Its days are numbered.
With the announcement last week of the new softball facility at the University of Missouri, the Hearnes Center is taking another step toward being just a memory.
Sometimes progress, though necessary, stinks.
The Hearnes Center opened in 1972, with a seating capacity of 13,611, to replace Brewer Fieldhouse as the home primarily of the basketball teams.
Back in the early 1980s, it was one of the toughest buildings in the country to play in for opposing teams. It didn't hurt that Missouri had great teams, with players such as Steve Stipanovich, Jon Sundvold and Doug Smith wearing the Black and Gold.
And as the teams got better, so did the fans. Hearnes was built upward, not outward. The fans go up, not out. And that helped make a lot of noise to rattle the opposition as Missouri improved on the basketball floor.
As a sophomore at Missouri, I had a men's basketball season ticket. In the D section, middle of the top row. D stood for "Darn, it sure is high up here." I would enter Hearnes and start climbing the stairs until there were no more stairs. It's what passed for a good cardio workout back then.
One game stands out, sort of. The Tigers were in the middle of what turned out to be a 19-game winning streak and were ranked No. 2 in the country behind North Carolina. Missouri beat whoever it played that night and it was announced North Carolina had lost, so the Tigers were going to be No. 1 in the next national ranking.
There was quite a party that night, which might have something to do with the fact I can't remember who Missouri defeated.
After college, my trips to Hearnes were either for the annual Missouri-Kansas basketball game or to work for the Missouri State High School Activities Association's basketball and wrestling championships. I saw a lot of state titles won by Mid-Missouri teams in the building.
The last time I was in the Hearnes Center was a couple of years ago for a MSHSAA state semifinal basketball game. With the addition of a fifth class in basketball, the MSHSAA decided to bring the Hearnes Center back into the rotation to keep games from having to start at 8 a.m. or 10 p.m. on the small-school weekend.
The building was showing its age.
The softball team deserves a new facility, which will be built next to Hearnes. Missouri softball has outgrown University Field in both stature and fan support.
And after it's built, it's likely a final decision on the future of the Hearnes Center will be announced. It's a big building that still houses the indoor track facility as well as wrestling and volleyball. Those sports will get a new home as well, one that isn't quite as large, but will suit their needs better.
Progress, while necessary, stinks.