Here is an article from today's Daily on the New Mariucci Arena. I am anxiously awaiting the Gopher Legends game to see our new *home*. -Carol Headline: New Hockey Arena nears completion Publish Date: 07/20/1993 By Pardhu Vadlamudi, Staff Reporter. While the seats are still wrapped in plastic and the championship banners have yet to be unfurled, the new home of Gopher hockey is nearing completion for a grand opening next month. The new Mariucci Arena is just one part of the overall $41 million sports facilities project that includes a renovated Williams Arena and a new Sports Pavilion. The Pavilion, inside the shell of the old Mariucci Arena, will house women's basketball, volleyball, men's and women's gymnastics and wrestling. Scott Ellison, program director and manager of the three sports facilities, said the construction and renovation projects are on schedule and on budget. ``People are going to be pleased with the beautiful sightlines,'' Ellison said. ``It will be a year-round facility.'' The project's crown jewel is the new home of Minnesota hockey. The facility's open-bowl configuration features good sightlines from the first row to the top row of the concourse level. The arena includes an Olympic-size ice sheet, which will also be used in the summer when the Twin Cities' Collegiate Development League moves from Augsburg Arena next summer. The new hockey arena, which seats from 8,200 to 9,700 (including standing-room tickets), is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 2. The building's grand opening is slated for Aug. 21 with an alumni legends game featuring former Gopher greats. The newly renovated Williams Arena will be available to the volleyball team starting Sept. 17. This will be the Gophers' final season in Williams, as they will move to the Sports Pavilion next year. The Sports Pavilion, with a seating capacity of 5,700, is scheduled to open on Dec. 1 and will be available to the women's basketball team and the other Gopher teams. Williams Arena has undergone several phases of reconstruction, including a six-story addition. Although the overall seating at the remodeled Williams Arena will be reduced from 16,400 to 14,300, there will be more student seating, about 2,800 seats, all on the west end of the arena's lower deck. Carol S. White BITNET: c-whit@uminn1 University of Minnesota internet:[log in to unmask] Office of the Registrar (612) 625-8517 GO Gophers!!!