Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion - UCLA Bruins
- Andrei Ojeda
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Photos by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Pauley Pavilion 650 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095
Year Opened: 1965
Capacity: 12,829
The House The Wizard Built
Originally opened in 1965, Pauley Pavilion was named for the primary donor, Regent Edwin W. Pauley. The original cost of the facility exceeded $5 million, with contributions from the state, the student body, and the alumni. On December 20, 2003, former coach Wooden and his wife, Nell, were honored as the court was named "Nell & John Wooden Court."
Upon its opening, Pauley Pavilion was designed to accommodate various athletic events. Before the renovation, the baseline seats behind the 2nd half-visiting team's basket were a great distance from the floor. Legend has it that Coach Wooden, the gentleman he is, wanted it that way to prevent his teams from having an “unfair advantage.”
Though it has been 31 years since their last run to glory, the UCLA Bruins basketball team is still the college National Champions leader, with 11 banners hanging in the rafters, 10 of which Coach John Wooden is responsible for.
Food & Beverage 4
Along the south concourse, fans are permitted to an outdoor patio to soak in the Southern California weather.
Food trucks occupy the space and are along the outdoor patio, offering additional concessions for fans. In addition, this area also functions as an extended concourse for fans to roam, as well as dining tables for those wanting to dine outside. It provides fans more room to dine, stretch out, and roam while creating the opportunity to soak in the outdoor elements.
Food truck vendors vary throughout the season, and offerings may include a Korean BBQ truck serving tofu soup, stir-fried kimchi with chicken or shrimp, or even premium plates of ribeye steak & shrimp/lobster. Other food truck options may include shrimp/lobster/fish tacos, fish and chips, or poke bowls.
One food truck that seems to be a staple is the Creamy Boys Ice Cream, serving up real fruit New Zealand-style ice cream. Flavors include your basic banana, strawberry, and vanilla, mixed berry, and the Hokey Pokey, a vanilla ice cream with crunchy honeycomb toffee blended and sprinkled on top.
The inner concourse offers your usual arena fare: Bruin Dogs, nachos, peanuts, Cracker Jack, an assortment of candies, and Coke products. Other dining options include Fresh Brothers Pizza and Jersey Mike’s, offering their share of specialty pizza and sandwiches.
Beer and wine are also now available at the San Pedro Brewing Co. stand. Selections include Coors Light and Dos Equis as well as themed brews Brew ‘n Blonde and Pauley Pale Ale.
Atmosphere 5
The moment you approach Pauley Pavilion, you feel a heavy sense of tradition. If it is your first time coming to a UCLA basketball game, you will want to enter through the north entrance. Outside the north entrance is a statue of the late great John Wooden, the man responsible for 10 of the 11 National Championship banners that hang in the rafters.
Like with any historic venue that undergoes a renovation, fans at first can be resistant to change, as many of the Bruin faithful were. But even the most storied venues get an occasional facelift, and Pauley is no different. When the facelift was complete, Bruin fans quickly warmed to her new look as the renovations not only provided wider concourses but countless displays throughout that pay homage not only to UCLA basketball’s storied history but also to its other athletic programs, over 100 total national championships.
Neighborhood 4
The popular area just outside of campus is known as Westwood Village, and there are certainly options for everyone.
If you're in the mood for a drink, Barney's is the main watering hole for thirsty fans. Diddy Riese has been serving ice cream and cookies to Westwood since 1983. Lines can be pretty long for this popular vendor, especially on weekends. Not your same old chocolate wafers with vanilla ice cream between them, you can choose from 12 flavors of ice cream as your filling and from 10 types of freshly baked cookies as your "bread."
Fat Sal's is also another local favorite that serves up huge sandwiches. The one I always get is the Fat Bruin, served on extra-wide hero bread with cheeseburgers, chili, bacon, onion rings, fries, ketchup, and garlic aioli.
Fans 3
With the Big Ten season now underway and school back in session, the Bruins are hopeful that attendance will pick up. You can expect close to and up to capacity crowds against long-time rival USC, as when big-name schools such as Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, and Michigan are in town.
With 11 National Championship banners hanging in the rafters, an annual trip to the postseason tournament is never enough to satisfy. To the majority of Bruins fans, a trip to March Madness should be a given, so yes, expectations will always be high. When things are going great for the Sons of Westwood, Pauley is rocking, where even the Hollywood types can be seen. Otherwise, don’t be shocked to see noticeable less than capacity crowds.
