Pit Arena Seat Collapse

A recent basketball game at The Pit Arena at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque ended with a bang when seven rows of bleachers collapsed as the school’s Lobos beat BYU’s cougars an 86-77. No injuries were reported.

The benches, which were located in a student section near the arena floor, collapsed because students were jumping on them during the Jan. 29 game, school officials said.

General contractor Flintco reportedly met with school officials following the incident and a statement was released explaining the benches would be replaced promptly.

“The bleachers at the north end of The Pit were recently replaced with new bleachers that were designed to be removable to accommodate alternate uses at the arena,” the statement said. “The first seven rows of these removable seats were not able to withstand the enthusiasm of the fans at Saturday’s game.”

Flintco completed a $60 million renovation of the arena last year.