With basketball season less then a month away, everyone wants to know how close the Convocation Center is to being completely done.

If you walked though the Convo Center today, there are dust and boxes everywhere. But despite the appearance, the Convocation Center is almost finished.

The new hardwood court has been installed for a month and the new basketball baskets have been put in place. The baskets arrived on Oct. 22, and the old baskets will be kept for future use at Chick Evans Field House.

The next fixture to be added to the main arena is the indoor track. The indoor track is being installed around the upper bowl of the Convo Center.

The track will be used by the women’s track and field team for indoor meets. The track surface is made of mondo and is being laid down. Later this week, workers at the Convo Center will paint it and after the paint dries it will be ready for use.

“We chose to use mondo because it is durable and stain-resistant,” Convo Center Director John Gordon said.

The mondo surface had to be used so the track would not be damaged when the bleachers in the upper bowl were pulled out for events.

The only NIU sport to use the Convo Center this year for games is the volleyball team.

“I think our home court is great, yet I would like to see some minor improvements,” said NIU volleyball coach Ray Gooden. “I would like to see the volleyball championship banners from the past hung on the walls, so people know Victor E. Court is our home of NIU volleyball.”

Most of the work inside the Convo Center is complete, but one item on the outside is missing. There is no marquee to let people know what is going on, but it is on the way.

It will be installed by the weekend of Nov. 22, Gordon said.

The marquee will be installed at the main entrance on Lincoln Highway. It will be 40 feet tall with a five by 10 foot message center.

Besides putting the finishing touches on the arena, the Convo Center staff and athletics have one other goal – to have the stands filled on the weekend of Nov. 22.

“I think fans will come to basketball games just to see the Convocation Center, but we have to continue to play well to keep them coming,” NIU women’s basketball coach Carol Hammerle said.