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JODY CONRADT: There were no other buildings in my mind that measured up to the Erwin Center
in 1977. This was the showcase.
>> NARRATOR: 35 years ago UT Regent Frank Erwin had a simple, straightforward idea:
to create a highly versatile venue. One that would share a dual purpose: serve the University,
while helping grow the City of Austin.
>> DELOSS DODDS: In some cities the city and the universities would go together and build
something and make it work. In this case Frank Erwin built it with University of Texas and
System's money. It changed Austin. It’s given Austin a place together. It's brought
in great stars.
>> CHRIS PLONSKY: There was nothing like the Erwin Center. It could transform one night
from a sold out basketball house to the next day you’d see the Muppet Babies in here.
[sports announcer]
>> JIMMY EARL: It's our mission to have events and a wide variety of events and often times
they can be very simple or very complex.
>> JOHN GRAHAM: You have to have as broad as range as possible. In our 35 years here
around 26 million people have come through the doors of the Erwin Center. That happens
to be almost equal to the population of the state of Texas right now.
>> CHRIS PLONSKY: A lot of people have memories in this building that are everlasting. You
just can’t put a price on those kind of things. It competes on a world-class level
with any arena in the country and again that’s Texas style.