Last Updated on November 17, 2025 11:49 am
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Holmes Convocation Center Celebrates 25 Years Since Historic Opening
Inaugural game drew sold-out crowd for App State vs. UNC matchup
BOONE — Twenty-five years ago today, on November 17, 2000, the George M. Holmes Convocation Center opened its doors for the first time, marking a new era for Appalachian State University athletics and the broader High Country community.
The 8,325-seat arena's inaugural event was a men's basketball game between the Mountaineers and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, drawing a capacity crowd for the historic occasion. The Appalachian Sports Network broadcast the game, with broadcasters providing courtside coverage of the venue's debut.
The state-of-the-art facility replaced Varsity Gymnasium, which had served the university since 1968 but could no longer accommodate the growing needs of App State's expanding student population and athletic programs.
A Quarter-Century of Community Impact
Over the past 25 years, the 200,840-square-foot Holmes Center has evolved into far more than just a basketball arena. The multipurpose facility has become a central hub for the High Country, hosting an impressive variety of events that have enriched the cultural and educational landscape of the region.
The venue serves as home to four App State athletic teams: men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and indoor track and field. The facility features a 300-meter Mondo track that circles the upper concourse, used by indoor track teams for both practice and competition.
Beyond athletics, the Holmes Center has welcomed some of the biggest names in music to Boone. Over the years, the arena has hosted concerts by Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Dave Matthews, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Lil Wayne, and many others, bringing world-class entertainment to the mountains.
The facility plays a crucial academic role as well, housing the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science with offices, classrooms, and laboratories. Each semester, the arena transforms into a ceremonial space for university commencements, where thousands of graduates have celebrated their achievements before family and friends.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Holmes Center demonstrated its versatility and community importance by serving as a vaccination clinic site. In March 2021 alone, 680 students, faculty, staff, and community members received vaccines at the facility.
Notable Moments
While the arena has witnessed countless memorable games and events, one recent highlight stands out: On December 3, 2023, App State's men's basketball team defeated Auburn University 69-64 before 7,037 fans. The victory marked the Mountaineers' first-ever win over a high-major opponent in the Holmes Center and their first home win against such competition since 1993.
The convocation center was named in honor of George M. Holmes, a 1954 App State graduate who played football on scholarship and later became a longtime member of the North Carolina General Assembly. As senior co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Holmes was instrumental in securing the funding needed to build the facility, championing his alma mater throughout his legislative career.
The arena itself is named for Seby Jones, a former mayor of Raleigh and chairman of the App State Board of Trustees, whose philanthropy made it possible for many students to attend college.
Commemorative cups and coins were distributed to attendees at that first game on November 17, 2000—mementos that some fans still treasure a quarter-century later, reminding them of the night when the Holmes Center began its journey as the heart of Mountaineer athletics and High Country entertainment.
Commemorative cup and coin from opening night, preserved for 25 years by Kenneth Reece
