The newly renovated Vandament Arena is home to NMU volleyball, and men's & women's basketball starting in 2024. The arena is located in the Physical Education and Instructional Facility (PEIF), located between the Superior Dome and the Berry Events Center in the NMU Sports Complex. The 1,500+ seat arena features retractable bleachers on each side of the main court with chair-back seating. The facility has features two state of the art scoreboards on each end of the court.
The facility, originally named the NMU Volleyball Arena, was opened prior to the 1995 season. Before that, the volleyball team used Hedgcock Fieldhouse as its home court and shared the facility with the NMU men’s and women’s basketball teams. Vandament Arena was officially dedicated on Nov. 9, 1997, and is named after Dr. William E. Vandament, who served as NMU president from 1991-97.
Vandament, an avid supporter of the Wildcat volleyball team, was in office when the Wildcats won their national championships in 1993 and 1994. He retired in the summer of 1997.
Vandament Arena was the site of the 2003 NCAA first-round volleyball playoffs when the Wildcats played host to Northern Kentucky. It also hosted USOEC events such as Junior Olympic Nation Boxing Championships, USA Vs. Marines Wrestling Dual, and the Women's Junior World Volleyball team. Along with athletic events, the facility also is used for concerts, lectures and other university and community events. Some of the recent events held there have been the installation of NMU President Les Wong, a performance by the Golden Chinese Acrobats, a lecture by the MythBusters and a visit by President Obama on Feb. 10, 2011.
For information on renting Vandament Arena, call 906-227-2519.
