Seating capacity at Jenison was rated at 12,500 from its opening until the early 1970s when rulings by the state fire marshal reduced the limit to 9,886 (later recalculated at 10,004).

The venue is most famous for its 1978–79 NCAA champion basketball team, which included Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and was coached by Jud Heathcote.

The losing Maroons (now known as the Bulldogs) had defied a court order prohibiting them from leaving the state to play an integrated team.

During its first 30 years of service, Jenison Fieldhouse featured a dirt surface, with a hardwood basketball court elevated about a foot over floor level.

Following the move of Spartan basketball teams to the Breslin Center, Jenison Fieldhouse was reconfigured and renovated to host numerous other university athletic activities.