Fertitta Center
Fertitta Center is a basketball arena in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Cougars (Big 12, NCAA Division I). It opened in 1969, making it 57 years old in 2026 and seats 7,100 for basketball. It ranks 16th of 16 in the Big 12 by capacity.
Its record crowd is 10,660 vs. Texas (1990).
Arena facts
- Location
- Houston, Texas
- Home of
- Houston Cougars
- School
- University of Houston
- Conference
- Big 12
- Opened
- 1969
- Capacity
- 7,100
- Former names
- Hofheinz Pavilion (1969–2017)
- Record crowd
- 10,660 vs. Texas (1990)
- Also home to
- Houston Cougars women's basketball
Houston Cougars women's volleyball
Houston Rockets (NBA, 1971–1975, former) - Size rank in D-I
- 165th of 360
Famous games at Fertitta Center
- Dec. 1, 1969: Houston opened the building with an 89-72 win over Southwestern Louisiana in front of about 7,000 fans.
- March 5, 1990: A record 10,660 fans watched Houston beat Texas 84-79 in a Southwest Conference game.
- Dec. 1, 2018: The rebuilt arena reopened on national TV with a 65-61 win over No. 18 Oregon.
Seating & views at Fertitta Center
Fertitta Center is the old Hofheinz Pavilion rebuilt from the inside out: a $60 million project gutted the interior and built a new, tighter seating bowl within the original walls, reopening in December 2018. Capacity is about 7,100, down from 10,000 when it opened in 1969 and 8,479 after a 1998 suite addition, so fans sit close to the floor. A red line in the visitors' tunnel marks how high Hurricane Harvey's floodwater rose during construction.
Parking & tailgating at Fertitta Center
The arena is at 3875 Holman Street on the University of Houston campus. Parking is in UH garages and lots managed by UH Parking and Transportation Services, which posts event parking details; check Houston Athletics' game-day page for which lots open to the public on a given night. METRORail's Purple Line runs along the edge of campus and is an option from downtown. There's no real basketball tailgating tradition here.
Plan your trip to Fertitta Center
Arenas near Fertitta Center10
- 1NBAToyota Center — Houston Rockets same city
- 2D-ITudor Fieldhouse — Rice Owls same city
- 3D-IHealth and Physical Education Arena — Texas Southern Tigers same city
- 4D-ISharp Gymnasium — Houston Christian Huskies same city
- 5D-IWilliam J. Nicks Building — Prairie View A&M Panthers 40 mi
- 6D-IBernard Johnson Coliseum — Sam Houston Bearkats 66 mi
- 7D-IReed Arena — Texas A&M Aggies 78 mi
- 8D-INeches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center — Lamar Cardinals 79 mi
- 9D-ITownsley Law Arena — McNeese Cowboys 133 mi
- 10D-IWilliam R. Johnson Coliseum — Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 137 mi
Questions about Fertitta Center
Where do the Houston Cougars play home games?
The Houston Cougars play at Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas.
How many people does Fertitta Center hold?
Fertitta Center seats 7,100 for basketball.
When did Fertitta Center open?
Fertitta Center opened in 1969.
What is the attendance record at Fertitta Center?
The record crowd at Fertitta Center is 10,660 vs. Texas (1990).
What other arenas are near Fertitta Center?
Toyota Center is also in Houston. See the full list of nearby arenas on this page.
Facts are for the 2026–27 season. Distances are straight-line miles between city centers. Capacity figures vary by source. See something wrong? Let us know. Is this your arena? Get the “Listed on Hoops Arenas” badge for your website.