Frank Erwin Center Demolished; Texas Says Goodbye to 'The Drum'

Texas Longhorns say goodbye to the home of Texas Basketball for over 45 years

A basketball hoop remains as crews continue to demolish the Frank Erwin Center Friday April 12, / Jay Janner / American-Statesman / USA

The Frank Erwin Center was the home of Texas Basketball from 1977 all the way until the conclusion of the 2021-22 basketball season, but now the site will be the home of the expanded Dell Medical School. 

The Drum, as the center was nicknamed due to it’s round, beige shape, was replaced by the Moody Center at the start of the 2022-23 season and has since been out of operation. On May 1, 2023, the University announced a series of demolition projects that has finally concluded as a full year later.

The new site, as noted by university president Jay Hartzell, will be a part of the University of Texas’s Dell Medical School. The specific site will be the host of the University of Texas at Austin Medical Center, working alongside MD Anderson’s Cancer Center. In a tweet sent out by Hartzell, the president said the following.

“We aren’t simply building a traditional academic medical center. We have an opportunity that is unique in Texas and only possible at a few places in the world to build an academic medical center that is linked to a top research university and that is driven by innovations in technology, digital health, data science, artificial intelligence, robotics, material science and more.”

Making way for the future of health care! With @TexasLonghorns having a home at @MoodyCenterATX, we’re saying goodbye to the Drum. The demolition sets up the expansion of @DellMedSchool and the establishment of the University of Texas at Austin Medical Center with… pic.twitter.com/O9cF2oIO0Z

— Jay Hartzell (@JCHartzell) May 19, 2024

The Drum was originally built as the home of Texas Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams, replacing the Gregory Gymnasium that currently hosts Volleyball games. The multi-purpose facility additionally hosted many concerts in Austin, as it also acted as the premier arena for music in Texas’ most music-focused city.

The center has hosted a multitude of fascinating events in its time. From basketball, to commencement ceremonies, all the way to Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, the Erwin Center is a memorable piece of UT life for many graduates and current students.

With its official demolition, the University of Texas marks a new era in both the entertainment and medical industries.