The opening of McKale Memorial Center in February of 1973 marked a new era in Wildcat basketball. After playing several games in front of crowds of a few thousand in Bear Down Gym to open the 1972-73 season, the team moved to McKale and literally filled the upscale arena overnight with crowds over 11,000 from the beginning. Named after the late J.F. "Pop" McKale, athletic director and coach from 1914 to 1957, the facility is part of a series of showcase athletic facilities located on the extreme eastern edge of campus. It is situated off the UA mall, adjacent to Arizona Stadium and the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. McKale houses the offices for the entire athletic department, aside from the football program, and includes a state-of-the-art weight room and the Hall of Champions on the north end of the building. Following the Arizona State game on February 26, 2000, the University of Arizona athletic department honored head coach Lute Olson with a ceremony to name the McKale Center floor, "Lute Olson Court." Then, during a memorial service in January of 2001 for Olson's late wife, Bobbi, it was renamed, "Lute and Bobbi Olson Court" in recognition of the couple's impact on the University and the city of Tucson. Olson led seven teams to undefeated seasons at home, and Arizona has led the Pac-10/12 in attendance every year since 1984-85.

Part of the attraction for fans is the winning tradition that was quickly established in McKale. Arizona defeated WAC rival Wyoming, 87-69, in the first varsity event on Feb. 1, 1973, and went on to win 67 of the first 70 contests in McKale. Then, from 1987-1992, Arizona put together the 10th-best home court winning streak in NCAA history, winning 71 consecutive games in McKale and making tickets nearly impossible to find. By the time UCLA snapped the string on Jan. 11, 1992 with an 89-87 upset of the Cats, there was rarely an empty seat in McKale for any game. That tradition keeps growing as Arizona teams continue to win games in front of sell-out crowds. The Wildcats' home dominance has continued under head coach Sean Miller with a winning percentage of nearly 90 percent. The seating capacity has fluctuated through the 42 years of the buildings existence. McKale opened in 1973 with a capacity of 13,658, but the installation of chair-back seating in 1984 reduced that figure to 13,316. Elimination of all bleacher seating dropped the level to 13,124 in 1986 before additional seats were added in the period from 1988 to 2000 that pushed capacity to 14,545. After a renovation was completed prior to the 2014-15 season, current capacity stands at 14,644. The largest crowd in McKale history was the 15,176 who watched Arizona face New Mexico on Jan. 14, 1976. The largest crowd in the Lute Olson era showed up for the 1997-98 home opener against Morgan State (14,672), the first home game after Arizona's National Championship.

Since its initial construction at a cost of $8.1 million in 1973, McKale Center has undergone numerous face lifts to keep up with the times. Sophisticated computerized message boards spanning the upper deck on both sides of the court, along with padded press row and officials' tables with computer-drive scoreboards were added in the early 1990s. The 1992 season saw the installation of four huge video replay screens in each corner of the arena. At the conclusion of the 1997-98 campaign, a state-of-the-art playing surface replaced the old floor that had been in place since 1983. The 2001-2002 season saw new changes as well. A new four-sided scoreboard with video replay screens was installed and hung from the center of the arena. Then, prior to the 2014-15 season, a major renovation added upgraded seating, hand rails, enhanced lighting, a new playing floor and a state-of-the-art, high-definition scoreboard. The new scoreboard features four 19’ x 11’ video screens totaling 836 square feet, which is more than two-and-half times larger than the previous board, a static ring on top for promotional opportunities and two LED rings. In addition, the renovation addressed amenities and upgrades that include men’s and women’s locker rooms, concessions and restrooms.

McKale's reputation has attracted several major national sports events. It was the site for the NCAA Wrestling West Regionals in 1974 and 1980, and hosted the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 1976. More recently, McKale was a site for the men's NCAA first and second rounds in 1979, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2011. In addition, the USA Basketball Team trained in the arena prior to capturing the 1986 World Championships, and Arizona played host to the second Pac-10 Conference tournament in 1988. The facility is 428 feet long, 339 feet wide and 77 feet from the floor to parapet, and houses the entire off-field operations of the University's athletic department. With three levels that consist of equipment rooms, a training and rehabilitation center, locker rooms, storage areas, ticket operations, academic services, computer lab facilities and administrative offices, McKale Center is the primary gathering place for all of UA athletics.