Luther fans, alumni and staff were invited to gather at center court following the college’s final basketball games this season. The Regents Center gymnasium will undergo a major renovation as part of a $24 million building update. Lights in the gymnasium were shut off in recognition of the final regular season games to be played on 60-year-old hardwood, and the Luther cheer echoed through the space. (Photo by Seth Boyes)
The Luther College cheer echoed across the darkened hardwood of the Regents Center gymnasium Saturday night. Fans, alumni and staff gathered on the historic court, following the final basketball games of the regular season to hear from former coaches and former student athletes before crews begin renovating the gym as part of a $24 million building update. The renovated complex is to be named the Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness.
The college’s current gymnasium dates back to the 1960s, according to information from the college, and staff previously said the gym’s configuration has remained largely the same since its construction. Renovation work on the Regents Center’s lobby began in the fall of 2024, and work on the gymnasium was expected to begin this week. Plans call for the basketball court to be rotated 90 degrees with new seating installed in what Luther’s staff called an arena-style arrangement.
Betty Hoff, a Luther alum, coach and professor emeritus credited with co-creating the women’s athletic program at Luther, noted the Regents Center was constructed a few years after the former Preus Gymnasium was destroyed by a fire in 1961. She said the loss of the gym at that time meant the loss of a common gathering place for Luther’s student, noting the gymnasium had hosted not only athletic competitions but had also housed chapel services and other events. Hoff helped design what became the Regents Center, which was completed in 1964 — she said Luther began offering women’s athletics the next year, with basketball among the original sports.
Jane Hildebrand, a Luther alum and former Luther womens basketball coach, recalled the days of flip-card scoring and said her team had no official uniforms her freshman year. But she also recalled sweet sixteen matches during NCAA competitions and half-court buzzer-beaters in front of bleachers packed with Norse fans.
Hoff noted the completion of the Regents Center gym allowed the college’s traditional performances of Handel’s “Messiah” to return to campus, and the new space also welcomed well-known musical groups — she said the first to perform in the Regents Center was the band Peter, Paul and Mary.
Brian Solberg, an associate professor of health and exercise science at Luther, said he considered the Regents Center gymnasium home for many years, and he was among the many students who performed the “Messiah” on the courts over the years — an experience he called a right of passage for many alumni. Solberg said he is looking forward to seeing the new face of the familiar gym.
Luther alumnus Tyler Wedemeier, whose total blocks during his time on the Norse basketball team surpass the next record holder by at least 100, said it was difficult to select a favorite memory from his years on the court — though he said raising two conference trophies before crowded stands were likely toward the top of his list. He and others said that, while the gym has always hosted competition, the heart of Luther’s athletic programs has always been the people — both staff and fans.
“Whether we were up, whether we were down, the hustle never stopped,” said Luther College President Emerita Jenifer K. Ward. “But just as important, the way that these student athletes supported each other was so inspirational to me.”
Dave Blanchard, Luther’s longest-serving sports information director, took the mic Saturday between the men’s and women’s games, highlighting alumni seated in the stands and rattling off their notable records and achievements. He also recalled tear-filled goodbyes as Luther’s student athletes said goodbye to special needs students with whom they’d bonded during unified sporting events.
“The way this facility currently looks will be gone, but the memories will remain,” he said.
For 2007 alum and Luther Hall of Fame inductee Christina Gaard Baumgart, those memories span many years. She recalled watching Luther students she considered role models play basketball on the very court where she herself would eventually tread during what she called the quiet times. She said she would repeatedly practice jump shots and free throw shots when she was upset over failures, and her husband eventually proposed to her on the half-court line.
“This court was my place of refuge, and I know it has been that for others as well,” she said. “It has also brought so many people together, and we’re so lucky to see this court transformed into a new place for our community and our students to continue to come together.”
Luther officials estimate work on the new gymnasium floor may be complete by the late fall if crews can avoid potential construction delays. The fourth and final phase of the overall building project is expected to focus on the addition of a wrestling wing.
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