Georgia High School Basketball Project
BERRIEN	STATE TOURNAMENT	DATES	NICKNAMES	MISC.
FORUMS

Gyms of the State Tournament

"Omega's got a gym!
A gem clip, a gem clip"
- Sung by the Enigma Elementary cheerleaders. Usually coupled with the lines, "Omega's [or insert school name] got a team! A mule team, a mule team" and "Omega's got a coach! A stagecoach, a stagecoach".

These are the known high school gymnasiums from 1922-98 and non-high school gyms used. High schools are cut off after 1998 as the GHSA began putting the first round of state at various high schools. Couple that with 2006 allowing schools to have a home game and that's a few too many.

The 'hosted' section generally does not cover every single tournament played in the arena. Some, like Alexander Memorial Coliseum, ultimately saw a little bit of every class come through its doors and alternated that with the Macon Coliseum.

When available, I have linked to photos of these sites. I have typed out the address for each link to indicate whether this site is locally hosting the photo or if it's on another site. I have done this to a) conserve space on this server and b) indicate that I am not the one who has shot these photos. I also do not own any of the postcards linked.

I would like to have inside and outside views of every facility (and hopefully better quality than some of these linked). I would like to have an in-game picture from every place as well. I also have an interest in a gym that didn't host the tournament. I have been told that Dudley Hughes gym in Macon was a bit unusual and would like to see photos of it.

Email.

Non-High School Facilities

Albany Civic Center
City: Albany
Opened: 1983
Capacity: 10,240
Hosted: AAA and AAAA finals in early 1990s. Southern part of Class AAA in 2006.
Notes: Also called the James H. Gray Civic Center.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/acc-scoreboard.jpg (view of the scoreboard being changed between games), www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/acc.jpg (Butler v. Spencer)
Link: www.albany.ga.us/civic_center/venue%20Civic%20Center.htm

Alexander Memorial Coliseum
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1956
Capacity: 9,191 (original capacity in the neighborhood of 7,000)
Hosted: Classes AA and AAA boys in 1950s and 1960s. Tournament finals for various classes in 1980s and 1990s.
Notes: Renovated in 1995. Air conditioning was added as one of many improvements.
Photos: graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/geot/galleries/alexander-memorial-coliseum/AMCaerial2-lg.jpg (outside after 1996 renovations), www.srssa.com/images/alex-memor-v-hero.jpg (inside, after 1996 renovations)
Link: ramblinwreck.collegesports.com/genrel/032102aaa.html

Alumni Memorial Hall
City: Barnesville
Opened: 1963
Capacity: 1,000
Hosted: 1978 Class A girls semifinals.
Notes: Part of Gordon College. Used in 1979, when it was still Gordon Junior College. All seats are on one side.
Photos: Inside - www.gdn.edu/images/Tours/alumniMem-Tour3.jpg, Outside - www.gdn.edu/images/Tours/athl_AlumniMem.jpg
Link: www.gdn.peachnet.edu/aboutgordon/tour/alumnimemorial.asp

Arena at Gwinnett Center
City: Duluth
Opened: 2003
Capacity: 13,000
Hosted: Large classification semis and finals beginning in 2004.
Notes:
Photos: www.secsports.com/img/gwinnett_center_250w.jpg
Link: www.gwinnettcenter.com

Atlanta City Auditorium
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1909-1979
Capacity: 5,000
Hosted: Class AA boys from 1954-56.
Notes: Sometimes called Atlanta Municipal Auditorium. Located at the intersection of Courtland and Gilmer. The building itself now belongs to Georgia State. I cannot tell based on the interior photo linked below, but it looks like the City Aud's main floor was down in a hole, but the dressing rooms were in even more of a hole.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/atl-city-aud(outside).jpg (as stated, the outside), www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/atl-city-aud.jpg (inside)
Link:

Atlanta Sports Arena
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity: approximately 2,250
Hosted: 1949 GIAA
Notes: Known in its earlier years as Warren Arena. Once stood on Chester Avenue, SE.
Photos:
Link:

