FACILITIES / DIRECTIONS

Cliff Keen Arena

The site on Hoover Street between the Administration Building and the Intramural Building has been filled by the same structure since 1956. However, the inside of this facility has changed drastically since it was built in the 1950s. Formerly Matt Mann Pool and home of the Michigan swimming and diving teams, Cliff Keen Arena opened in the fall of 1989 after a year-long renovation project and is now the home for Michigan volleyball, wrestling and men's gymnastics.

Matt Mann Pool was constructed in 1956 as a state-of-the-art building for the perennially powerful Michigan swim team. Constructed at a cost of $828,000, the building included a 75 x 45 foot pool, which was divided into six seven-foot lanes. The height of the ceiling allowed for the building of a diving tower, one of only two in the country at the time of its construction. Standing 27-feet tall, the tower housed one-meter and three-meter boards situated over a 22x45 foot diving well. Matt Mann Pool was first used by Michigan athletes on Nov. 2, 1956. The first intercollegiate athletic event was between Michigan and North Carolina State on Jan. 2, 1957, with the Michigan men swimming to a 53-32 victory over the Wolfpack.

The swimming and diving teams moved to Canham Natatorium in 1988, and Cliff Keen Arena's three current occupants began using the newly renovated Varsity Arena in 1989. On Nov. 15, 1990, the building was dedicated to and renamed after long-time Michigan wrestling coach Cliff Keen. Women's Gymnastics, which originally competed in Keen Arena, moved its meets entirely to Crisler Arena in 2004.

The 1,800-seat arena gives every fan an excellent vantage point with its half-circle seating around the competition floor. Adding to the environment is a matrix graphics scoreboard and a concession area. Competing athletes have easy access to the adjacent athletic training, locker and meeting rooms. The media can take advantage of the arena's five-booth skybox overlooking the sideline action.

Cliff Keen Arena received improvements in the summer of 2002, including an expansion and renovation of the volleyball locker room. The locker room is outfitted with the latest in digital video filming and editing equipment. Volleyball also received a team room that gives the squad a place to call its own and includes a large study area.

From Detroit Metro Airport and points east: Take I-94 west to State Street (exit 177). Turn right. Travel north approximately 2 1/4 miles through two stoplights. Turn left just past Yost Ice Arena into parking lot. Cliff Keen Arena is located at the north end of the parking lot, between the Intramural Sports Building and Weidenbach Hall, on the corner of Hoover and State Streets.

From Chicago and points west: Take I-94 east to State Street (exit 177). Turn left. Travel north approximately 2 1/4 miles through three stoplights. Turn left just past Yost Ice Arena into parking lot. Cliff Keen Arena is located at the north end of the parking lot, between the Intramural Sports Building and Weidenbach Hall, on the corner of Hoover and State Streets.

From Toledo and points south: Take U.S. 23 north to I-94 west. Follow directions from Detroit Metro Airport.

From Flint and points north: Take U.S. 23 south to I-94 west. Follow directions from Detroit Metro Airport.