Georgia State broke ground Tuesday on a new 7,300-seat basketball arena just north of its football stadium at the former Turner Field.

The Georgia State Convocation Center is set to open in August 2022. It will replace the school’s 3,854-seat Sports Arena, which opened in 1972.

President Mark Becker hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the $85.2 million facility, which also will be used for graduation events and concerts.

In addition, it will include include classroom and academic support space as well as the ability to accommodate large conferences and esports tournaments.

The new arena is part of a massive redevelopment of the area around the former home of the Braves. Georgia State acquired the ballpark in 2017 and converted it into a football facility now known as Center Parc Stadium.

“What the Convocation Center will do is broaden the scope of Georgia State basketball,” men’s basketball coach Rob Lanier said. “We have a strong program and a winning tradition, so adding a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Atlanta stands to make us stronger.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Morehouse golf coach Edgar Evans addresses supporters in the new weight room. ( Kate Awtrey-King for the AJC)

Credit: Provided by Kate Awtrey-King

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT