The facility seats 5,200 fans for basketball events, with chairback seating on both the lower and upper levels. Bleacher seating is also available in the student section on the lower level.
The arena was officially dedicated on Nov. 26, 1977, when the UNCW men’s basketball team battled Wake Forest before a sellout crowd, losing to the nationally-ranked Demon Deacons, 83-79. It was also the site of the Seahawks’ inaugural Colonial Athletic Association victory when the team edged George Mason, 66-64, on Jan. 5, 1985.
The facility is a versatile one, serving as the home floor for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. It contains three general classrooms, one lecture classroom, a physical measurements laboratory, home for the Academic Support Services Center and faculty and administrative offices.
Recent improvements have kept the arena in excellent condition. A $2 milliion renovated project as completed in the fall of 2011, including the installation of an impressive video board and LED courtside boards, and new LED lighting was installed in the fall of 2013.
The 1986 women’s basketball and 1996 women’s volleyball championships for the Colonial Athletic Association were conducted at the facility.
In 1998, Trask Coliseum was the site of a Federation Cup women’s tennis semifinal match between the United States and France. Several of the world’s top-ranked women’s professional players convened on Wilmington for the ESPN-televised event.
Two National Basketball Association teams have held their training camps at the venue. The Washington Wizards called Trask Coliseum their pre-season training for three seasons from 2001-03 and hometown favorite Michael Jordan was a familiar site on campus for those training sessions.Most recently, the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) trained at Trask Coliseum.
Hanover Hall, connected to the east end of Trask Coliseum, recently went extensive renovation to become the program’s volleyball facility
The arena was home to the Seahawk men’s and women’s basketball teams from 1965-1977 before the construction of Trask Coliseum.
The arena became the volleyball program’s home in 2001-02 when the floor was repainted, seating was upgraded, a new sound system was installed and new scoreboards were connected.
In the early spring of 2011, a new cushioned maple floor was installed, creating an optimum playing environment for the team and its players.