Access 3
The UCLA campus is located in Westwood, and as a result, fans are likely to face some frustrating traffic on the way to the game. To get to Pauley Pavilion, you'll likely take either the 10 Freeway from east or west and connect to the 405 Freeway toward the Wilshire or Sunset Blvd exit. If using the 10 to connect to the 405 north or arriving via the 405 south from the valley, you may want to use the Sunset exit and head west toward campus due to the light rail construction on Wilshire that’s adding additional traffic to the already usual. If coming from the 10, I can’t guarantee it will be much faster. After all, this is L.A., and all those stories you’ve heard about our notorious traffic are no joke.
Once you approach the arena, take note of the many signs directing fans to the parking. Most spots go for approximately $11 and are in a secure garage. If staying on LA's west side, several of Santa Monica Big Blue Buses operate inside the campus and will drop you off a short walk from the venue. Given Pauley Pavilion’s location, like with most any venue in LA, give yourself plenty of preparation time, and bring plenty of patience.
Return on Investment 4
For most games, advance ticket planning is not necessary. With most games not selling out, particularly early-season games when the schedule includes the least attractive opponents, tickets can be found below face value, as low as $5 on various third-party sites. Box office ticket prices can be pricey, particularly against high-profile opponents, with prices starting at $50 into the high triple digits, one of several factors contributing to the program's attendance struggles.
However, you may get lucky and see prices drop days and moments toward your desired game regardless of the opponent quality, such as on an evening when UCLA is playing the 4th-ranked team in the country and giving away bobbleheads of coach John Wooden, and box office prices dropped as low as $25!
Extras 5
Located right next to Pauley is the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. Open up until tip-off before most games, the HOF features many of the school’s athletic accomplishments.
Also on display at the HOF is a replica display of John Wooden’s den, displaying many memorabilia items dedicated to The Wizard.
A popular meeting spot for fans is the John Wooden statue outside the arena. This life-sized statue lists his years with the program and one of his more memorable quotes on a plaque below. The statue is located outside the north entrance of the arena. The statue of Mr. Wooden is not only a focal meeting point for fans, but it’s also one of the more popular photo-op spots among the faithful.
Inside the arena, fans may also note an empty seat behind the Bruins' bench. This seat was where Wooden would sit once his coaching days ended, so the school keeps it open as a tribute to him. Fans are allowed to take pictures of the seats after the game. Out of respect for The Wizard, most fans will not sit in his seat.
Also inside the arena, fans will spot many "Incredible Moments" signs on pillars throughout the concourse. Difficult to miss with their UCLA blue and gold color scheme, these signs honor many of the great achievements in Bruin sports history.
No other NCAA men's program has as many NCAA Championship banners as the UCLA program has on display at Pauley. Eleven in total, the first of the championships came in 1964, and the most recent occurred in 1995. Each of the banners has a navy blue background with gold print showing the year and the phrase "National Champions."
While most programs will also acknowledge their conference titles and Final Four appearances, only National Champion banners are raised here. Before the renovation, the banners were located along the rim of the court. With the banners currently hanging above the court, the 11 banners give Pauley that special, imposing presence.
Beginning in 1990, UCLA began retiring the jerseys of several of its notable players. The first two inductees to be named were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (#33, who played as Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton (#32). In 1996, four additional players retired: Walt Hazzard (#42), Sidney Wicks (#35), Marques Johnson (#54), and Ed O'Bannon (#31). In 2004, a seventh member was added as Gail Goodrich (#25) also had his number retired during the game that commemorated the 40th anniversary of UCLA's first championship.
Lastly, it's required that first-time visitors take a stroll down Wooden Way along the east concourse, where they will find one of the more interesting collections of college basketball memorabilia dedicated to The Wizard and the rich history of UCLA Basketball. There is John Wooden's Pyramid of Success, hardwood from previous UCLA home courts, a list of All-Americans, the wall of champions, signed basketballs, and much more.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to some much-needed renovations from 2010-2012, Pauley Pavilion hardly looks her age of 60. If you appreciate a deep history, give yourself plenty of time before or after the game to check out the numerous displays throughout the concourse, particularly those along Wooden Way. If you’re fortunate, you may even come across a former Bruin, especially on a night when a particular team of past glory is being honored.
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