The new fieldhouse took its namesake from John Barnhill, a former college football player and head coach of the Razorbacks from 1946 to 1949. Barnhill was serving as Arkansas’ athletic director when the fieldhouse was built. Reports show construction was plagued by strikes and delays. Once the building was complete, it collapsed, killing one worker and injuring another. Before tip-off on opening night, the scoreboard fell from the rafters, forcing officials to keep score by hand on chalkboards.