Chaifetz Arena is never idle. As soon as a 7:30 p.m. concert concluded on Thursday, Nov. 11, the Arena floor was converted to the basketball court for a 9:30 a.m. practice. Later that day, the Arena hosted a 2 p.m. volleyball match, followed by the home openers for women’s basketball at 4 p.m. and men’s basketball at 7:30 p.m. The weekend concluded by pulling up the basketball court to make way for a cheerleading event on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Quick changeovers are nothing new for the 10,600- seat arena, which opened in April 2008. Since its inaugural season, the arena has seen a jump in attendance from 300,000 in 2008-2009 to more than 390,000 in 2009-2010.

“We designed Chaifetz Arena to be a true multipurpose facility, and it’s clear that we’ve met that commitment to the community during our first two years,” Janice Crawford, assistant vice president of business services, said.

Ground was broken in August 2006 on the Arena that would finally provide an on-campus home for Saint Louis University athletics. The arena is named after SLU alumnus Richard Chaifetz, M.D., a 1975 graduate of the University. Chaifetz made a $12 million naming gift to the University to help fund the arena. It was his way of repaying former SLU President Paul Reinert, S.J. for helping him remain at the University despite financial hardships.

The completed complex includes the main arena court, a two-court basketball and volleyball practice court, offices for the Athletic Department, locker rooms for Division I teams and state-of-the-art conditioning and sports medicine facilities.

Crawford said that the arena has provided a home for Billiken athletics and is also “a very marketable facility and hosts external events that bring many people to our campus and community.”

Chaifetz has already played host to a wide range of events during its first two seasons. In 2008-2009, the arena hosted 100 events and 11 concerts. This past season, 2009-2010, the arena put on 151 events and held 20 concerts. Events have included children’s shows, commencements, conferences, comedy acts and a variety of concerts.

Its full schedule earned the arena the honor of “Busiest Venue in the World (10,001-15,000 Capacity)” in the June issue of Venues Today. This award was based on concert and event grosses from April 16-May 15, 2010. During this period, the Arena held 14 events, totaling 41,984 paid tickets. “We had a number of events that month, and we were really proud to be recognized for the work that we do,” Jim Wynkoop, general manager of the Arena, said. “We hope to continue our success in these rankings.”

Chaifetz is a true multi-use facility, but its steady draw comes from fans attending SLU athletic events. According to Crawford, the arena demonstrates the commitment of the SLU administration to enhancing student life and experience on campus. “The location was a priority to encourage students and Billiken supporters to attend home games and provide a more easily accessible, on-campus facility,” she said.

Head Volleyball coach Anne Kordes said that the arena has not only provided “an amazing place to play,” but it also aids in the recruitment of new athletes for the program. “When we brought kids to West Pine Gym, we tried to focus on everything else that SLU had to offer and keep the focus away from the facility. We talked about the character and history of the building, but when you’re dealing with 17-year-old kids, they want to see something new.”

Cody Ellis, a member of the men’s basketball team, said that Chaifetz was his favorite out of the arenas he saw while visiting colleges. “There’s nothing like playing here. I think it’s the loudest arena I’ve played in so far. It gets really loud in there and it fires us up on the court,” he said.

Mike Beczkala, the director of the SLU pep band, has been through four different arenas during his tenure as band director. He said the main issues with the off-campus venues for men’s basketball games centered on size and transportation. Students had to be shuttled back and forth to basketball games or find their own parking downtown at the Scottrade Center.

Beczkala said that aside from convenience, the arena also gives the Billikens a true home-court advantage during games. “You actually feel like you’re part of the game, and you don’t get lost in the space of a huge arena,” he said.

Like Beczkala, upperclassmen students, including Pat May, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, understand the importance of having a mid-sized arena located on-campus. “[Chaifetz] is loud and can create a tough environment for the opposing team to play in, which was rarely the case at [Scottrade],” he said.

“In just a few short years, [Chaifetz has] become one of the most feared arenas to play at in the [Atlantic 10 Conference],” Ian Hackett, also a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “The arena is truly a one-stop shop for everything athletic; by locating the athletic department there, centrality has been brought to SLU sports.”

Student support for the arena extends beyond athletics to include the many concerts and other events the arena hosts each year. Both Wynkoop and Crawford said that Global Spectrum, the management company for the arena, engages students through pre-sale and discounted ticket opportunities, banners in the Busch Student Center and advertisements on Facebook and in local publications. The arena also hosts promotions on campus, including “Carrie-oke,” a karaoke contest in the Quad for a pair of tickets to the Carrie Underwood concert.

In addition to targeting students for events, the arena also looks to bring members of the outside community to campus.

Students appreciate that the arena, “brings in people that would otherwise not be around our campus and shows them what a great university SLU is,” May said.

High attendance at Chaifetz has also benefited surrounding restaurants and businesses. Todd Wyatt, general manager of Triumph Grill, said that the restaurant had no idea what to expect when it opened its doors in October 2008. “Much to our pleasure we’ve found the games are huge for us,” he said. Due to the close proximity of the arena and the parking lots, Wyatt said that Triumph sees a high volume of customers both before and after athletic events and certain concerts.

Ryan Hanephin, the restaurant manager of Pappy’s Smokehouse, also said that his restaurant enjoys an increase in business due to events at Chaifetz. According to Hanephin, the arena, “brings a lot of good people downtown that might not have been able to come downtown before.”

However, not all establishments close to campus have seen benefits from Chaifetz. Jan Mangelsdorf, owner of Humphrey’s Restaurant & Tavern, said that her restaurant seems “to be on the wrong end of campus for Chaifetz events.”

Despite some location issues, few would argue that the arena has improved the image of Midtown overall.

“The facility has played a major role in the resurgence happening around that area of campus, including all of the development that has taken place just north of the arena. We’re pleased that our investment in this project has inspired others to invest in our neighborhood and our community,” Crawford said.

Chaifetz staff and managers have set the bar high for success and attendance. Only time will tell if the arena is able to keep up its fast-paced lifestyle. “The excellent thing about Chaifetz is that its utility extends beyond SLU athletics,” Hackett said.

“[Chaifetz] has brought life back to Midtown and continues to be a place of gathering for all demographics in the St. Louis area by offering countless concerts and performances.”

Additional Reporting by Jonathan Ernst and Derrick Neuner.