Hofheinz Pavilion opened on December 1, 1969 on the University of Houston campus, launching a 48-season run as home court for the Houston Cougars men’s and women’s basketball teams. The arena was named for UH alumnus and former Houston mayor Roy “Judge” Hofheinz and his wife, Irene “Dene” Hofheinz, after the couple donated $1.5 million toward its construction.
Beyond college hoops, the 10,000-seat venue briefly doubled as an NBA home, hosting the Houston Rockets from 1971 to 1975, and drew touring acts including Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. A 1998 renovation added luxury suites and trimmed capacity to 8,479, and in 2017 the university closed the building for a $60 million overhaul. It reopened in December 2018 under a new name, the Fertitta Center, closing the book on the Hofheinz Pavilion era.
- Houston Rockets played here 1971–1975. See every Rockets arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Houston Cougars basketball; Houston Rockets (NBA, 1971-1975)
- Location: University of Houston, Houston, Texas
- Opened: December 1, 1969
- Renamed: 2017, reopened as Fertitta Center in December 2018
- Original Capacity: 10,000
- Capacity After 1998 Renovation: 8,479
- Notable Fact: Cougars went 537-168 there across 48 seasons
A Court Shared With the NBA
For four seasons starting in 1971, Hofheinz Pavilion did double duty as the home of the Houston Rockets, who split some games with the Astrodome before moving on. That overlap made the arena one of the few college venues of its era to also host an NBA franchise, even as the Cougars remained its primary tenants and turned the building into one of the sport’s toughest road environments through the 1980s and 1990s.
From Hofheinz to Fertitta
Hofheinz Pavilion’s final transformation began in 2017, when the University of Houston gutted the aging arena for a $60 million renovation anchored by a $20 million gift from restaurant magnate Tilman Fertitta. The project was complicated when Hurricane Harvey flooded the stripped-down building later that year, but construction continued and the arena reopened on December 1, 2018, as the Fertitta Center, with the men’s team beating Oregon in the debut game.
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Hofheinz Pavilion FAQs
Is Hofheinz Pavilion still called that today?
No. The arena was renamed the Fertitta Center after reopening from a $60 million renovation in December 2018.
What NBA team played home games at Hofheinz Pavilion?
The Houston Rockets used it as a home venue from 1971 to 1975, sharing dates with the Astrodome before leaving for a dedicated arena.
Who was Hofheinz Pavilion named after?
Roy “Judge” Hofheinz and his wife, Irene “Dene” Hofheinz, who donated $1.5 million toward building the arena, which opened in 1969.
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Photo: Dknights411 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.