Bren Events Center

The Bren Events Center is located on the campus of The University of California Irvine.
We were there to see our daughter graduate from Concordia University.
The event center is home to the Anteaters men’ S and women’s basketball teams. A parking garage is attached and access to the event center is easy.
The event center is medium size, shaped like a horse shoe with a stage on one side.
It may be a small event center for a D-​1 team, but there is a lot of seating.

Attended the WGASC today. What a rip off! They charged for parking, which was $ 10. Okay, I expected that. I also knew there’s be a fee for tickets. The price was insane! $ 25 each, over 2 years old! No child or senior discount. Then many items at the snack bar, weren’t being served or they ran out of. Expensive day, and glad I don’t have to come back for an event, for awhile.

I don’t really have a reason to be hear on a regular basis because for one I have long passed the college stage and the next time I go back I WON’T BE PAYING FOR IT! Anyone out there wanna fork over the moola for a Phd. Secondly since I’m NOT MUCH if at all a basketball person and especially college basketball I have never seen too many events going on here that I felt I needed or wanted to attend.
As with most things in Irvine the UCI Bren Event center is no stranger to charging a fee for just about any and everything. You’d think parking would be free since the event I was here for was at night. But NOOOO we had to come up out the pocket with $ 10 buck-​a-​roos! Not steep but still I abhor paying for parking even in the OC! Plus it would have been nice to know there was a parking fee BEFORE we got there.
We walk up and of course they are charging for the event. It wasn’t much. They had some students working the ticket counter and the little mini bag check area before you enter, as well as, the parking which I thought was cool. I was glad for the bag check because not everyone uses GOOD SENSE when coming to a crowded event and I was not feeling having to run through a small pin hole size of a door with a heard of other people at the same time. So bag checks are GREAT!
Once inside we saw we were a bit early even though we were purposely an hour late, so we got a little something to munch on in the form of samosas and some chai tea. Apparently there is this thing called Indian time and they are generally late for everything. For what I could gather is if a function starts at 8pm then expect most if not all the people to show at 10 – 10:30pm. So we had some time to kill.
Once the Garba Fest got going there were hoards of peeps everywhere. It was great that the regular seating was not pulled out because it made for more room on the dance floor and it was totally needed.
There was live music and singing the entire night with one or two intermissions. And there was a shoe room. Sort of like going to a temple where you can’t wear shoes inside. It was cool.
A Garba Festival is where there is lots and lots and lots of pretty non-​stop dancing going on. Its fun and for the most part everyone knew the choreographed dance. Sort of like the 2-​step, electric slide or salsa but you go around the room in some what of a line. And like those before mentioned examples of dances where everyone pretty much knows the steps you can change it up a bit and add your own flare. For people who now what they are doing its not a big deal but for someone like me it was a bit overwhelming.
We watched a bit then went down to try and join in. Once down stairs the dance looked more and more difficult. So I just tried to find the person doing the easiest version of the dance and like a moving train I looked for an opening and hopped in and tried to follow along.
It was crazy fun. E was hopping around like his feet were on fire doing his version of what he thought they were doing. I was stepping on people and myself. It’s no wonder I didn’t trip over my own feet and I have rhythm and have always been able to follow along to dances but not this one as much. I even ran into one of my yoga instructors there.
SOOO MUCH FUN! The Bren Event center had plenty of parking and people working to make this event a success with out any added issues. If there were any I did know about them as a patron who of course wasn’t working.

This Center was a huge setting for concert. The staff were super friendly. They guide you to your seats. The sound system was great and it was not too cold or too hot. Loved the snack bar and the tapped bear :) The only reason I did not give this center a 5 star is the seats were too close together and not very comfortable. But if you are enjoying a great concert, you will not even notice the quality of the seats.

Terrible access, terrible parking, terrible traffic personnel, bad management in every conceivable way. I will NEVER attend another event here.

UCI Basketball! Go Eaters!
Restrooms always clean.
Snack bar lines are short.
People and staff are friendly.
Lots of free give aways and entertainment when play stops. There are plenty of excited students there to cheer. Peter the Anteater is well groomed. The seats are blue. I always buy my seats on Cyber-​Monday because of the good deal on packs of 3 game seats. I like the new basketball court floor. It’s quite beautiful.