Augusta College Coliseum
City: Augusta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern 1992 AAA and AAAA girls as well as part of Class AAA in 2002.
Notes: This is what I have it listed as in my notes and can't find its technical name. Augusta College is now Augusta State University.
Photos:
Link:

Augusta Municipal Auditorium
City: Augusta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1947 GIAA.
Notes: Renamed Bell Auditorium in c. 1949.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/aug-mun-aud(2).jpg
Link: augustaciviccenter.com/auditorium.html

Benedictine Armory
City: Savannah
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Opening night of 1937 GIAA.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Cobb Civic Center
City: Marietta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern parts of AAA and AAAA girls' tourneys from 1970s to 1990s.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Columbus Civic Center
City: Columbus
Opened: 1996
Capacity: 10,000
Hosted: AAAA southern sectionals from 2004-06.
Notes:
Photos: www.columbusga.com/images/civic_center.gif
Link: www.columbusciviccenter.org/index.html

Columbus Municipal Auditorium
City: Columbus
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1963-64 B and C tournaments.
Notes: Sometimes called Columbus Sports Center or Sports Arena.
Photos:
Link:

The Complex
City: Valdosta
Opened: 1982
Capacity: 5,350
Hosted: Southern half of the Class A tournament in 2000s.
Notes:
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/complex.jpg (Calhoun Co. v. Dooly Co.)
Link: www.valdosta.edu/athletics/mbasketball/pages/complex.html

Convention Centre
City: Macon
Opened: 1996
Capacity:
Hosted: Various girls' finals in late 1990s. Southern parts of some smaller classification tournaments.
Notes:
Photos:
Link: www.maconcentreplex.com/convention.html

Darton College
City: Albany
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Opening round of 2000's Class AA.
Notes: Darton has since built a new facility since part of the tournament was played there in 2000. I do not know the technical name of the old building.
Photos:
Link:

DeKalb Central
City:
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Generally, the northern half of Class AA in the 1980s.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

The Forum
City: Rome
Opened:
Capacity: 5,000
Hosted: Northern AAA and AAAA girls from 1998-01. Northern AA girls from 2003.
Notes:
Photos:
Link: theforum.floydcountyga.info/index.html

Gainesville College
City: Gainesville
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern 1993 Class AA, plus a single opening round Class B boys game in 1969..
Notes: Need the technical name of the building.
Photos:
Link:

Georgia Dome
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1992
Capacity: 40,000 (basketball) Hosted: Round of 16 and quarterfinals for northern AAAAA in 2003.
Notes: Holds 71,250 for football.
Photos:
Link: www.gadome.com

Georgia Highlands College
City: Rome
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern parts of Class A beginning in 1992.
Notes: Was known as Floyd College until 2005. Tournament games have been played under both college names.
Photos:
Link:

Georgia Military College
City: Milledgeville
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Classes AAA and AAAA southern girls in 1970s and 1980s.
Notes: Need the technical name of the building.
Photos:
Link:

Georgia Southwestern
City: Americus
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern 1978 Class B.
Notes: I believe they have opened a new gym since this was used for the tournament. Of course, I also need the technical name of the place.
Photos:
Link:

Georgia State Sports Arena
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern 1997 and 2000 Class AAAA boys.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Georgia Tech Temporary Gym
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1924-1931
Capacity: 2,500
Hosted: 1929 GIAA tournament.
Notes: This wooden gym burned in 1931. It had been located at the corner of 3rd and Techwood. Slightly less than correct size at 90" x 50".
Photos:
Link: graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/tradition04.pdf (pdf about Tech's history)

Gressette Gym
City: Tifton
Opened:
Capacity: 2,500
Hosted: Southern half of Classes A and AA in 1980s and early 1990s.
Notes: Built in 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. Part of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Photos: stallion.abac.peachnet.edu/map/images/Gressette%25Gym.jpg
Link: stallion.abac.peachnet.edu/map/buildings/Gressette%25Gym.htm

