IN THE MEDIA
Diversified Helps the University of Texas Open Moody Center Sports and Entertainment Venue
The 530,000 sq. ft. arena features the latest in venue technology to host men’s and women’s basketball and concerts
In April of 2021, the University of Texas added a multi-purpose venue to its sprawling 437-acre campus. Built with the help of the Moody Foundation’s $130 million grant, Moody Center is the new home of the men’s and women’s basketball programs and will bring a new wave of entertainment to the 11th-largest US city through the latest in venue technology.
“It has become an integral part of half of our athletics complex,” says Drew Martin, executive senior associate athletics director, external affairs, University of Texas Athletics. “The Moody Center’s going to have a tremendous impact on all students at the University of Texas.”
Like a fair number of large-scale projects scheduled to begin in the early months of 2020, the Moody Center originated as a pre-pandemic job. However, many entities came together to put the venue together piece by piece. The University of Texas teamed with Oak View Group for overall direction, Live Nation Entertainment to provide high-profile musical acts, and celebrity/UT Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey. Later, Diversified was brough in for venue technology system integration, Gensler to lead architecture, CAA/ICON for project management, AECOM Hunt for construction management, Idibri for AV design and Rectitude 369 for network infrastructure. Despite the delays, the university’s passion and commitment to the venue’s goal kept the project on track.
“You could feel their desire and will for this to be an exceptional facility for their basketball teams and fans,” said Seth Bailey, VP, technology, Moody Center. “We’ve built a lot of synergy in order to get this done in the right way for everyone to enjoy.”
Once completed, the 530,000-sq.-ft. arena can be found less than a mile from the Texas State Capitol. The $375 million building is made with 50,000 tons of concrete, 2,654 tons of structural steel, and 25% recycled material. It comprises more than 15,000 seats, 2,000 club seats, 57 loge boxes, 24 porch suites that extend 10 ft. into the venue, 20 traditional suites at midcourt, three premium clubs, and a super-VIP club. And of course, the best that venue technology has to offer from lighting and sound to IPTV and production systems that make game day unlike any other.
The Moody center benefitted from Diversified having previously worked with the Oak View Group on the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. “We had the benefit of having Oak View Group as the foundation for all of these projects,” said Tony Gaston, senior account executive, sports and live events, Diversified. “Having straightforward communication with all of the key partners [helped us] provide a superior fan experience for more than 150 annual events.”
Within Moody Center, Diversified, and University of Texas Athletics are numerous individuals who pushed the project over the finish line. At Moody Center, Bailey was assisted by Senior IT Manager Heath Adams and Senior Production Manager Chris Walker. At Diversified, Gaston was joined by VP, Sports and Live Events, Chris Sullivan; Project Manager Erik Carlson; Site Supervisor Rick Koralewski; Video Production Site Supervisor Robert Kennedy; Project Engineer Mike Janes; Field Engineer Scott Durham; Stuart Reynolds on control-room design; Justin Guzman on broadcast-cabling design; Jeff Dykhouse on sound design; Vince Heine on AV design; Sam Wade on IPTV design; and Kurt Miller on video-production design. At the university, Martin cites Associate Athletic Director, Creative Development, Caten Hyde; Director, Creative Video, Jeff Hanel; and Dean of the Moody College of Communication Jay M. Bernhardt.
With more venues returning to full capacity and the calendar of events rapidly filling with various forms of entertainment, the opening of Moody Center is coming at the right time. The University of Texas has a rich 138-year history and will continue to add memories and moments. Moody Center will be a major part of that.
Read the full article to learn more about the Moody Center and all of the great partners who helped to finish and perfect this massive project.
