Leaving Wisdom Gym: Starting a new tradition

BY HANNAH BROOKS

Multimedia Journalist

Tarleton State University’s iconic Wisdom Gym, constructed in 1970, has served as the heart of the university’s basketball and volleyball programs for more than five decades.

Wisdom Gym was named in honor of Coach William J. Wisdom, an all-sports coach,  1972.

Coach Wisdom led Tarleton basketball to 86 straight wins between 1934 and 1938, Texans know this feat as the “Wisdom streak.”

Coach Wisdom also won 112 of 113 wins in a time span of seven years as the men’s basketball coach

These achievements brought Wisdom into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1971.

Recently, in August 2023, Tarleton State University broke ground on a new $110 million event center, scheduled to open in fall 2025.

This 148,000-square-foot, two story facility will feature an integrated nutrition center, a sports medicine suite, custom locker rooms and a dedicated entrance for coaches and student-athletes.

The maple wood flooring system will be portable, making placing and removing the specialized gym surface a breeze for the different events held.

What’s in it for non-athletes and spectators?

According to the Tarleton Athletics page, the Event Center will also serve as the permanent host building for “academic symposiums, conferences, conventions, concerts, convocations and commencements.”

The Office of The President stated that the Event Center will provide “seating (for) nearly 10,000 for concerts” and “up to 8,000 for basketball games.”

This past Saturday night marked the last time a NCAA basketball game will be hosted in Wisdom Gym. With it, a couple of special things happened.

Before game number two of The Farewell Series, every senior basketball player was honored for their achievements in their time at Tarleton.

During halftime, dozens of alumni from multiple generations were welcomed onto the floor to be honored.

Among them, a special Tarleton Hall of Famer: the esteemed Lonn Reisman, who served as men’s basketball coach from 1988 to 2018 and athletic director from 1993 to 2024.

To Jakorie Smith, a Tarleton basketball 2024 alumnus, Wisdom Gym will always be credited with shaping some of the most memorable moments of his college career.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling… I wouldn’t say I wish I would have played in the Event Center because I enjoyed my time in Wisdom,” Smith said. “The fans were always supporting, and it felt like they were right on the floor with us.”

Smith encapsulated sentiments of Texan Nation, saying, “Wisdom will always have a special place in my heart.”

While at game two of The Farwell Series, P.A.N.K.U.S. (People Against Not Knowing University Spirit) members expressed how they were handling the shift.

“We’re sad to leave as the hype really fills the space in a smaller gym, but we know how great the Event Center is going to be for the atmosphere overall,” a P.A.N.K.U.S. member said.

All three school spirit groups, P.A.N.K.U.S., The Purple Poo and The Plowboys, attended these last two games.

At every game, the Plowboys and P.A.N.K.U.S. were always in the front rows, right next to each other. The Poos, when not sat with them, roamed the gym spreading school spirit.

Wisdom Gym will continue to house the women’s volleyball gym, Tarleton Athletics Hall of Fame and the trophy cases.

While emotions are torn between sadness, excitement and all in between, one things rings true for Tarleton’s new addition.

The Event Center has become a significant aspect of Tarleton’s new chapter, allowing fans—both students and the community—to experience a more immersive and engaging experience at games: a true Division I experience.

This move fits into the larger vision of Tarleton State University’s growth and development, both athletically and academically, being only one out of several in progress projects and expansions.

Wisdom has served Tarleton well, but its years have been fulfilled.

Here’s to the good times had in Wisdom Gym and all else to come moving forward.

Go, Texans.