YEAR OPENED: 2000
SPORTS: WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL, MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CAPACITY: 5,100
Nestled in the heart of the University of San Diego’s beautiful campus, the Jenny Craig Pavilion — affectionately known to fans as the "Slim Gym" — first opened its doors on October 5, 2000, immediately becoming a premier home for USD’s men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball programs.
Built in USD’s trademark 16th-century Spanish Renaissance elegance, the 5,100-seat arena was made possible in 1997 by a $10 million surprise Christmas gift from Sidney Craig in honor of his wife, weight-management pioneer Jenny Craig.
Since then, the venue has become a center for unforgettable moments — from West Coast Conference Basketball Championships in the early 2000s to special events featuring speakers like the Dalai Lama and Jane Goodall, concerts like Maroon 5, and even Super Bowl luncheons.
Both the USD men’s and women’s hoops teams won the 2008 WCC Tournament Championship in the JCP, hoisting trophies before their hometown fans in the final campus-hosted basketball tournament in conference history.
The JCP has also played host to several rounds of NCAA postseason competition, including the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament, where the Toreros won twice to advance to the Sweet 16 in front of a packed, electric home crowd.
After initial enhancements in 2015 and the installation of new basketball hardwood in 2022, the Pavilion underwent another major renovation in 2024, receiving upgrades that included a four-sided center-hung videoboard, new end-wall ribbon displays, state-of-the-art lighting and audio systems, remodeled basketball locker rooms, and a new team lounge/locker room suite, video study auditorium, and coaches offices for the volleyball program.