Heisman Gym
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1938-1956
Capacity:
Hosted: 1950 and 1951 Class AA boys.
Notes: Demolished in the last 10 or so years. Georgia Tech moved into Alexander Memorial Coliseum in 1956.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/heisman.jpg (I cannot remember where I found this on the internet, it may be from the pdf link below), gtalumni.org/news/magazine/fall94/images/tech02.gif (demolition)
Link:

John H. Lewis Gym
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern segment of Class A boys and girls in 1980s.
Notes: Located at Morris Brown College.
Photos:
Link:

Macon City Auditorium (old)
City: Macon
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Semis and finals of 1922 GIAA.
Notes: The postcard linked below seems to indicate that this early Macon City Auditorium was part of City Hall. The venue was used for part of the 1922 GIAA tournament.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/macon-old-city-aud.jpg
Link:

Macon City Auditorium
City: Macon
Opened: 1925
Capacity: 2,688
Hosted: Class B and C tournaments for 1949-62 and 1965-68. Class A was played there from 1957-68. Every other tournament, excepting AAA played at least one tournament there. The GIAA also invaded in 1926-28, 1930-31, 1934, 1936, 1942, and 1946.
Notes:
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/macon-city-aud(2).JPG
Link: www.maconcentreplex.com/auditorium.html

Macon Coliseum
City: Macon
Opened: 1968
Capacity: 7,182
Hosted: Every classification in various years.
Notes:
Photos:
Link: www.maconcentreplex.com/coliseum.html

Macon YMCA
City: Macon
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: The first GIAA state games were played here in 1922.
Notes:
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/macon-ymca.jpg
Link:

Morehouse College
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1996
Capacity: 5,784
Hosted: Northern part of 1997's AAA boys.
Notes: Need the gym's technical name.
Photos:
Link:

Northwest Georgia Trade & Convention Center
City: Dalton
Opened: 1991
Capacity:
Hosted: Mostly northern Class AAAA beginning in 2000.
Notes:
Photos: www.northga.net/whitfield/trade.jpg
Link: www.nwgtcc.com/center.htm

Porter Gym
City: Macon
Opened: 1937-2004
Capacity: 500
Hosted: GHSA tournaments from 1941-48.
Notes: Served as Mercer's home gym until 2004. Capacity-wise, it was the smallest in Division I.
Photos:
Link:

Savannah Armory
City: Savannah
Opened: 1892 or 1893.
Capacity:
Hosted: A single opening round AAA boys game in 1970 and 1971.
Notes:
Photos: www.denix.osd.mil/denix/Public/ES-Programs/Conservation/Legacy/Still-Serving/cover.jpg
Link:

Savannah Civic Center
City: Savannah
Opened: 1974
Capacity: 9,600
Hosted: 1999 southern Class AAAA.
Notes:
Photos: savannahgetaways.net/poi/PoiImages/POI4-14.JPG
Link: www.savannahcivic.com

Savannah Municipal Auditorium
City: Savannah
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1937 GIAA.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

South Georgia College
City: Douglas
Opened: 1966 or 1967
Capacity:
Hosted: A boys and girls in the 1950s. Parts of AA boys in 1975 and 1976. AAA girls in 1976. Generally hosted the southern half of Class A in 1980s.
Notes: Berrien played at SGC in 1967 against Broxton in what was supposedly one of the first games in the gym. That means there must have been another gym used by the college in previous years. Regardless, I need the technical name of both.
Photos:
Link:

Tiger Arena
City: Savannah
Opened: 2000
Capacity: 6,000
Hosted: Southern A or AA since 2002.
Notes: Part of Savannah State University.
Photos:
Link:

