Pauley Pavilion

What a great job they did in 2012 when Pauley went through that 100 million dollar plus renovation. For any Bruin or Bruin fan, most are aware of the magical and storied history Pauley has played host to when it comes to basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. Regardless of your school affiliation this is a great place to enjoy an event.
It is right next to Drake Stadium and situated on the west end of campus and there is plenty of parking. With a bit of local knowledge navigating in and out prior to and after an event is pretty easy breezy. Affordable too, the last basketball game was just $ 12 bucks for structure parking and it’s just a 5 minute walk to the arena.
That 2012 renovation is still shining and the place is fresh and clean and very well maintained, bathrooms included. They have large roll up doors that surround the facility so it keeps things from becoming stuffy or stale. While large, 13k capacity it feels intimate. Our seats for the last game were in 19B but we felt right in the mix during the game. Certainly nothing like the raucous student section but spirited none the less. The actual seats themselves are relatively comfy too, you don’t feel overly cramped.
There are also plenty of places to grab something to eat and they have outside vendor concessions depending on the event. Chick-​Fil-​A and CPK are there during this seasons men’s basketball games.
Also worth mentioning is that it feels safe. They have a great and well trained staff that keep things moving, tickets are taken from several entrances all around the perimeter. UCLA should be commended for providing a wonderful place that builds on the rich sports history of Pauley Pavilion while providing the comforts and conveniences of a modern arena. I am looking forward to heading back soon, Go Bruins!

As a Bruin Alum, I’ve spent many undergraduate days walking past Pauley Pavilion. I also used to work the concessions for ASUCLA during basketball games. My graduation ceremony, from the Psychology department, was here. My grandma actually got to attend and see one of her eldest grandchildren graduate from a 4 year university. So yeah, Pauley Pavilion brings back memories.
My most recent visit, post-​renovations from that 20-​million gallon water main leak that flooded the arena in 2014, I was impressed. The new screens and LCD ads are bright! The seats are comfortable. The memorabilia displays are amazing. I loved being there. We attended the UCLA-​Arizona St. game where the Bruins were victorious. The entire arena erupted in an 8-​clap when the final buzzer sounded. There is something to be said about watching a game live with some of the biggest UCLA fans on the planet.
During the break at the half, I went to buy some iced coffee. I ordered a caramel iced latte and was impressed that they used real espresso and not some mix. But again, I should know this since I used to work at the coffeehouse on campus. Back then, the only drinks we sold at concessions were soda, black coffee, premixed iced drinks and water at concessions, but now they have the fancy machines. I’m really happy that the renovations happened quickly and were beautifully done. Go Bruins!

Came here to watch the women’s basketball team vs Oregon St. with some students & parents from the private school that I work at. We all got shirts to wear & the tickets we got were in the reserved section which also included a voucher for a hot dog & a drink. It was a close game for the most part but UCLA pulled out the win. The crowd wasn’t as big as it could have been to watch these great female athletes that work hard at their game. We had a fun time; they had a snow play area outside & and a bounce house obstacle course on the gym floor for kids. This was my first time watching the women’s basketball team play & I definitely want to come back to support them.

I attended two graduations here today. The place is nice (I like the color scheme of it and futuristic architectural look of it). The last time I’d visited Pauley Pavilion was for a concert several years ago (pre-​renovation). Pauley Pavilion is the perfect venue for graduations since it’s able to acommadate so large crowds.
For the record: I give Pauley Pavilion a four-​star review because of an annoying incident that occurred several minutes before the first graduation started. I’d been standing in a walkway in the arena for several minutes, when someone from security detail told me I couldn’t stand. I was annoyed because other security people who had been standing nearby (at some points next to me) hadn’t bothered to tell me I wasn’t allowed to stand before this one particular person came to say I had to take a seat. I later noticed during the ceremony that lots of other people were able stand for a sufficient amount of time in the walkways without being hassled by security.

