Venue: Montagne Center
Town: Texas, US
Capacity: 10,746

Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center, built in 1984, is a mixed-use event center that houses a 10,746-seat a multi-purpose arena and a variety of event spaces in Beaumont, Texas. The Montagne Center was designed especially for the basketball program with a wing designated for instructional purposes. The Montagne Center is currently home to the Lamar University Cardinals, the Lady Cardinals basketball teams, and the Lamar University Pathway Program, Lamar University's language program. The arena was previously the home of the Lady Cardinals volleyball team until renovations to McDonald Gym were completed in 2006-07. The Montagne's instructional area has been home to Lamar's language program since 2010 when the Lamar Language Institute (LLI) first moved there, then transitioned to TIEP at Lamar in 2011, and became the Lamar University Language Program (LUPP) in 2017. The Montagne Center is a mixed-use facility with a split funding arrangement, as required by state statute. Much of the center is devoted to sports and special events; a wing of the center is devoted to education. After one year of operation, the arena's seating capacity was expanded from 8,000 in basketball configuration to its current seating capacity of 10,080. The 10,080 capacity is made up of 8,102 permanent seats and a telescopic chairback seating system totaling 1,978 seats. All seats in the arena are chairbacked and all are cushioned with the exception of folding back seats in the four topmost rows of seats. Including floor seating, the arena has a maximum capacity of 10,746 in event configuration. The arena was named Neches Federal Credit Union Arena in 2023 in return for a $3.5 million donation by Neches Federal Credit Union. Naming rights to the arena extend to December 31, 2033. The arena floor can host sporting events including basketball, volleyball, wrestling, boxing and martial arts tournaments. With stadium and floor seating, the Montagne Center can be configured for h