Siena, MVP Arena announce five-year extension

ALBANY, NY (NEWS10) – MVP Arena will remain the home of Siena College Men’s Basketball for at least the next five years. The longtime partners have agreed upon an extension which will keep Upstate New York’s Premier Sports and Entertainment Facility as the home of the Saints through the 2029-30 season. MVP Arena is owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global.

“Siena Basketball and the Capital Region share a deep connection, and MVP Arena has played an integral role in that relationship,” said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D’Argenio. Through various transitions and changes, the support of our community has been unwavering. This extension ensures that Siena Basketball will continue to thrive in one of the nation’s most passionate fan bases.”

Originally known as Knickerbocker Arena, then Pepsi Arena, and later as Times Union Center before being renamed MVP Arena on Jan. 1, 2022, the facility has been a cornerstone for the storied history of Siena Basketball in the modern era, serving as the exclusive home of the Saints since the start of the 1997-98 season. Since that time, Siena’s attendance has soared to new heights, playing an integral role in bringing national acclaim to a mid-major program which competes in a major basketball setting.

Siena has ranked in the top-100 nationally in average home attendance amongst all Division I men’s basketball programs for 26 straight seasons since making the full-time move downtown to the State Capital, and recently boasted the nation’s highest average home attendance amongst all Northeast mid-major teams for three consecutive non-COVID impacted seasons from 2019-23 (2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23). Siena played all of its home games during the 2020-21 season on campus at UHY Center without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Whenever a Siena player, coach, or staff member arrives at MVP Arena for a game, I always look forward to greeting them by saying ‘welcome home,’ and I’m excited to continue to do so,” said MVP Arena General Manager Bob Belber. “MVP Arena is proud to be the home of Siena Men’s Basketball, and this successful partnership is a testament to the vibrant community of Saints fans who bring incredible energy to every game. We look forward to continuing this strong relationship, and hosting more memorable moments for Siena Basketball.”

Just over a month after the facility now known as MVP Arena officially opened with a performance by “Ol’ Blue Eyes” Frank Sinatra on Jan. 30, 1990, Siena Basketball triumphed in its debut performance at the venue which has served as the centerpiece for the “Green and Gold” ever since. The Saints defeated Canisius 71-53 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament game on Mar. 3, 1990 in front of a crowd of 12,231, the first of 33 Siena Basketball games which have drawn 10,000 or more fans to the facility.

Siena made its regular season debut downtown the following season in 1990-91, before making the full-time move beginning with the 1997-98 season. Through the conclusion of the most recent 2023-24 season, Siena had welcomed a total of nearly 2.8 million fans through the MVP Arena turnstiles spanning 434 all-time games at the facility, for an average of 6,411 spectators.

“This is a very exciting announcement for the college sports fans in our community and all of Albany County. Siena College Men’s Basketball has become an entertainment staple at MVP Arena, and I am thrilled that this partnership will continue for the foreseeable future,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. “This extension underscores the impact this team has had on our community and I look forward to many more thrilling seasons ahead. Let’s go Saints!”

In addition to serving as the “Home of the Saints” for the past three decades, MVP Arena has partnered with Siena to co-host numerous NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball and MAAC Tournaments at the venue. The 1995 and 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds, 2003 Men’s East Regionals, 2015, 2018, and 2019 Women’s Regionals, and 2024 Women’s Super Regionals were all contested at the facility, with the Syracuse men (2003), UConn women (2015), UConn men (2023), and South Carolina women (2024) all making their National Championship runs through Albany. The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships have been contested in Albany 20 times since Siena joined the conference in 1989. The Saints won three straight MAAC Championships and 38 consecutive games at MVP Arena from 2008-10, with the 2010 MAAC Tournament drawing a record 53,639 fans, highlighted by a crowd of 10,679 for Siena’s overtime victory vs. Fairfield in the title game.

The largest-ever regular season crowd to see Siena play downtown was when the Saints drew 14,743 against Syracuse on Nov. 27, 2004. The Orange were led that afternoon by a game-high 29-point performance from Gerry McNamara who, two decades later, now roams those same sidelines as the first-year Siena Head Coach. McNamara and Syracuse previously made their 2003 National Championship run through Albany.

“I was fortunate to make some life-long memories during my time competing as a player in this arena, and look forward to adding to those while leading this storied program into the future,” said McNamara. “Having MVP Arena as our home court provides us with an incredible competitive advantage, and I call upon all Siena fans to help us fill the stands as we strive for success together.”