Iona College Cuts Ribbon on Dramatically Upgraded Hynes Athletics Center During Homecoming Weekend

Iona College Cuts Ribbon on Dramatically Upgraded Hynes Athletics Center During Homecoming Weekend.

Lectures & Events, Capital Projects

Matt Glovaski, Mary Jane Arrigoni, Jim Hynes and Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.,  stand with Mr. Arrigoni as he cuts the ribbon.

The Hynes Athletics Center underwent an innovative redesign thanks to a lead gift from Edward F. Arrigoni '56, '91H.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Almost four thousand alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends gathered on Iona College’s scenic campus on Saturday, October 19, to celebrate Homecoming & Family Weekend and the ribbon-cutting on the dramatically upgraded Hynes Athletics Center.

Home court for Iona College basketball and volleyball, the Hynes Athletics Center underwent an innovative redesign thanks to a lead gift from Edward F. Arrigoni '56, '91H.

"Mary Jane and I were happy to make this gift to invest in the future of Iona Athletics. We are excited for our Gaels to continue to build upon their success in an upgraded Hynes Center facility," said Arrigoni.

Visitors were awed by the noticeable improvements, which significantly enhance the game experience for both student-athletes and fans with seating around all four sides of the court, state-of-the-art LED scoreboards, improved lighting and sound, a new playing surface, and further support Iona's ESPN School Productions efforts. In addition to upgrades throughout the facility, the Hall of Fame plaques were transformed into a more visually-appealing, state-of-the-art platform, adding four digital video boards. The Hall was renamed the Arrigoni Hall of Fame as a way to recognize the philanthropic impact of this great Gael, Edward Arrigoni, as well as compliment and recognize the accomplishments of these student-athletes throughout Iona’s history.

“Saturday marked an historic day for Iona College athletics and a great day to be a Gael,” said Director of Athletics Matt Glovaski. “We are truly appreciative to all those who came out to support this momentous occasion. The Iona College community is forever grateful to Mr. Edward Arrigoni for his incredible support in bringing this transformational project to life. On behalf of all our students-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff and the generations of future Gaels who will benefit from this new facility, we thank you.”

The College’s campus was alive with energy all weekend as the Iona community celebrated Homecoming & Family Weekend with games, carnivals, pumpkin painting, food trucks, Heritage tours, Mimosas and Memories – a celebration of 50 Years of Women at Iona College, alumni gatherings, athletics competitions, exhibitions, and many other festivities, including Iona’s rugby team besting Notre Dame by the final score of 45-15. Iona’s volleyball team earned their first win at the new Hynes Athletics Center beating Siena 3-1.

ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.