''symbolic march from the old facility to the new,'' said Russell Hughes, who organized this weekend's events.

| Click here to check out the United Spirit Photo Essay |