My favorite place on campus, this place is exquistely stunning! We got wooden in the front and a beautifuk campus around, not mention westwood village is right there for us to indulge in, dueing the basketball games

The remodel is tremendous. Nice seats, nice sight lines, more restrooms, lots of food options (including food trucks), memorabilia, displays, fancy scoreboard, and hallways far wider than before.
Ticket prices went through the roof but hey, there’s always StubHub and maybe you’ll get randomly upgraded to better seats like we did after we entered («just because,» they said).
The remodel looks terrific.

It loses a star for being named after Edwin Pauley, who represented just about everything that was wrong with our country in the 1950s and ‘60s. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read Seth Rosenfeld’s Subversives, the best piece of nonfiction I’ve read in a long time.) It gains half of that wayward star back for hosting my second opportunity to see Natalie Achonwa somewhere other than Notre Dame, Indiana. And I actually spoke to Ace, too, so a full star it is.
I want to talk about olé No. 11, but for legal reasons I can’t, so I’ll talk about the arena. I thought the changes from the last time I was here would be dramatic, and maybe they are, but the enclosure of the outside just didn’t alter the entire experience the way I thought it would. There’s good and bad in that. It’s good because it still feels the same, and thankfully, the changes they’ve made to the exterior haven’t affected the interior at all. It’s bad because the enclosure details, while impressive, don’t quite feel like part of the structure. I know they’ve kept some of the original design details and have replicated the facades and profiles of the support structure in interesting, if nonessential ways. But I also think you either need to make something completely new or just continue on with the old design. They’ve tried to mask the newness of the design with details that look like the old design. It’s an in-​between area, and I don’t like aesthetic or architectural in-​betweens.
Basketball is still basketball here. Crowds still crowd outside, and that’s exciting and feels like it always has. Yes, there’s more room inside to gather, and yes, the concessions are indoors, but there’s no grand entrance (thankfully), and it’s Westwood, for someone’s sake. How often does it rain here anyway that you need to enclose everything?

Gorgeous building.
Good stadium food.
Bingo during basketball games!

First time visiting the Pauley Pavilion and I fell in love. Awesome place :) comfortable seats and very clean! I’ll definitely be back very soon! Hands down deserves a 10 star review ;) GO UCLA BRUINS !!

This is such a beautiful building. Encased in glass, it’s a shrine to UCLA athletics. I came here for a double header basketball game, but ended up not watching the game because there were no in-​out privileges between the game. However, I was able to go in and see the court. It all is really beautiful. Hope to come back soon and attend a real game! There is parking under the pavilion, which is free after 4:30pm on weekdays or all day weekends if you have a UCLA parking pass at any structure.

Damn the new Pauley Pavilion is boss. This is certainly ushering in a new era of blue and gold. The new Pauley is a game changer in that it sets the perfect arena for sports games, special events, and activities. It unites the UCLA student body with the Westwood, LA, and entire SoCal community and beyond. My favorite details include the glass pane walls, the bruin paraphernalia, and just the sheer massiveness of the court. Having attended Spring Sing both at the LATC and now at the new Pauley, there is no comparison. It seats over 9,000, and the magnitude of it just boggles my mind. Proud to be a bruin and grateful that I am able to witness UCLA at its finest — Under Construction Like Always!

Everything looked state of the arc and it gave the feeling that you were at a professional basketball game. They even had the cameras zooming in on people dancing during the time outs.
They had an amazing trick that there cheerleaders/​yell leaders performed! They had some cute old school cheerleaders perform at the game. During half time they brought out little kids to perform and they even had their Bruins boy/​girl Bear out there dancing. The Bruins Bears even led out the kids that were dressed like bears too (they were too cute).
It seemed like every area was a good seat. Overall a good game and a cool building.

