Facilities & Directions

Pamplin Sports Center

The history of Lewis & Clark’s  home basketball and volleyball courts has been varied and colorful since the move to Palatine Hill.  In the first year of renewed conference membership, the team practiced at Collins View Grade School. They actually played some of their games there since there was no gymnasium on the new Fir Acres campus.  In the first two years, most L&C home league games were played in the old Jefferson High School gymnasium in North Portland. 

The College’s new gymnasium (where Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion now stands) was completed in time for the 1947-48 season.  It had an unusual plywood floor and seated 1,200 fans. A fire on September 12, 1966, destroyed the gym and most of its contents.  For the next three seasons, the Pioneers became the Vagabonds. They practiced and played games in 16 different school gyms, ranging from Scappoose on the north to Centennial High in Gresham on the east. Most practices were at night, although the teams sometimes worked out in the afternoon in the tiny Riverdale Grade School gym near the campus. Home games were at Jackson and West Linn High Schools and at the University of Portland’s Howard Hall. Spacious Pamplin Sports Center was completed in the spring of 1969 and dedicated that June.

The fall of 2007 brought the first of several upgrades to the facility. A brand new gym floor was installed over the summer, with the new floor spanning the entire width of the room, creating the opportunity for three hardwood courts for varsity practices, intramurals, and recreational uses. The floor came from Connor Hardwood Courts and meets or exceeds all Athletic Performance requirements according to the international standard DIN 18032 Part 2, 2001. The floor’s finger jointed matched MFMA Norther Hard Maple is installed over a plywood subfloor and pad system designed to reduce the likelihood of impact injuries and damage to the joints and provide a uniform playing surface. It is finished with 2 coard Hillyard seal and 2 coats finish.

The facility also features 2,300 comfortable padded bleacher seats. One side of the bleachers features individual seat backs, while the other side is all bench seating.

A brand new state of the art Daktronics color smart scoreboard system was installed in the summer of 2009. The scoreboards are located on the wall of both baselines, with one board featuring player stat panels. Shot clocks are placed on the backboard of both baskets.

To get to Pamplin Sports Center, please enter through Gate 3, and follow the road down the slight hill. Pamplin is the big red brick building.