On February 22, the Luther College men’s and women’s basketball teams faced off against the Central College Dutch, marking the final regular season game played in the Regents Center’s gymnasium. After one last women’s game, hosting the University of Dubuque on the 25 for the first round of the American Rivers Conference tournament, renovations will start on the gymnasium and the space will be transformed into the Birkestrand Family Court.
The old gym has hosted basketball and volleyball games, wrestling meets, band and choir concerts and many other events since its construction in 1963. Built with a spring-floor design and wooden bleachers, it replaced the C.K. Preus Gymnasium, which had been built in 1926 and burned down in 1961.
During the halftimes of both games and after the men’s game, various Luther luminaries spoke on the significance of the gymnasium and what it meant to them. For both former Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jane Hildebrand (‘74) and Luther College President Emerita Jennifer Ward, however, there was one thing that neither would miss about the current gym: the wooden bleachers.
“The old bleachers need to go, [and] the floor is well over the age it should be,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand led the Norse from 1985-2011 and remains Luther’s all-time leader for career wins, with a record of 438-260.
Speaking to the crowd at the end of her speech, Ward said, “I won’t say that I will miss those bleachers, but I will miss you.”
The new Birkestrand Court will replace the wooden bleachers with new modern seating that will surround the court on all four sides, creating a more arena-like atmosphere, albeit with a smaller seating capacity of 1,200 versus the current 2,600. For more details on the new Fieldhouse and other athletics construction plans, click here.
Hildebrand is optimistic and excited for this next chapter for the gymnasium.
“I’m really excited for this next step developing into the Birkestrand Court, it’s going to be an awesome change, and I look forward to it,” Hildebrand said.
Ward took a moment in her speech to thank some of the staff and students at Luther that allowed the dream of the new Birkestrand Family Court to materialize.
“I want to thank the current members of the athletic staff, especially our [Director Intercollegiate Athletics and Head Softball Coach] Renae Hartl and our Associate Athletic Director Adam Carpenter, [and I] also want to give a special shout out to Campus Facilities Director Jay Uthoff,” Ward said.
Uthoff is the project manager for the Birkestrand Family Court and is working with affiliates Opus Design Build and RDG Planning and Design to bring the architectural vision to life.
Ward continued, saying, “I want to take the opportunity to thank our student-workers and our coaches for the great memories I had sitting right over there, on those bleachers, cheering on the Norse. Whether we were up, whether we were down, the hustle never stopped. And just as important, the way that these student-athletes supported each other was so inspirational to me, as the 11th president of Luther College.”
Among the crowd, there were several distinguished alumni that came to show their support for the Norse and say farewell to the Regents gym. Among them were Kari Tufte (‘96), the all-time best point scorer for the women’s basketball team, Tyler Weidemeier (‘13), who had almost 250 blocks in his Luther basketball career and internationally-renowned former athletic trainer Betty Hoff (‘60), who served on Luther’s faculty for forty-three years.
The Regents Center gymnasium has served Luther’s student-athletes, performers, fans and a variety of other visitors for many years. While this gym’s time has come to a close, the new Birkestrand Family Court will take its place next fall. Even as the new gym will look significantly different, it will continue to build on its predecessor’s legacy of being a place where the Luther community can come together and cheer on the Norse.
