Frank Erwin Center

The Frank Erwin Center is an indoor arena on the University of Texas at Austin campus that opened in 1977 and served as the university’s main indoor sports and events venue for decades.

Built for the University of Texas and named for board of regents member Frank C. Erwin Jr., the arena opened in 1977 and was a principal venue for campus and city events through the early 21st century. It was supplanted as the university’s primary arena when the Moody Center opened in 2022 and subsequently closed.

The arena sits on the University of Texas at Austin campus in central Austin, Texas, adjacent to other major campus facilities and accessible from downtown Austin.

• Capacity: Seating capacity is about 16,500 for basketball configurations, making it a mid-size multipurpose arena for collegiate sports and concerts.
• Recent status: Closed as the university’s primary arena in 2022 after the opening of the Moody Center; the facility had served the University of Texas for decades.

The arena is on the University of Texas campus in Austin, TX. From downtown, take Guadalupe Street north toward the campus and follow signs for the Frank Erwin Center (adjacent to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium). Public transit options include Capital Metro buses that stop on campus; rideshare and campus shuttles operate on event nights.

• Check the venue schedule online: the center frequently hosts university and community events with free or discounted seating.
• Arrive early for major concerts-queueing fills the lower bowl quickly and latecomers get limited options.
• Note that as an arena it has variable entry points depending on event; check ticketing info for the correct gate.