 The university began planning for a much larger multi-purpose sports arena in the mid-1970s, and the O'Connell Center opened in December 1980 as the new home for all of UF's indoor athletic programs.The Florida Gymnasium was gradually adapted to other uses during the 1980s.The court was used primarily as a general student recreation center and occasional assembly hall while a series of renovations repurposed some of the surrounding space for use by the College of Health and Human Performance.