Throughout the school’s history, Mount Michael has had to introduce many developments in order to keep up with the needs of the students and staff of the school. These additions include the D.J. Sokol “Learning for Life” building (2017), the tennis courts, and the renovations to the track (2023). While these were impactful changes to The Mount and its campus, the school has been able to preserve many aspects such as the dorms, the cafeteria, and The Mount’s gymnasium, known as “The Palace.”
The Palace has a plethora of uses including P.E. class, intramural sports, various ceremonies, wrestling duals and meets, and basketball games. The Palace is most well-known for its basketball games due to the unmatched level of energy that fills the gym during home games. The Palace is smaller than other home gyms in Nebraska, creating a cramped feeling for opposing teams, thus giving the Knights an immense home-court advantage.
Another key element is the proximity of the bleachers to the sideline, with only about 6 inches separating the two. The bleachers have caused controversy, usually with opposing fans and teams.
A tweet made on Jan. 3, 2023, by Eric Petersen (@omahaep) states, “It’s time to make an investment for the safety of the basketball teams that play at Mt. Michael. Bleachers 8 inches from the sideline is unsafe! Spend the endowment money on a new gym rather than a jury award when some player gets injured.”
The Palace was built in 1959, leading to its very rich history and many unique qualities that are hard to find anywhere else in Nebraska.
One of the many qualities that makes the Palace special is that many fathers get to watch their sons play in the same gym that they spent their high school career in.
Dr. Dan Beninato ‘91, being one example, has been able to watch his sons Dominic ‘25 and Samuel ‘25 play in the Palace, and stated, “Seeing my kids play in the same gym I spent so much time in is fantastic, it definitely brings back some fond memories.”
Mount Michael history teacher, Mr. John Roshone ‘99, played basketball during his time as a student at The Mount. Roshone got the opportunity of coming back to the program as a junior varsity and varsity coach as a junior in college and continued this role once he came back to Mount Michael as a teacher in 2004. He recounted his memories of playing in The Palace and compared them to how different it was to be a coach.
“As a coach, it’s very different. You are so focused on the game that you do not really notice the crowd, you really are dialed into the game,” Roshone said.
Today, The Palace has remained almost the exact same since it was built. The court sports the same golden brown wood floors and arch supports that were originally installed. The bleachers have been updated over time, but they are still not as deep as other home stadiums’ bleachers, intensifying the packed feeling that The Palace is known for.
On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the unranked varsity Knights took on the second-ranked Norris Titans in a matchup that most fans expected to be dominated by Norris. In the first half, the Knights were unstoppable on both sides of the ball, going shot-for-shot with the Titans. At halftime, the Knights led 29-28, keeping the crowd attentive and loud throughout the entire matchup.
“The energy in The Palace during the Norris game was one of the best environments that The Palace has seen over the last two years and that was because of the student section. The student section seemed to really affect how Norris’ players were performing since they have never had to play in an atmosphere like that before,” Knights’ center Kyle Oldehoeft ’25 said.
The Knights competed with Norris the entire game and forced it into overtime. The Titans ultimately prevailed but it was, undoubtedly, one of the Knights’ best performances of the year.
This game was a great example of The Palace’s true glory and the effects it has on any team who dares to challenge the Knights on their home court.
