Mizzou Arena is an indoor arena on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. The facility, home to the school's men's and women's basketball teams, opened in November 2004 and replaced the Hearnes Center as the school's main indoor sports facility. It seats 15,061.
The facility was originally to be called Paige Sports Arena. This name was the result of a $25 million naming rights gift from Wal-Mart heiress Nancy Laurie and her husband Bill. Nancy is one of two daughters of Bud Walton, brother and business partner of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. Although neither of the Lauries attended Mizzou, they have made the school the main beneficiary of their philanthropy. "Paige" is their daughter, Elizabeth Paige Laurie.
The name was widely opposed by students, as Paige has no connection to Mizzou; she graduated from USC in May 2004. In November of that year, Paige's first-semester roommate at USC charged that Paige had paid her $20,000 over four years to write papers, prepare oral reports, and exchange email with Paige's professors. After the charges were aired on local station News/Talk 1400 KFRU and the ABC newsmagazine 20/20, the elder Lauries stripped their daughter's name from the arena. (In October 2005, USC announced that Paige had returned her diploma to the University, and was no longer a graduate.)