I have not been to Pauley Pavilion since the renovations.
They did a fantastic job. From the history of UCLA in the concourse, to new food court and the new scoreboard.
They tool an out dated arena and turned it into a modern show place.
Legroom seems more then the old Pauley and the seats were very comfordable.
Now all UCLA has to do is add a new banner to the rafters.
I can’t wait to go back and see the Bruins play again.

From Wooden and Walton to Mary Lou Retton to countless UCLA events (including my own graduation), Pauley Pavilion has seen many magical moments. After growing old and tired, it’s been reborn to great acclaim. The renovations have really changed the place, but they didn’t solve all the problems. Overall, it’s a great venue and a fun place to watch a game, but can’t compare to what you see on TV at places like UNC or Duke.
SWISH:
– No more huge dead space behind the baskets as the floor and seats have been reconfigured.
– New videoboard above center court and LED ribbon around the ceiling.
– Retired numbers and NCAA championship banners displayed from the rafters (none of this weak conference championship or NCAA appearance banners like some teams have).
– Wooden Way (east concourse) and the statue of Coach Wooden (outside the north entrance) are fantastic homages to the man, the myth, the legend.
– The Championship Wall and team collages throughout the arena are great ways to recognize the glory that is UCLA athletics. For more — and to see all the trophies — head to the Morgan Center next door.
– Located on campus and on Bruin Walk, Pauley is easy to get to for students and fans (unlike, say, the Rose Bowl).
– Underground parking in Lots 4 and 7 allow you to be steps away from your car.
– Large, clean bathrooms!
– More concession stands that can accomodate more people. The glass walls on the south side open up for some games allowing fresh air in and allowing people to get food from food trucks in addition to the standard ASUCLA concessions.
– The smaller sports like gymnastics and Women’s hoops are super family friendly (and cheap). Women’s basketball even has an inflatable obstacle course before weekend games. If you have a little girl, want to fill her with Bruin pride, and don’t want to break the bank on a men’s basketball ticket, try one of the other sports first.
BRICK:
– Bruin fans remain fickle and the place rarely fills up. The noise level and atmosphere are still pretty tame for most games.
– Rather than blowing up the old Pauley and starting anew, they renovated the old building. With a cramped footprint to work in, they added space to three sides but the west side is still very cramped — no space, no concessions, walking shoulder to shoulder to get by.
– The upstairs seating area hasn’t been touched much other than putting in new seats. If you didn’t like the sight lines upstairs, you may still not like them.
– The new center court logo is cheesy.
– Ever-​present construction at UCLA means Lot 6 (just to the south of Pauley) is permanently gone.
– Getting out of Westwood can be a bear — let alone dealing with traffic on the 405 or the 10.

I come not as an alumnus, but as an elementary school volunteer basketball coach, and my group of 5^th grade mini ballers HAD A BLAST! In a town where college dreams aren’t a common goal, I thought this would be a great way to peep out on what could be in their futures. Tickets were purchased through the UCLA basketball Internet site phone number under «group tickets,» specifically «youth basketball teams.» The phone service staff was very helpful and friendly in determining seating choice. We chose to park @ parking structure 8, which is closer to Westwood Blvd. The other parking structures 4 & 7 are available off Sunset Ave. The benefit of 4 & 7 is that you approach the front of Pauley Pavilion. Upon entering, Pauley’s staff was welcoming us left and right, and all were easily approachable for an assist. Pauley is unassuming from the outside, but it inner workings sure are beautiful! UCLA has a SIGNIFICANT basketball history and they honor «The Wizard of Westwood,» the incomparable John Wooden, in a wonderful way! Something every young baller should bear witness to. «Hey fellas, you betta RECOGNIZE!!!» We ended up sitting right by the band, very close to the court! Oh Yeah! We scored a great deal and awesome seats at the «plaza end,» section 122. Just to note, there were no seat backings in the area around row L. As a coach of impressionable young men, Coach Alford’s Bruins were excellent examples to confirm basketball concepts I’m teaching… defensive stance & sliding, man-​to-​man defense, zone defense, shooting technique, motion offense, zone offense, & pressing. A fun game to watch as UCLA dismantled Weber St. University but simultaneously, the kids were learning something AT THE SAME TIME!!! «Hey Coach! They play defense like you’re telling us to.» Ah, music to my ears! I LOVE IT! Did Weber St. give up because they were down so much? NO! «Never say die» attitude and hustling to the end! Great examples to my team in every way! A WONDERFUL basketball experience ;)

