As the end of the Cincinnati Gardens appears imminent, so too ends a chapter of Xavier basketball that provided a significant program trajectory.
The Port of Great Cincinnati Development Authority is expected to soon buy the venue and demolish buildings for new development.
Rewind to 1982 when Xavier hoops played primarily at its on-campus arena, Schmidt Fieldhouse, before a couple thousand fans. Plans were in place for a change by the time athletic director Jeff Fogelson arrived in the fall of 1983.
“The league at the time, the Midwestern City Conference, was reaching a point where they were going to mandate that you had to play in an arena that seated 7,500,” Fogelson said.