In addition, then-current bleacher seating on the north end of the arena was replaced with permanent stadium chairs.

The new name stems from a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the family foundation of late Duquesne star Chuck Cooper, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and the first African American selected in an NBA draft.

Renovations include new seating, enhanced concession areas, two high-definition video boards, and a new scorer's table and sound system.

[9] Prior to the building of the facility, the men's basketball team played games at various sites around the city, including Pittsburgh Civic Arena (their exclusive home from 1964 to 1988, and used for occasional big games until 2009), Fitzgerald Field House, and Duquesne Gardens, as well as several high school gymnasiums.

In the team's lone season in Pittsburgh, the Piranhas lost to the Yakima Sun Kings in the 1995 CBA finals.

[12] UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse is also home to the women's volleyball team and hosted the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2012, won by Temple.