Facilities

Niagara University's on-campus facility has been the home for the school's men's basketball programs since Nov. 30, 1949, the women's since its inaugural season of 1974-75 and the volleyball team since its first season in 1977. Niagara has enjoyed a tremendous home-court advantage in the friendly confines of the Gallagher Center over the years.

Originally named the Student Center, it was renamed on May 23, 1982, in honor of the former athletics director and basketball coach at Niagara. In the summer of 1998, the Gallagher Center under went a $1.3 million renovation that included a new floor, bleachers and decor. In 1995, the Gallagher Center also received improved lighting. Banners featuring Niagara's NCAA and National Invitation Tournament appearances were added in 1996-97 while banners marking the accomplishments of the women's basketball program were added in 1997-98.

On the outside of the Gallagher Center, fans are welcomed by the Niagara Hall of Fame which highlights historical moments in the Niagara athletics, as well as plaques depicting Purple Eagles who have been inducted into the Niagara Hall of Fame.

Niagara Tennis Facility

In the fall of 2001, Niagara University completed construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art tennis fieldhouse. The fieldhouse was made possible in large part due to the generous contributions of many Niagara tennis alumni and supporters. The donations, totaling over $8,000, made the construction of the new tennis facility a reality.

The fieldhouse provides the Niagara men's and women's tennis teams with over 1,000 square feet of meeting, lounge and storage space that is located next to the tennis courts. The building includes a dormer for storage, a covered porch area for picnics, a changing room, space for a player's lounge/meeting/study area, room for a tennis-stringing machine and an office area.

One of the prominent features of the building is the dormer window. The window has an engraved Niagara tennis logo. The window, which was donated to the Niagara tennis programs by Paul and Eileen Calkins, is the centerpiece of the facility and completes the overall atmosphere of the fieldhouse.

The new fieldhouse, coupled with the newly resurfaced tennis courts and Niagara's relationship with the Sportsplex for indoor tennis needs, gives Niagara some of the best tennis facilities in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Dwyer Arena

For Bob and Connie Dwyer, the $3 million gift they have made to Niagara University is more than an investment in the future of its hockey program. It is a way to give something back to a community in which they have strong roots and for which they have fond memories.

Nor has their donation, the largest single donation in the history of the university, gone unnoticed in the community, a community that Connie calls her home, a community in which they started their family.

The first and second phases of the expansion are already completed. Phase one included new men and women's locker rooms, training facilities, a player lounge, an equipment storage room and a new athletic treatment room on the south side of the twin-rink facility. The first phase was completed in October of 1999. Phase two consisted of an expanded lobby area, separate entrances for the two rinks, an expanded concession area, a new and larger pro shop and a new ticket office. This phase was completed in September of 2000. The cost of both phases was funded completely by the Dwyer gift.

In the summer of 2007, Dwyer Arena underwent more changes. With the addition of the Premium Seating Section in the area formerly occupied by the "Party Deck", the capacity was increased from 1,600 to 2,100. The Premium Seating Section is a climate-controlled area with its own eatery, bar and private restrooms. It also comes equipped with flat-screen TVs and a personalized sound-system in a gathering area with a view of the entire ice surface.

The playing surface also received some attention, with the addition of new boards and seamless glass.

The Oxy Aquatic Center

The Oxy Aquatic Center located in the Kiernan Recreation Center is a 25-yard pool, which holds 236,500 gallons of water, and is the home to the Niagara University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.

The Oxy was originally built in the summer of 1988. It officially opened its doors for competitors in the fall of 1988 and built to accommodate competitive swimming and diving in scholastic and collegiate categories.

The Pool
The pool has a moveable bulkhead and a diving well with regulation one- and three-meter diving boards. The Oxy is 14 feet deep and 12 ½ yards wide, providing six-foot lanes. The pool has “rim-flow” gutters, which drastically reduce turbulence.

Timing, Judging and Scoreboard
An electronic timing system determines elapsed time, order of finish and lap splits for each lane to .001 second, which is transmitted to a large display scoreboard. Judges’ stations at the diving pool also compute and transmit scoring to the display.

Niagara Field

The 2008-09 season welcomed the newest addition to the Niagara athletics family, as the newly renovated Niagara Field is set to open.

Situated behind the Kiernan Center, the new multi-purpose field will be home to both of Niagara's soccer teams, along with the women's lacrosse team. The state of the art field will feature a new field turf surface, lights, seating for 1,200 and a fully functional press box.

The new field touts a turf playing field, allowing it to be used year round. Niagara Field's new surface is specifically designed for soccer and lacrosse. Also on the field are European game goals, making games at the new field a top of the line experience.

Markings needed to play soccer and women's lacrosse as well as the Purple Eagles logo along the sideline will be depicted on the turf. The markings are permanent and will never need to be touched up.

Lights are fitted around the new field, allowing the Purple Eagles to hold night practices and games. Surrounding the field will be covering benches for fans to sit on, while they take in all the action at the newest addition to the athletics family.