West Texas A&M University Athletics

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First United Bank Center

The First United Bank Center opened on January 26, 2002 to a capacity crowd who jammed into the arena for the inaugural basketball games. Featuring a scoreboard with one of the largest video screens in NCAA Division II basketball along with zealous fans who love their Buffs & Lady Buffs, the First United Bank Center is the place to be for exciting West Texas A&M Basketball.

The Basketball Pep Band, Maroon Platoon and the WT Spirit Team work together to create a home-court advantage for our basketball teams. Above it all hang more than 90 years of conference, regional and national championship banners won by our teams. It is an impressive sight to behold and speaks to the legacy of excellence found at WT. 
 
The arena also hosts commencement, concerts, summer camps, career fairs, gala social events and more. Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, Elie Wiesel, Willie Nelson, Pat Green, Martina McBride, Big & Rich, the superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment, are among the dozens of headliners who have graced the stage at the First United Bank Center. 

The arena seats approximately 4,700 patrons for sporting events and almost 6,000 for concerts and commencement. It includes four team locker rooms, two officials locker rooms, team video room, Buffalo Athletic Club Hospitality Suite and a full-service athletic training room. The WT Athletics Hall of Champions is located in the front lobby.

Welcoming guests out front is a life-size bronze statue of Maurice Cheeks, the longtime NBA player and coach who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Cheeks played at WT from 1974-78. WT, along with the help of teammates, peers, friends and fans honored Cheeks with a bronze statue on campus and the establishment of an endowed scholarship in his name. WT alumni Jerry Schaeffer '81 and Karl Bradley '86 are leading the effort to honor their friend and former teammate. Renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon was commissioned for the artwork and The Maurice Cheeks Endowed Scholarship for men's basketball was also established.