My 400^th REVIEW!!!
Full disclosure — I’m an alum.
Since the renovations were completed I’ve been dying to get a chance to go to the new Pauley to see what they have done. I got a chance when I got some free tickets for a basketball game for renewing my football season tickets.
I am happy to see the new screen thingy in the middle of the court. They needed an update in the worst way.
I love the new concourse. Between the historical items and the new signs, it just looks like any other arena out there. They also had a section near Spaulding field where the food trucks parked, so you had some other food options other than the typical arena food fare. Prices aren’t cheap. They never were even when I was a student, so I’m not surprised. Just think movie theater concessions stand prices.
The bathrooms are brightly lit and clean. I always felt before that it just seemed so dark and dingy. The seats were definitely updated. I sat on the upper level, so I don’t know how the seats were on the floor. I know there was a lot of controversy with the ways the seats were going on down there, but it looks like it did before.
The Bruins had a very exciting game against the ASU Sundevils (the second to last home game) and apparently Pau Gasol was on the floor watching the game.
It’s not as big as the Honda Center — which I’ve seen UCLA games at before for the John Wooden classic, but I did feel that I was in that type of arena. I’m sure it’s not a fancy pants as the Galen Center across town, but seeing that this was an existing building, great job.

With the renovations, this is a top notch facility. We sat in the upper bowl and the leg room is amazing. The concessions are re-​vamped and I love that there is a food truck section outdoors in an enclosed area so you don’t have to leave the facility. The scoreboards and electronic advertising boards give your senses a trip and the memorabilia around the concourses are great.
The only reason this isn’t a 5 star review is because there was not changing station in the bathrooms.

Having watched games in the old Pauley Pavilion when I was in college, I was honored to be able to watch the 1^st game in the new Pauley Pavilion. They did a good job upgrading this facility.
The seats are spacious, comfortable, and modern. The main areas around the arena are full of memorabilia and shrines to the legends that played within the confines of this place.
Too bad UCLA lost their 1^st game in their new building, but it didn’t take too much away from the experience.
Overall, it’s a great place to watch a college basketball game.
Return Factor — 100%

I had the great pleasure of visiting the new Pauley Pavilion today in a game against Stanford. Tickets were easy to buy online and we got great seats. Parking is now a breeze. $ 11 for a spot in a brand new lot literally under the IM field. The exterior of the new building is highlighted by a huge statue of John Wooden. They basically built a large shell around the exterior creating a huge modern concourse.
They no longer have the baseline seats so far away from the court. The team bench locations were swapped and center court has a different logo than before. It still feels like the same old place but it is bright and modern with new food stands and lots more bathrooms. Lots of Wooden legacy touches and nods to the over 100 National Championship teams. Better lighting, better scoreboards, better sound, more students sitting closer to the court.
A great remodel for a great school.

As Bruin alumni, my bf and I recently dropped by to watch a basketball game at the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion. It had been years since I last visited campus and the spankin’ new Pauley was just a beautiful addition to our campus. It took a little getting used to in finding the will call window but we worked our way around and enjoyed the new Wooden statue on our trek there. After picking up our tickets we had some time to spend enjoying the display cases inside Pauley. We loved the display of Wooden’s pyramid of success and other Wooden memorabilia surrounding the indoor arena.
*Tip* they don’t allow you re-​entry but if you tell the workers at the door that you are going out for a cigarette break they will give you a re-​entry pass. Also, if you are have a handicap placard and parking in the structures be sure to show them your placard for a discounted rate of $ 4 for parking!