Gallagher Center - Niagara Purple Eagles
- Dave Cottenie
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 24
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Frank and Barbara Layden Court @ John J. "Taps" Gallagher Center 6 Varsity Drive,
Lewiston, NY 14109
Year Opened: 1949
Capacity: 2,400
Purple Power
Niagara University is a small, private, Roman Catholic university in Lewiston, New York, just a stone’s throw from Niagara Falls. The intimate campus, established in 1856, welcomes over 4,000 students a year. Niagara has been playing basketball since 1905. The Purple Eagles, currently playing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, have made NCAA tournament appearances three times, making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 1970. They have also been conference champions on nine occasions and conference tournament champions twice.
Home for the Purple Eagles is the Gallagher Center. Built in 1949 with a modest capacity of 2,400, Gallagher Center is the smallest venue in the MAAC. In 1982 it was renamed the John J. “Taps” Gallagher Center after longtime coach and athletics director “Taps” Gallagher. Often referred to locally as “Gally,” Gallagher Center had the court renamed in honor of former Niagara player and coach Frank Layden and his wife Barbara. Layden took the Purple Eagles to their first ever NCAA Tournament in 1970.
Food & Beverage 3
Upon entering Gallagher Center, patrons with either travel up the stairs to the basketball court, or down to the student center. The concessions for Gallagher Center are essentially below the basketball court. There are plenty of options in the form of a convenience store facility with all types of snacks, and a hot food counter. Pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, nachos and pulled pork are all part of the menu. The most local option would probably be the pizza logs. Alcoholic beverages are for sale at a temporary table just outside of the basketball entrance.
Atmosphere 3
Gallagher Center has a light brick exterior which fits right in with the Niagara University campus. A purple sign with gold lettering in front of the arena gives it a distinguished look, worthy of a classic university campus. Once inside the north entrance at St. Vincent’s Court, fans are met with a landing that leads to stairways both up and down. The student center with concessions is down, while the basketball court is on the way up. Outside the gym there are a number of trophy cases with artifacts, trophies and memorabilia as well as portraits of Niagara basketball contributors and lyrics to the Niagara fight song. The Athletics Hall of Fame plaque is also found on the wall.
Inside the basketball court, fans will immediately be taken by the intimacy of the venue. It is small with a low, peaked ceiling. The court runs from north to south, with the best spot for the center court logo being on the west side. East side seating is light colored, plastic chairs, while the west side is molded, purple, plastic benches. The south end has a set of bleachers labeled the N Zone, which serves as the student section. Above the east seating are banners extolling the accomplishments of the Purple Eagle teams including NIT and NCAA Tournament appearances along with conference tournaments and championships. Along the west side are the banners for those Purple Eagles with retired numbers including Boo Ellis, Phil Scaffidi, Al Butler, Tom Birch, Zeke Sincola, James Moran, Lary Costello, Ed Fleming, Hubie Brown and Calvin Murphy. Builders “Taps” Gallagher and Frank Layden also have banners. The north end is where the scoreboard is found as well as a projection screen which shows video highlights. All of this is under the attractive backdrop of brown brick with a light ceiling and glass blocks on the walls just under the ceiling to let in plenty of natural light.
The gameday atmosphere in Niagara is very simple. Periodically, Monte, the Niagara mascot, will make an appearance at the game.
Neighborhood 3
Gallagher Center is located on the campus of Niagara University, approximately 3 km from the center of Lewiston. It is fairly isolated and there are not too many spots for food and drink. A town of only 16,000, there are some unique offerings including Brickyard Pub 7 BBQ, Syros Restaurant, Favorites Pizza & Wings and Cask & Cow. Dwyer Arena, the home of Niagara Purple Eagles hockey is also on campus, and is pretty much the only other sporting option in town. Other tourist options include Devil’s Hole State Park, Lewiston Museum and Whirlpool State Park. However, the proximity of Lewiston to one of the most famous tourist attractions, Niagara Falls, makes a visit for tourists a must. There are some independent motels in Lewiston, but for more recognizable hotel chains, heading to Niagara Falls is the best plan.
Fans 3
Niagara Purple Eagles basketball has modest support. At the time of writing, in the 2025-26 season, the Purple Eagles averaged just over 900 fans per game, ranking them 9th in the conference out of 13 programs. This is an improvement over the previous season, however averaging over 1,000 fans is clearly a benchmark. The game that was reviewed was in the afternoon on a holiday Monday and scantily attended. The lack of students was clearly evident, although to say that Niagara has a significant student section would be a stretch. A game against cross town, conference rival Canisius will bring out a bigger crowd.
Access 4
Gallagher Center is located on the campus of Niagara University around 3 km from the center of Lewiston. It is just north of Niagara Falls, New York and literal minutes from the Queenston-Lewiston border crossing. Gallagher Center is in the middle of campus, on the west side of Varsity Drive. It is just west of I-190 and east of Great Lakes Seaway Trail, so getting to campus from out of town is not difficult at all. There is parking on campus, which is free at times. For fans wanting to take public transit, there are buses on campus. Fans should consult the Niagara Falls Transit Authority website for fares, maps and schedules. Getting around the Gallagher Center is not too difficult and washroom facilities are decent.
Return on Investment 5
The Niagara Purple Eagles are Division I, NCAA basketball, so it is difficult to believe that tickets can be had for just $15. East side seats are $20 and courtside are just $40. Concession prices are decent and parking is normally free. Putting this all together, a Niagara basketball game offers a simple atmosphere and good product on the court for a really low investment.
Extras 2
An extra mark for the unique Purple Eagles moniker.
An extra mark for the tradition and history found at Gallagher Center.
Final Thoughts
Taking in a Niagara Purple Eagles basketball game offers fans an intimate local for Division I basketball on a small campus. Gallagher Center offers a solid environment and fans won’t be able to complain about the price tag.
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