Edmund P. Joyce Center

Notre Dame's Joyce Center, in its 46th year of service to the University, serves as a multipurpose sports complex, a theatre and concert hall, a convention center and an office building.

Beneath the southernmost dome lies the Purcell Pavilion, home to the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Beneath the north dome is the volleyball practice facility, the Castellan Family Fencing Center, and the newly-created Fighting Irish Digital Media offices. Both domes also host other events throughout the academic year.

Originally known as the Athletics and Convocation Center, the building was renamed in 1987 to honor Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s executive vice president from 1952 until his retirement in 1987.

Designed by Ellerbe Architects of St. Paul, Minn., the Joyce Center - commonly referred to as the JACC - was conceived at the outset as a combination athletic-civic center.

The Center’s two distinctive domes, covered with a white vinyl roofing material stretched over steel ribbing, rise just east of Notre Dame Stadium. The JACC is both wider and longer than the famous stadium, and encloses more area than Houston’s Astrodome. The structure covers 10 acres of ground in total.

When the Irish hockey program moved to the brand new Compton Family Ice Arena in the fall of 2011, their previous Joyce Center rink was vacated and plans began for repurposing the space. Almost exactly one year later, the Castellan Family Fencing Center reopened those same doors as the nation’s newest collegiate fencing facility.

Where a hockey rink had previously been located, 15 high-quality fencing strips were laid down. The hockey locker rooms were converted into separate men’s, women’s, and coaches’ locker rooms. A team lounge, conference room and coaches office space completed the facelift, and the change of venue has helped the Irish fencing program to attract top-tier talent and competitions such as the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regional Qualifier.

Also in the fall of 2012, the volleyball team claimed a portion of the North Dome for a brand new practice facility. The facility features two courts, in addition to equipment storage space, and is conveniently just steps from the team’s locker room.

With the fencing program relocating, the women’s rowing team converted their previous gym space in the Walter Langford Gymnasium into their own erging practice room.

Nowadays, virtually every sport at Notre Dame - be they varsity squad, club team or intramural - can play or practice in either arena, the five auxiliary gymnasiums or the several workout areas provided within the spacious building.

In 1985, the Rolfs Aquatic Center opened on the east side of the Joyce Center. The 4.5-million dollar facility houses a 50-meter Olympic-size pool, 25 yards in width, and features spectator seating for 400.

In addition to the sports practice areas, the Joyce Center also contains the administrative and business offices. With the opening of the Purcell Pavilion in 2009, the Murnane Family Ticket Office also opened its doors on the eastern side of the south dome. Diagonal from the ticket offices are two levels of Olympic coaches offices in the western corner of the north dome, and scattered between are the various Athletics support offices.

Between the North and South Domes on the second floor of the Joyce Center is Heritage Hall, a special display of all former Monogram winners and key moments in the varsity sports’ programs various histories. Visitors can not only see but also feel the historic tradition that is Notre Dame Athletics. On one end of Heritage Hall lies the Athletics executive offices; on the other, the Monogram Room provides available meeting space. On the lower level of the concourse are located a faculty exercise room, squash and handball courts and a central kitchen. The basketball practice facility known as “the Pit” is located in the lowest level, along with the boxing practice gym where students can train for the Barakka or Bengal Bouts boxing matches, put on by the RecSports department.

In 2005, both the men’s and women’s basketball programs moved into a new set of offices located by Gates 1 (women’s) and 2 (men’s). The women’s basketball office holds special significance, as part of the floor in its main reception area consists of the exact same court upon which Notre Dame won the 2001 NCAA Championship at the Savvis Center in St. Louis.