Moody Center

What the Moody Center is and who plays there

The Moody Center is a 16,223-seat indoor arena on the University of Texas at Austin campus and the home of Texas Longhorns men's and women's basketball. For basketball the capacity is 10,763. The arena opened to the public on April 20, 2022, with a two-night John Mayer engagement, and it replaced the Frank Erwin Center as the university's arena. The venue markets itself as a 15,000-plus-seat concert arena, and the booking calendar reflects that.

• Longhorns basketball: men's and women's seasons run from November into March.
• Concerts: the bulk of the calendar. Early headliners included George Strait and Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews Band and a six-show Harry Styles residency in 2022.
• Other events: the Austin Gamblers of Professional Bull Riders, and occasional NBA games; the San Antonio Spurs played the first NBA regular-season games in Austin here in April 2023.

The building is owned by the university and operated by Oak View Group with Live Nation and C3 Presents.

Moody Center seating chart: how the levels stack

The arena's published maps divide the seats into three tiers:

• 100 Level: the lower bowl, wrapping the court or the floor. For basketball it holds the courtside and lower sideline seats; for concerts, the floor in front of it can be set as general admission standing room or reserved seating depending on the show.
• H-E-B Suite Level and Loge Boxes: a ring of private suites and loge boxes (small, semi-private groups of seats) between the two bowls.
• 200 Level: the upper bowl, above the suite ring.

With about 16,000 seats, the Moody Center is a mid-size arena, so even the 200 Level is not as far from the floor as the upper deck of a 20,000-seat NBA arena. That makes the upper bowl a reasonable value choice for concerts.

The arena's own maps show the section numbers for each level; confirm on your listing's seat map which side and end of the floor your section faces before you buy, since stage placement changes from show to show.

Best seats for Longhorns games and concerts

Basketball

Sideline seats in the 100 Level are the best basketball seats, especially rows high enough to look over the benches and the scorer's table. Seats behind the baskets are cheaper for a reason: the stanchion and the players at the near end block part of the court, and depth perception at the far end is poor. In the 200 Level, a sideline seat gives a full view of the court and plays developing, which many fans prefer to a low baseline seat at a similar price.

Concerts, end stage

• Floor: closest to the artist. If it is general admission, arrive early; if it is reserved, the first rows are excellent but the back of a flat floor can see less than a raised seat.
• 100 Level sides near the stage: the best balance of view, sound and comfort, with a raised angle over the floor crowd.
• 100 Level facing the stage: a straight-on view, farther away than the sides.
• 200 Level: the value pick for a full view of the production and lighting.

Seats to think twice about

Sections beside or behind the stage are sometimes sold with a limited or rear view; read the listing's notes. For in-the-round or center-stage shows, there is no bad side, and the lower rows of the 100 Level become the best seats in the house.

Parking, rideshare and getting to the Moody Center

The arena is at 2001 Robert Dedman Drive on the UT campus, just south of Mike A. Myers Stadium and near downtown Austin. Parking is in university and state garages nearby, and the venue sells parking in advance online.

• Manor Garage: about a 2 to 3 minute walk and the closest accessible parking. As of 2026 it is prepay only, with no drive-up sales on event days.
• Trinity Garage: on Trinity Street, about a 7 to 8 minute walk.
• Parking Garage B and State Garage G: south of East 17th Street between San Jacinto Boulevard and Trinity Street.
• State Garage R: south of 18th Street between Brazos Street and San Jacinto Boulevard.
• Rideshare: Lyft pickup and drop-off is at Lot 37, the LBJ Library parking lot, one block north off Red River Street and Clyde Littlefield Drive.
• Accessible drop-off: on the northwest side of the arena on Robert Dedman Drive.

Prepaying is the safest plan for a sold-out concert, since the closest garage no longer sells on site. Check the arena's parking page for current garages and options.

Moody Center bag policy and entry rules (as of 2026)

As of 2026, the Moody Center allows only these bags:

• a clear bag no larger than 14 by 14 by 6 inches,
• a one-gallon clear resealable plastic bag, or
• a non-clear clutch no larger than 5 by 9 by 1.5 inches.

Grocery totes, mesh bags, diaper bags and camera cases are prohibited. The clear-bag size is a little larger than the 12 by 6 by 12 inch limit used at most football stadiums, but a backpack or standard purse still will not pass.

• Tickets: mobile only, using SafeTix rotating barcodes in the Ticketmaster or Moody Center apps or a phone wallet. Printouts and screenshots do not work.
• Re-entry: none.
• Accessible entrance: West Gate A.

Check the venue's A-Z guide for the current policy before you go.

Food, payments and amenities

The Moody Center is cashless; Apple Pay, Google Pay and major credit cards are accepted, and a reverse ATM near the box office turns cash into a prepaid card. Smoking, e-cigarettes and vaping are not allowed anywhere in the arena. Elevators and wheelchair assistance are available for guests who need them.

How the Moody Center replaced the Erwin Center

Ground was broken on December 3, 2019, and the arena was built for about 375 million dollars to a design by Gensler. It takes its name from the Moody Foundation, which gave the university a 130-million-dollar grant. The project replaced the Frank Erwin Center as UT's arena, and the university partnered with Oak View Group, Live Nation and C3 Presents to run it, which explains a calendar weighted toward concerts.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Moody Center
• Moody Center – Official site
• Moody Center – A-Z Guide
• Moody Center – Parking
• Moody Center – Arena Maps