Welcome to our Historic Hoops series, where we offer a guide to historic places related (at least tangentially) to a televised men’s or women’s NCAA basketball matchup each week throughout the 2015-2016 season. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or simply stuck watching with your significant other, we’re here to assist your viewing experience with some historic context beyond the hardwood.

This week’s matchup: The University of Maryland at Northwestern University

Time: Sunday, Feb. 14 at 4:00 p.m. EST

Channel: ESPN2

Venue: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois

Opening Tip: This week, the #5 Lady Terrapins head to the western shore of Lake Michigan to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in a Big 10 matchup.

While Maryland is one of the nation’s premiere programs, Northwestern is more of a scrappy team. Keep an eye on the Lady Wildcats, though, at historic Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Fast Break:

Ever wonder why it’s called Northwestern when it’s located dab-smack in the middle of the country?

Well, Northwestern University was founded in the 1850s to service what was once known as the United States’ Northwest Territory. The area, which eventually became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota, was created by an act of Congress in 1787. The last to join the Union as a state was Minnesota in 1858.

Welsh-Ryan Arena was built as McGaw Memorial Hall—named in memory of the father of donor Foster G. McGaw, a Presbyterian minister who died during a mission in Africa—in 1952 at a cost of $1.3 million. The building was renamed after principle donors of its renovation in 1983.

Though its initial seating capacity hovered around 14,000, today the arena seats roughly 8,000.

Three Points:

• Soon after it opened in 1952, Welsh-Ryan Arena—then McGaw Memorial Hall—hosted the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches, which included a speech by President Dwight Eisenhower.
• McGaw Memorial Hall hosted the 1956 NCAA Men’s Final Four. The University of San Francisco defeated the University of Iowa 83-71 to take the title that year.
• The Grateful Dead played McGaw Memorial Hall on November 1, 1973. Perhaps the most memorable part of the show that night was the reported one-hour set break, which apparently did not sit well with many concertgoers.

Buzzer Beater: When it opened, McGaw Memorial Hall was lit by 180 mercury vapor lights, said to simulate “pure daylight.”

And-1: In another classic Midwest matchup, #10 Michigan State travels to Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the #18 Purdue Boilermakers at 7:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 9 on ESPN. Mackey Arena was dedicated on Dec. 2, 1967.