Northern Michigan University’s Allie Barlow, second from right, sets for an attempted kill by teammate Meghan Meyer, right, during the Wildcats’ GLIAC volleyball match against Purdue Northwest played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The eagerly anticipated renovation of Vandament Arena on the campus of Northern Michigan University will be complete when the now-multipurpose venue will be rededicated next week.

That comes just in time for the Wildcats’ first home volleyball match of the season as the volleyball squad is now one of several tenants of the arena located in the Physical Education Instructional Facility and next to the Berry Events Center in Marquette.

That NMU team will share the space with the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams now that the former volleyball-only arena has been expanded with a larger court and probably most importantly, much more seating capacity.

The dedication is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at the arena, which will be followed by a reception and the volleyball Wildcats playing a nonconference match against Findlay at 5 p.m.

Renovations commenced in November to create a more modern look, a larger court area, and four-sided stadium seating for about 1,400, which includes some seats courtside.

The changes will allow NMU fans, particularly of the basketball teams, to be closer to the action after those teams had previously practiced in Vandament but competed at the Berry Events Center, which was designed for hockey in the 1990s.

“I’m very excited for the official opening of Vandament,” NMU athletic director and former hockey coach Rick Comley said in an NMU Sports Information news release announcing the dedication.

He was hockey program’s original coach, serving in that capacity from 1976 to 2002, while also serving a dual role as athletic director from 1987-2000. In 2002, Comley left Marquette to become the head hockey coach at Michigan State University, and after retiring, returned in an official capacity to NMU in 2022 again as AD after the departure of previous athletic director Forrest Karr.

“When I came back, one of my goals was to make situations better for multiple teams, and the new Vandament is an opportunity for us to reward volleyball and put basketball in an environment that better suits them.

“There’s a benefit to hockey with this whole change as well. It’s not very often you get a win-win-win. The look is great, the environment will be tremendous and our student-athletes will be the ones to benefit the most.”

NMU men’s basketball head coach Matt Majkrzak agrees with his boss.

“The new Vandament Arena will provide an excellent and needed opportunity for our basketball athletes to practice where they compete in a first-class venue,” said Majkrzak, who will begin his sixth season at the Wildcats’ helm this fall. “It’s a beautiful building that will make NMU one of the premier atmospheres in (NCAA Division II) basketball.

“We are all really appreciative of all the hard work that has gone into this project by so many throughout the Northern Michigan administration and can’t wait to get in front of our fans.”

Among the advantages of moving the basketball teams to Vandment are not only for athletes and fans, but also for university staff and the athletic facilities because of the constant transitioning of the Berry ice sheet to a wooden floor and often back again, sometimes twice in a single weekend.

NMU vice president for finance and administration Gavin Leach previously related to the NMU Board of Trustees finance committee that the floor was prone to damage from being inserted and removed frequently. He also detailed challenges related to labor availability and costs to complete the work.

The Wildcats basketball teams spent about a month playing games in the PEIF gym early last season due to damage to the floor.

While the wood floor was in place, Northern also lost ice rental revenue and incurred costs for the hockey team to practice elsewhere.

Vandament Arena was originally named the NMU Volleyball Arena when it opened prior to the 1995 season, then was officially dedicated as Vandament Arena in November 1997.

The name change occurred soon after former NMU president and avid volleyball supporter William Vandament retired following his six-year tenure. He was in office when the Wildcats won their back-to-back NCAA D- II national championships in 1993 and 1994.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.