W.S. Hanner Gym
City: Statesboro
Opened: 1955
Capacity: 4,378 (current)
Hosted:
Notes: Expanded into a fieldhouse in 1969. 1995 renovation replaced wooden bleachers. Used by Georgia Southern University.
Photos: www.georgiasouthern.edu/~rmikell2/graphics/HANNER.JPG
Link: athletics.georgiasouthern.edu/hanner.html

Warren Arena
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity: Approximately 2,250
Hosted: 1938 GIAA.
Notes: Later named Atlanta Sports Arena. Once stood on Chester Avenue, SE.
Photos:
Link:

Woodruff Hall
City: Athens
Opened: 1924-1964
Capacity: 3,500
Hosted: GHSA tournaments from 1926-41.
Notes: Former home gym of the University of Georgia. There are tons of stories about how bad Woodruff was to play in. One legend says that an opposing team's captain was asked which end of the floor they wanted. His response? "We'll take the wind." Another article also states the floor was not quite the regulation length of 94".
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/woodruff-hall.jpg (outside - both photos are from the 1934 UGA Pandora), www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/woodruff-hall(2).jpg (fuzzy indoor shot; the bleachers are wooden and wrap all the way around the floor; the center white square is the wooden backboard)
Link:

Winthrop-King Centre
City: Rome
Opened: 1994
Capacity:
Hosted:
Notes: Used by Shorter College.
Photos:
Link: www.shorter.edu/athletics/ath_facilities.asp

High School Facilities

Does not include parts of 1968-71 and AAA boys from 1976. For some tournaments from these years, a neutral high school might only host one game. If four or more first round games were played in a high school site, it is included. I do not know if any of these had a more dignified gym name.

Bass
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Parts of: 1951 AA boys, A boys, and A girls; 1952 AA boys; 1954 A boys.
Notes: Since the closure of Bass, the school and gym has been renovated and turned into apartments.
Photos:
Link:

Briarcliff
City:
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern half of 1978 and 1979 A and B boys.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Brown
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Parts of the AA boys tournaments from 1950-52, plus part of the Class A boys in 1954.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Campbell-Smyrna
City: Smyrna
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted:
Notes: I don't know if C-Smyrna continued to use the same plant from 1952-1989 or if a new school was built at some point.
Photos:
Link:

Crisp County
City: Cordele
Opened: 1957
Capacity:
Hosted: 1979 AAA and AAAA girls semis and finals.
Notes: The former Crisp County High is now a middle school. Berrien and Lowndes were sworn enemies during the season, but had a great deal of respect for each other. For the finals, they combined squads and cheered in tandem through both games.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/crisp(68).jpg (Crisp Co. v. an unknown opponent in 1967-68; at the very least, the words 'Rebel Student Section' were gone in 1979 as the nickname changed to Cougars in 1970).
Link:

Douglas
City: Douglas
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Class A in the 1950s.
Notes: The gym where the former Douglas High sat is still in use on occasion under the name of Central Square.
Link:

Fitzgerald
City: Fitzgerald
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern half of 1962 AA girls, plus the semis and finals.
Notes: They've built a new school since Fitz hosted in 1962. Oddly enough, they hosted girls' action despite not having a girls' team of their own. Fitzgerald abruptly halted their program in 1957 and did not reinstate it until c. 1979.
Photos:
Link:

Fulton
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Half of the 1967 AA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Gilmer
City: Ellijay
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: The northern second round and quarters of Class AA in 2001.
Notes: Listed because it hosted a good chunk of the tournament that year.
Photos:
Link:

Grady
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1938
Capacity:
Hosted: 1939 and 1944 GIAA, plus parts of 1975's AA boys and AAA girls.
Notes: Referred to as the Boys High/Tech High, Henry Grady Gym, and Henry Grady Court. Amazingly, the gym had the Grady name before the school began using it (1947).
Photos:
Link: www.mindspring.com/~sartor/archive/history1965.html

Griffin
City: Griffin
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1924 and 1925 GIAA.
Notes: Floor dimensions were 75" x 50".
Photos:
Link:

