Garfield Weede Building
The Garfield Weede Building houses John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court, the Pittsburg State Ticket Office, the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame, athletics administration and coaches offices, basketball and volleyball locker rooms, The Gorillas Sports Medicine Center operated in partnership with Freeman Health System as well as the Freeman Health System Weede Lecture Hall. The building is also home to two dance studios, a swimming pool, and racquetball courts that are used by Pittsburg State's Health, Human Performance and Recreation department and used as part of students campus recreation memberships.
In the summer of 2016, both the east and west lobbies, the east concession stand and all first floor public restrooms were competely renovated. The new paint, carpet, and lighting provide a welcoming atmosphere for our student-athletes and will undoubtedly improve the fan experience for volleyball and basketball contests in John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court and other events. The west lobby was expanded and now includes ticket windows and an expanded entry and patio area.
The Pittsburg State Ticket Office is also on the first floor of the Garfield Weede Building. There, students, staff and fans can purchase tickets to not only athletics events, but also events at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts as well as other campus activities. On the second floor of the Weede are the athletics administrative offices and offices for most of Pitt State's head and assistant coaches, including the Tredway Family Foundation Football Office Suite. There is also the student-athlete academic center, the Whetzel Family Mezzanine, and the Champions Club.
John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court
The Pittsburg State University men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams make their home in John Lance Arena, which is housed in the Garfield Weede Building. John Lance Arena is named in honor of legendary head coach John Lance, who won 582 games during his illustrious career at Pittsburg State and 656 games overall. Lance led the Gorillas to an amazing 47 consecutive victories during one stretch of his 40-year tenure that spanned from 1923 until 1963. PSU was 20-0 during the 1929-30 campaign and 21-0 the following year. The streak finally ended in the seventh game of the 1931-32 season when the Gorillas were defeated by Henry Iba’s Northwest Missouri State University squad, 20-18.
In the spring of 2010, the hardwood and track in John Lance Arena was taken up and renovations on the facility began. Wall-to-wall maple hardwood was installed in the arena, providing three main courts to allow the men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball to practice all at the same time if necessary. Up to four courts can be utilized for summer camps for all three teams. Chairback seating was installed on the north and south ends of the arena, as well as in the mezzanine area. The new court was dedicated on January 5, 2013 and named in honor of PSU benefactors, Alan and Roberta Whetzel, who gave the lead gift that allowed the renovations to happen.
Whetzel Family Mezzanine & Champions Club
In addition to the court renovations, the Whetzel Family Mezzanine opened in 2010. The Whetzel Family Mezzanine houses the Champions Club, offices overlooking the court for the head volleyball and men's and women's basketball coaches, a state of the art video control room and a conference room, which is also used for post-game press conferences. Fans can rent out the Champions Club on a game-by-game basis by contacting the athletic department.
Basketball & Volleyball Locker Rooms
The first floor of the Weede was completely renovated during the summers of 2015 and 2016. With the football and track and field locker rooms moving to the Robert W. Plaster Center, the Ann and Lee Crawley men's basketball locker room, the Goppert Foundation women's basketball locker room and the Gorilla volleyball locker room were each renovated and expanded. Each team's locker room now includes state-of-the-art wooden lockers and audio-visual equipment, showers and restrooms, an equipment storage area, and team meeting areas.
Gorilla Sports Medicine Center
The Gorilla Sports Medicine Center operated in partnership with Freeman Health System was moved from two separate athletic training rooms to one expanded room with treatment tables, a space specifically designed for rehabilitation work, ice machines, a state-of-the art hot/cold tub and all the modalities needed to ensure all of Pitt State's student-athletes are in top shape for each competition.
Freeman Health System Weede Lecture Hall
Another feature added in 2016 was the Freeman Health System Weede Lecture Hall . The Gorillas' old weight room was gutted and converted to a multi-tiered theatre-style meeting room with seating for 160. The room can be divided by a movable wall and used for groups up to 80 on each side. Like other meetings rooms, this space includes state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment for each side of the room.
