After 29 years of playing basketball at various locations throughout Rhode Island, Providence College opened Alumni Hall in 1955, giving the Friar basketball team its first-on campus home. Under the leadership of Rev. Robert J. Slavin, O.P., the College's president at the time, PC firmly established a foothold in that sport, playing before enthusiastic crowds in the $1.5 million, 2,620-seat auditorium. The Friars racked up a 179-27 record over the next 17 seasons in Alumni Hall before moving home games to the Providence Civic Center in 1972. The women's basketball team began play in Alumni Hall in 1974, continuing the winning tradition the men's program started.
Alumni Hall has hosted many tournaments, including the opening rounds of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, along with BIG EAST women's tournaments in 1983 and 1993. The Friar women's volleyball team also plays its home matches in the gym, named for legendary Friar basketball coach Joe Mullaney. A $3 million 2012 renovation yielded a beautiful update to the storied facility, including seat backs, a video scoreboard and control room, and a new sound system.