This is no Staples Center or Pauley Pavillion but it’s a small, intimate arena with great sight lines for a smaller college basketball game. The parking structure is tough to exit after the game but sufficient to hold a good sized crowd. Moderate concessions but they do serve beer and wine. Cheap prices and good seats with no advanced purchase available.

It is a great center to hold a large event like we did! It’s freezing in there– great on a hot day, but bring a sweater.
The chairs are not that comfy especially if you are sitting in them all day like we did.
Bathrooms are clean, but it’s really odd how high the toilets are from the ground.
Not sure about parking. We took a bus from San Diego … Sorry no help there

INDOOORS!
$ 10 parking
handicap parking free
close to the freeway exit
yes this event is indoors so I didn’t feel too bad having my family and friends sit for two hours for my college graduation
also, they are extremely organized about directing traffic out, which is such an awesome thing! They literally started directing traffic out even inside the parking structure
My friends and family (myself included) all thought the same thing… that was amazingly easy hahaha
the only negative comments i have is parking is expensive and those parking spaces are tight

Pan-​Ams, what else can you say.
One recommendation to the UCI staff — Don’t let Staff Pro run things. They kept bossing everyone around treating people like crap.
If I were to review Staff Pro, they’d get one star. I think they forget they’re security guards, but want to boss anyone they can around.

I haven’t set foot into the BEC in years. It’s nice to see the upgrades. Maybe they can upgrade their mall cops (Staff Pro) while they’re at it? More on that in a moment.
Prepare to be boned at the parking permit machines — it’s $ 2/​hr or $ 10 for the daily permit. Park in the Pereira structure. Yes, it’s a much farther walk. Trust me on this. You will drive yourself mad if you park in the Mesa structure, especially after a game lets out.
Eat something BEFORE you step into the BEC. You can try the food court at the Student Center which includes a Wendy’s, Wahoo’s, Panda Express, and Subway. Or you can go across the street to the University Center for other choices. The concessions are a rip-​off. You’ve been warned.
(PS. UCI is a Pepsi campus. Vending and fountain drinks are all-​things Pepsi.)
The facility is very clean and well-​kept.
You know those mall cops I mentioned earlier? Pray that you don’t get the one in a bad mood…
I came here for UCI’s homecoming event and Men’s Basketball game with my wife and daughter. My daughter, being a 2 YO toddler, really wanted her balloons and would not stop asking for one. So to make her happy and keep her quiet, we got her two helium balloons and attached them to her stroller. And because we wanted a quick exit just in case, we sat near the concourse level. The stroller had to be left up top, but no big deal until…
A Staff Pro member — not UCIPD, not BEC staff — came up and told us to either pop the balloons or take them into some office. No explanation why; just a demand to pop the balloons. We told her to go ahead and pop them.
(PPS. NO ONE at the entrance said anything about the balloons, even after the security searches.)
While I was away, the same Staff Pro member approached my wife and rudely demanded for my presence and to pop the balloons because I had to be the one to do it (liability, perhaps?). When I returned, I was escorted out into the concessions area where under the watchful eyes of those mall cops I had to pop the balloons while also being asked to dispose of them in a SHUT-​UP-​SLAVE! kind of tone. Not wanting to escalate anything, I just shut my mouth like a good little citizen. If that weren’t enough, they also asked me to remove the bags of non-​valuable hand-​me-​down jackets and sweaters from the stroller. Whatever.
After the game? I saw child after child with their balloons on the concourse. Where were the mall cops to hound THOSE parents? Care to take a guess how my daughter felt after seeing all of those kids with their balloons while hers were gone?
Thanks for making my toddler cry, Staff Pro. And to any UCI people reading this, control your mall cops.

Went to the see the OC Breaker vs. Texas Wild for indoor tennis at the Bren Center at the VIP section. Our table was just behind the the players, which gave us an excellent view of the game. The facility clean, orderly, and organized. The attendants were very friendly and helpful. Most of all, I really enjoyed the game. Boths teams had really good plays and excellent volleys.

Very nice facility for a graduation. Indoor, nice air conditioning, and huge projectors so even the back row can see the stage. The only thing that sucked was the parking. I parked on the roof and after the ceremony was over, it took me over 1 hour to leave the parking lot. If are going to an event at the Bren Event Center, make sure you come early and try to find parking on the lower floors and be sure to back into your spots so you can drive right now when you need to leave.

I have no other choice but to patronise the Bren Events Center (BEC) because unfortunately the IBJJF (main Jiu-​Jitsu org) holds the PanAms annually here now. Previously, they were held somewhere else (Carson?) and although the facility was much smaller, there was an absence of some of the major cons that exist with holding the events at BEC.
For athletes: at the BEC there is no where for you to shower. They surely have some showers somewhere in lockerrooms which are not opened to the thousands of competitors that register for PAN, but I have never seen them. In a sport with many skin diseases which can be mitigated with a shower shortly after contact, it is a pretty routine amenity to have and no one should be forced to wait half a day until they get to their hotel to shower after having multiple matches.
For spectators: the lines-​of-​sight can be pretty terrible. A lot of action takes place on the ground (go figure) and a lot of times someone’s head in the crowd — many rows in front of you — will be in the way if you are on the second level. Additionally, there are seemingly not enough toilets for the number of asses in seats.
Finally, what they charge for parking on campus is offensive. The PANs are four days long. It might be cheaper to lease a pass from a passer-​by Chinese-​American that is a current student at UCI than pay for parking each day. Nearly the entire area is master-​planned, so it is a helluva task to find free parking, but it is doable.
So what’s good about it? Well, it impresses all of the Brasilians flying in for the tournament compared to wherever they held it in Carson. Moreover, I do not believe they turn away spectators like they did on Black Belt day in 2009 (reference Mendes Bros federation debut at Black). And there are definitely more vendors now that there is more space: food and gear. It does not get so hot.
The staff are relentless with being a nuisance to your chi though. Consider yourself put on notice. The year they mistakenly thought that no one could record matches — including family or teammates on BEHALF of their own family or teammates — will forever be known as the year that BJJ showed how much restraint their practitioners could have before exhausting all patience and choking civilians unconscious (No Staff Pro were hurt in 2012, miraculously). — E

Only like this place because it gives me good memories of Songfest 2012!

Went here the other night for a MMA fight. The venue was small which makes any seat a good seat. Food and drinks were reasonably priced.

Saw a World Team Tennis match here.
it’s a great location with ample (paid) parking.
Though to get to this location you may have to know a bit about the school’s layout and the campus area of irvine for that matter. but the use of a GPS or directions from your computer’ll do it.

Was here for a conference and it was a great venue. Not that big but very functional. Its a multi purpose arena which was used convention style.
The center is located on the campus of UCI with multiple athletic venues in the area with ample parking. I just dug the venue, very clean and accessible. We usually hold these events in Portland which I really miss and hope to go back there soon but I would enjoy another visit.

I try to detail my reviews as much as possible. However, there simply isn’t that much to say about the Bren Events Center.
It’s a small facility compared to most university stadiums or centers. It has a seating capacity of approximately 5,000 and has additional standing room. I came here for a few events such as Shocktoberfest during my undergrad years at UCI. I recently returned to attend a Democratic rally keynoted by Bill Clinton. The facility is clean, has accessible walkways, decent bathrooms, and a snack bar. It is located at the intersection of West Peltason and Mesa, so parking may be an issue if you don’t have a student permit for the nearby garages. Check the Bren Events website at
for a complete list of events and other information.
Zot Zot!

I’ve been to the Bren center probably about like 4 times in my lifetime… It’s all for the same reason… FOR THE AZN EVENT THAT IS VIBE. In case you’re not familiar with VIBE let me explain to you what it is. It’s an annual Hip-​hop dance competition put together by the LTD’s. (Lambda Theta Delta) Asian Fraternity on UCI’s campus.
The Venue in itself is pretty decent… Good for business meetings, concerts, or Asian Dance competitions…