JQH Arena

With a $30 million gift from Missouri State alumnus and Springfield, Mo.-based hotel developer John Q Hammons, construction has begun on JQH Arena, the new home to the MIssouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams and an iconic tribute to Missouri State intercollegiate athletics.

The arena, located adjacent to Hammons Student on John Q. Hammons Parkway, will contain more than 11,000 seats - including 50 courtside seats - The Grand Entrance, 22 suites, a club and other amenities. The design also includes shell space for home locker rooms, offices and a training room, which can be completed later. For now, the current Hammons Student Center facilities will be used for these functions, with a connecting corridor to JQH Arena.

Building a new basketball arena has been a long-time dream for Missouri State. Establishing one as grand as JQH Arena will allow Missouri State to live up to its name, be a magnet for Springfield and make the community proud. The JQH Arena will impact recruiting efforts, putting the basketball programs on par with other Division I schools in the country as we move into the 21st century. The new arena will be a premier basketball facility that will give Missouri State an overwhelming home-court advantage and make the Bears' and Lady Bears' games the place to be in Springfield.

In addition, JQH Arena will qualify to host women's NCAA postseason games and will be an ideal place to host local, regional and statewide high school events, plus concerts and other public events.