Bob Carpenter Center

Bob Carpenter Center Web Site | Bob Carpenter Center Photo Gallery

The University of Delaware men's and women's basketball teams will begin their 24th season in the 5,000-seat Bob Carpenter Center Acierno Arena during the 2015-2016 season.

The Blue Hen men have posted a record of 202-105 (.658) in the building entering the season, including christening the arena with a 77-69 win over rival Rutgers Dec. 1, 1992. The Blue Hen women own a record of 211-88 (.706), including a 74-53 win over Temple in their BCC debut Dec. 1, 1992.

The BCC, which has now had 37 sellout crowds in its 22-year history, served as site of the first three rounds of the America East Men's Basketball Tournament from 1996 until 2001.
The tournament was a great success in Newark and the attendance averaged over 3,000 fans each session. The Bob Carpenter Center also served as host of the 2007 and 2008 CAA Women's Basketball Championships.

In March, 2013 the BCC hosted an NCAA Tournament event for the first time in school history, as the Blue Hen women defeated West Virginia and North Carolina in front of a pair of raucous sellout crowds to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

Additionally, the Bob Carpenter Center is currently in its third season as the home court of the Delaware 87ers, the D-League affiliate of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.

The arena section of the building is named in honor of Frank E. Acierno. Acierno, a local businessman and developer, donated $1 million to the Bob Carpenter Center, the largest gift from a single donor. The BCC was formally dedicated in a ceremony Nov. 10, 1992.

Delaware basketball teams moved to their new home after competing at 3,000-seat Delaware Field House since 1967.

The Bob Carpenter Center is the center of an expansive collegiate athletic complex, the David M. Nelson Athletic Complex named in memory of the former University of Delaware athletic director, dean, and head football coach.

The Bob Carpenter Center, named in honor of longtime University board of trustee member, athletic benefactor, and former Philadelphia Phillies owner R.R.M. "Bob" Carpenter Jr. who died in 1990, serves as home for the University's football and basketball programs as well as a site for a wide variety of other events such as convocations, concerts, and banquets.

Special features of the facility are a 120-person football locker room, men's and women's basketball locker rooms, administrative offices, the Chuck?Hall Memorial Weight Room, and athletic training rooms.

Directly accessible to the locker room areas are three classroom meeting areas and a 120-seat lecture hall used for team meetings, classes, and press conferences.

The Bob Carpenter Center also includes a comfortable glass-walled reception lounge area, the Bob Carpenter Club, with views into Delaware Stadium and to the Acierno Arena; and a scoreboard with a color video message center.

The newest facility, an addition to the Bob Carpenter Center, was completed in the spring of 2012. The 45,000-square-foot addition includes two new full-sized practice gymnasiums that are used by UD athletics teams, club sports, and intramurals, meeting room, film rooms, locker rooms, team lounges, offices for the men's basketball, women's basketball, and volleyball coaching staffs as well as for athletics development and external relations, and an area that houses the UD Athletics Hall of Fame.

The facility was designed by the architectural/engineering firm of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., one of the top firms in the country.

Also involved with the project were local firms Tevebaugh and Associates of Wilmington, and Landmark Engineering Inc. and Healy Management Services Inc., both of New Castle.

Sports at this Facility

Men's Basketball
Women's Basketball
Volleyball

Features

Frank E. Acierno Arena
Chuck Hall Memorial Weight Room
Athletic training Rooms
Conference Rooms
Box Office, Athletic/BCC Events
Basketball Office
Football Office
Intercollegiate Athletics Office, Room 125
Sports Information
Sports Medicine

Hours

Box Office Hours:
Monday-Saturday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
For upcoming event dates and times, see the calendarat the Bob Carpenter Center Website.

Seating Charts

Directions to the Bob Carpenter Center

From the North and the East :
I-95 South to Delaware exit 1-B, Route 896 north. Bob Carpenter Center is located on right just after Routes 4/896 intersection.
From the South and the West:
I-95 North to Maryland Exit 109B, Route 279 north (also called Route 2). Proceed on this road which becomes Elkton Road into Newark. Turn right at the intersection of Routes 2 (279) and 4. Turn left at intersection of Routes 4/896. The Bob Carpenter Center is located on the right.

Phone Numbers

Ticket Information/Season Tickets (302) 302-2257
Scheduling and Operations (302) 831-4016
Handicapped Seating (302) 831-2257

Accessibility

- Accessible west entrance with power doors
- Accessible north entrance
- Elevator
- Accessible restrooms
- Accessible telephones

For more information, see Campus Accessibility.

For more information, please visit the Bob Carpenter Center web site.

University of Delaware Athletics