Center of It All

By Michael R. Walker (BA ’90) in the Fall 2021 Issue

When the J. Willard Marriott Center (MC) opened its 72 sets of double doors for the first time in 1971, it was a big deal. The gleaming new facility was bigger in seating capacity than the Madison Square Garden, Utah’s Huntsman Center, or any other basketball arena, collegiate or professional, in the country. Today, 50 years later, the MC remains the 10th-largest collegiate arena.

The saying around town was that basketball head coach Stanley H. Watts (BS ’38) built the Marriott Center, J. Willard Marriott paid for it, and Krešimir Ćosić (’73) filled it. Indeed, even before it was dedicated, 22,652 fans flocked to the new arena on Dec. 3, 1971, to see the 6-foot-11 Croatian phenom’s deft dribbling, high-arching hooks, and soaring blocks. In that first BYU Basketball Classic held at the center, the Cougars would beat the Kansas State Wildcats and the St. Joseph’s Hawks, presaging a home-court dominance for decades to come.

But the building was designed to be “for more than sports and concerts,” said BYU president Ernest L. Wilkinson (BA ’21) in his 1968 building announcement: “For the first time in recent years, devotional messages, commencement exercises, and all other major campus events will be held under one roof for all students.”

The first major religious event in the Marriott Center took place on Feb. 9, 1972, when two broadcast sessions of the Provo Temple dedication drew approximately 40,000 people. Since then, tens of thousands more have filled every seat—and sometimes the hallways—to listen to every prophet from Joseph Fielding Smith to Russell M. Nelson.

Over 50 years this golden-buff-bricked and blue-tiled edifice has hosted presidents, poets, prime ministers, astronauts, athletes, scholars, and performers of every kind. But for its massive scale and millions of visitors, the center’s most important role has been bringing like minds and spirits together under one roof and building a sense of belonging. Moments spent praying or cheering in the midst of a capacity crowd in this storied building can be powerful and memorable.

Here are a few highlights of the millions of memories made while building and gathering in the Marriott Center.

Seats and Scoreboards

While many MC improvements over the past five decades are mostly out of sight (playing-floor structure; lighting, roof, and seismic upgrades; office and locker-room changes), the sights and sounds emanating from the state-of-the-art scoreboards (1971, 1983, 2015) have been front and center. Not to be left behind, the 10,092 original plastic chairs and many of the yellow bleachers have been replaced over time with padded blue seats. With the incremental increases in comfort, the official seating capacity is now 18,987.

Special Guests

High-profile guest speakers in the past five decades include former US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush; former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; and seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight.

Home-Court Advantage

With the music thumping, the student section roaring, and a little help from Provo’s altitude, the MC has a reputation as a tough place for opponents to compete. “I don’t know how many places . . . have a place like BYU,” said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, whose highly ranked teams have suffered a few dramatic defeats in the MC. “There are 20,000 people that roll in there, and they’re as dedicated to the cause of cheering for their Cougars as any place I’ve ever been,” he adds. “Unbelievable home court. Unbelievable effort they play with there.”

Jan. 26, 2011

BYU 71, San Diego State 58

No. 9 BYU and Jimmer T. Fredette (BA ’16) played the undefeated No. 4 SDSU Aztecs and future NBA champ Kawhi Leonard in one of the biggest MC games of all time. The crowd of 22,700 sold out the arena.

Dec. 15, 1979

BYU 108, LaSalle 106 (3 OT)

An all-star lineup including Danny R. Ainge (BA ’92), Fred C. Roberts (BA ’07), and Devin G. Durrant (BA ’84) pulled off a triple-overtime victory over LaSalle in the Cougar Classic. The combined 214 points were an MC record at the time, and Michael Brooks of  LaSalle set an MC scoring record with 51 points. When he was named tournament MVP, the BYU crowd gave Brooks a five-minute ovation, chanting his name. The gesture caused the player to break down in tears.

Feb. 22, 2020

BYU 91, Gonzaga 78

On a memorable senior night, the underdog Cougars upset the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs, ending the Zags’ 19-game winning streak. An elated sellout crowd rushed the floor to celebrate with the Cougar squad, including senior Yoeli B. Childs (BS ’20), who led the scoring with 28 points and added 10 rebounds.