Peterson Gymnasium

Peterson Gymnasium
	Peterson Gymnasium Location in San Diego Peterson Gymnasium Location in California Peterson Gymnasium Location in the United States
Address	5340 55th Street
Location	San Diego, California
Coordinates	32°46′27″N 117°04′36″W / 32.7742°N 117.0768°W
Owner	San Diego State University
Operator	San Diego State University; Associated Students of SDSU
Capacity	3,668 (238 seatbacks)
Record attendance	2,358
Opened	May 1961
Tenants
	San Diego State Aztecs (NCAA) (1961–present); San Diego Conquistadors (ABA) (1972–1973)

Peterson Gymnasium (or Peterson Gym) is an indoor arena in San Diego, California, located on the campus of San Diego State University (SDSU). Opened in 1961, it is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs women's volleyball team. The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW). The Peterson Gym building also contains classrooms for lectures.

History

Peterson Gym is named after Charles E. Peterson, who during his 37-year career at San Diego State University served as athletic director, football coach, track coach, basketball coach, Dean of Men and alumni executive secretary.

Peterson Gym has been home to several San Diego State Aztecs varsity sports teams over the years, including the now-defunct men's volleyball team (discontinued in 2000), which won the school's first (and-to-date only) NCAA Division I national championship in any sport, at the 1973 NCAA men's volleyball tournament (which was hosted by SDSU and played at Peterson Gym). The men's and women's basketball teams also played at Peterson Gym until moving across the street to Cox Arena (now known as Viejas Arena) upon its opening in 1997.

In 1972–73, Peterson Gym was home of the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s San Diego Conquistadors.^[1] The Conquistadors were coached by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and Boston Celtics player K.C. Jones.^[2] The team finished with a 30–54 record. Following the season, the team switched its home arena to the San Diego Sports Arena.^[3]

Today, Peterson Gym also contains some classrooms for lectures.

References

^ "San Diego Conquistadors". Remember the ABA. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
^ "K.C. Jones". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
^ "1972-73 San Diego Conquistadors Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-06-22.