Griffin
City: Griffin
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1956 AA girls.
Notes: I would hope that Griffin built a new gym between times hosting tournaments.
Photos:
Link:

Henry County
City: McDonough
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: AA sectionals in the 1980s.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Jones County
City: Gray
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern AAA and AAA girls from 1993-98. Southern AAAA and AAAAA girls in 1999 and 2000.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Mary Persons
City: Forsyth
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern AAA and AAAA girls from 1984-86.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Moultrie
City: Moultrie
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1954 and 1955 Class AA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Mount Zion
City: Jonesboro
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Half of the 1995 and 1996 AAA and AAAA girls, half of AA in 1997, 1998, 2000. Part of AAA and AAAA in 2004.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Northside
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Part of 1970's AA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Northside
City: Warner Robins
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern parts of 1972's AA and AAA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

O'Keefe
City: Atlanta
Opened: 1924
Capacity: 1,200
Hosted: Part of 1952 AA boys and 1954 A boys. AAA girls in 1958-62 and AA girls for 1962 and 1966-68.
Notes: Georgia Tech purchased the property of O'Keefe. Girls' basketball and volleyball have been played there in recent years.
Photos: www.space.gatech.edu/bldg_images/033A.jpg (exterior), www.space.gatech.edu/CPSM_Folders/event_facilities/okeefegym.jpg (inside, set up for volleyball), www.ghsbp.com/state/gyms/o'keefe(68).jpg (very fuzzy yearbook photo of Berrien playing in O'Keefe in the 1968 tourney)
Link: ramblinwreck.collegesports.com/genrel/032102aah.html, www.space.gatech.edu/CPSM_Sport_Facilities.htm

Putnam County
City: Eatonton
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern sectionals of 1982's AAA and AAAA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Ringgold
City: Ringgold
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern half of 1962's AA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Robert E. Lee
City: Thomaston
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: AA girls in 1950 and 1969. AAA girls in 1957, 1964, 1966-71.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Roosevelt
City: Atlanta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Pieces of the 1950 boys' AA as well as Class A tournaments for both in 1951 and 1952.
Notes: Roosevelt was the former Girls' High and closed as a school in 1985. The school and gym have since been renovated and turned into apartments.
Photos:
Link:

Tri-Cities
City: College Park
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern 1995 and 1996 Class AA; Northern AAA and AAAA girls in 1997.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Tucker
City: Tucker
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Northern part of Class A and B girls in 1978 and 1979.
Notes:
Photos
Link:

Valdosta
City: Valdosta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1963 AAA girls.
Notes: The gym was built in the 1930s or later, as Valdosta used an auditorium stage in its earliest hoops years. VHS moved into a new building in the mid 1970s. Not too long after, the previous building burned down. It was located beside Cleveland Field.
Photos: www.ghsbp.com/images/valdosta62.jpg (as you can see, it's a brick gym)
Link:

Valdosta Junior High
City: Valdosta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Two Class B opening round boys in games in 1971.
Notes: This never held a good section of any tournament, but I included it because it was an unusual choice of hosts. Though Valdosta had two high schools and a small gym at Valdosta State College, somehow these two games were put in the Junior High. The old VJHS was demolished a couple of years ago, including the gym. A new school sits on the same lot. It is located between Patterson and Oak Streets in the northern part of town. It is just a few blocks north of the old Valdosta High.
Photos:
Link:

Ware County
City: Waresboro
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: Southern half of 1995 and 1996 Class A.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

West Laurens
City: Dublin
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: 1987-91 southern half of AAA and AAAA girls.
Notes:
Photos:
Link:

Wheeler
City: Marietta
Opened:
Capacity:
Hosted: AA girls in the early 1970s.
Notes: By coincidence, Wheeler High played host to its own girls for the 1972 AA finals. The home gym provided only a slight advantage for them as they were upset by the Berrien Rebelettes.
Photos:
Link: