EECU Center
Opened on August 23, 2025, the brand new state-of-the-art facility, is one of the top arenas in the region. The EECU Center is the home of both the Tarleton State's Men's and Women's Basketball programs as well as a venue available for concerts, symposiums and conferences. For basketball games, they will be held on Summy Court and the venue will hold a capacity of 8,000 fans. For concerts and other uses, a capacity of 10,000 can be expected.
The 148,000 square foot facility features brand-new locker rooms for both the men's and women's programs as well as a pair of coaches suites designed for each program. Each locker room is equipped with large spacious lockers designed by Longhorn lockers as well as a lounge and nutrition center for the student-athletes. Each locker features a rolling shelf for shoes, comfortable padded seats and USB charging ports. In the men's locker room a barber chair and mirror is also included. Also inside the arena is a state-of-the-art athletic training room complete with cold tubs and an underwater treadmill. The EECU Center also features a private weight room close to the locker rooms of both teams for easy access.
The playing surface features a transformable basketball court, named Summy Court ahead of the 2025-26 season. In the center of the arena, is a first of its class, large center-hung scoreboard with four sections. Also on the wall of the arena is a larger than life video board used for in-game highlights, stats and other promotional material. The arena consists of top-of-line sound, lighting and video technology. In additional to fully padded seats in the entire lower bowl, the arena features 10 suites and loge boxes as well as court side seating. Foul Play, the Tarleton State basketball pep band, is reserved a section to the corner of the visiting bench, with the student section set behind the visiting team's second half basket.
The $130 million dollar facility was built by Vaughn Construction. PBK was the architect behind the building of the arena. The EECU Center stands for Educational Employees Credit Union. With nearly 300,000 members and over $4 billion in assets, EECU has served the region for more than 90 years. The locally-owned financial institution secured the naming rights to the new arena in May. The company features 21 financial centers across North Texas including one in Stephenville. Founded in 1934 in the Fort Worth ISD Adminstration building, they now have over 292,000 banking members.
In its first year of opening, the venue has seen a performance by Leanne Morgan, the first ticketed event in the brand new arena. It was followed by a pair of concerts by locals Koe Wetzel and Hudson Westbrook. In February of 2026, the Harlem Globetrotters took the floor in front of many fans. The Texan Men's Basketball program set the attendance record after its first full season with nearly 3,200 fans in attendance on February 19, 2026 against Southern Utah.
Tarleton State University broke ground Tuesday morning Aug. 22, 2023 on a $110 million, two-story multipurpose arena that will sport NCAA Division I basketball facilities and room for academic convocations, symposiums, conferences and conventions. The Texas A&M System approved the budget and construction in May, with move-in set for 2025. Construction dollars came from Revenue System Financing bonds and are part of Tarleton State's capital plan approved by the Board of Regents.
What They Are Saying
Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley
“This new state-of-the-art venue allows us to serve the needs of the university while also providing a premier NCAA Division I basketball arena for our Texans to compete in. We are grateful to The Texas A&M System Board of Regents, Chancellor Glenn Hegar and our partners at EECU for making this vision a reality.”
Texas A&M Chancellor Glen Hegar
“The EECU Center is going to give our students a first-class place to compete, perform and come together, and it’s going to bring new events, visitors and opportunities that benefit the whole community. This is a big win for Tarleton State and for the region. This is what happens when strong institutions and strong partners work together — you create opportunities that will be felt for decades.”
Tarleton State AD and Vice President of Athletics Steve Uryasz
“The EECU Center is a game changer for Tarleton State Athletics. It will elevate all of our programs, help with recruiting and retaining elite student-athletes, and enhance the fan experience at our games. Texan Nation will watch high-level basketball in a high-level environment for a long time to come. The EECU Center ranks among the best venues I’ve been in across my entire career in collegiate athletics.”
EECU President and CEO Lonnie Nicholson
“The official opening of the EECU Center marks an exciting new chapter in our partnership with Tarleton State University. This remarkable facility is more than a state-of-the-art venue — it stands as a testament to our shared vision of advancing education, strengthening community connections and shaping the future of North Texas.”
