William F. Stevens and John Knudsen designed it in Renaissance Revival style, working under State Architect Arthur Peabody.

It hosted the 1941 NCAA basketball tournament East Regionals, won by the Badgers, who would go on to win the national title that year in Kansas City.

[4] After the men's and women's basketball teams moved to the Kohl Center in 1998, the balcony was closed due to concerns over code violations, giving a reduced capacity of 6,012.

[5][6] A project to refurbish the exterior facade, replace windows, and create a pedestrian plaza between the Field House and Regent Street began in April 2020[7] and was substantially complete by the fall of 2020.

[8] The "W" crest at the top of the Field House, whose actual designer is unknown, is frequently employed as the emblem of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The Field House hosted Milwaukee Bucks home playoff games in 1970, 1971 and 1973, along with a variety of Wisconsin high school sports events.