John Paul Jones Arena

Virginia's basketball home and Charlottesville's big stage

John Paul Jones Arena, usually shortened to JPJ, is the University of Virginia's arena on Massie Road at the north edge of the Grounds in Charlottesville. It is home to Virginia Cavaliers men's and women's basketball and is the largest indoor arena in Virginia, which makes it a regular stop for arena tours between Washington and Atlanta. It seats 14,623 for basketball.

For a Virginia game, the best seats are the midcourt sections 103 and 113 on the lower level and 303 and 313 upstairs, with 102, 104, 112 and 114 close behind. For concerts, the floor and the lower sideline sections nearest the stage are the closest views.

The arena is not named for the naval officer or the Led Zeppelin bassist. Paul Tudor Jones gave 35 million dollars toward its construction and named it for his father, John Paul Jones, a 1948 graduate of UVA's law school. In February 2026 the playing surface was named Tony Bennett Court after the coach who led Virginia to the 2019 national title.

How the JPJ seating bowl is numbered

Section numbers here come from the arena's A–Z guide and the RateYourSeats section directory, which match.

Lower level: sections 101–119

The lower bowl wraps the court with 19 sections. Sections 103 and 113 face each other at midcourt, with 102 and 104 and 112 and 114 on either side. Many lower sections run back to about row V.

Upper level: sections 301–319

The upper bowl repeats the same pattern 200 numbers higher: 303 and 313 at midcourt, 302, 304, 312 and 314 beside them. There is no 200 level of public seating; the numbering jumps from 119 to 301.

Floor

For concerts, the floor is sold as floor sections or general admission standing, depending on the show.

Public elevators are on the concourse near sections 101, 109, 301 and 309.

Best seats for UVA basketball and concerts

Virginia basketball

Midcourt 103 and 113 are the premium sideline views; middle rows give enough height to see the whole floor and Virginia's half-court sets develop. 102, 104, 112 and 114 are nearly as good. The upper level is steeper but still looks directly onto the court, and 303 and 313 are the best value in the building for a centered view. Seats behind the baskets are the cheapest in the lower bowl and give a lopsided view of the far end.

Demand peaks for ACC games against Duke, North Carolina and Virginia Tech, and for weekend games during conference play. Early-season nonconference games are the easiest tickets to find.

Concerts

JPJ's concert capacity depends on how much of the bowl is opened: 12,467 for a standard end stage that uses 180 degrees of the bowl, 14,075 with 270 degrees, 15,177 for an end stage with 360-degree seating and 15,405 with the stage in the center. For an end stage, the lower sideline sections closest to the stage are the best raised seats, and the upper sections straight across from the stage show the whole production. A smaller theater setup holds 7,352.

Seats to avoid

• Sections beside or behind an end stage: sold with limited or no view at some shows.
• Top rows of the upper corners: the farthest seats from the court.
• Low rows behind the baskets: the stanchion and backboard block part of the court.

Parking at John Paul Jones Arena

As of 2026, the main event parking is the JPJ Garage, the JPJ West, South and East lots and the Emmet-Ivy Garage, with overflow in the D1 Lot, the Darden Garage, the Central Grounds Garage and The Park. A parking pass is required in these lots; buy it with your tickets through Ticketmaster, AXS or the box office, or pay by card at the lot on event day. The arena is cashless, including parking.

Rideshare and taxi drop-off use the cut-out lane off Massie Road. From the north, follow Route 29 South into Charlottesville; from Richmond or Staunton, take I-64 to Route 29 North at Exit 118B and follow event signs. See the arena's directions and parking page for the current list.

Bag policy and entry doors

As of 2026, JPJ follows a clear-bag policy: bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a clear one-gallon freezer bag. A small clutch or wallet of about 4.5 by 6.5 inches is allowed and subject to search. Backpacks, fanny packs, coolers and luggage are prohibited. Check the arena's current policy before you go, since the published size limits differ slightly between pages.

• Doors: the main West Entrance (doors 8–27) faces the JPJ West Lot; doors 4–7 are the accessible elevator entrance; doors 32–37 open from Massie Road; doors 44–45 connect to level 2 of the JPJ Garage; doors 38–43 are the student entrance for UVA games.
• Re-entry: not allowed with the same ticket.
• Strollers: umbrella strollers that fit under a seat only.
• Accessible seating: lower-level sections 106, 108, 109 and 110 and upper sections 302, 303, 308, 316, 317 and 318.
• Smoking: the arena is smoke- and vape-free; outdoor areas are by sections 301 and 318.

Capacity and arena history

John Paul Jones Arena seats 14,623 for basketball; its record crowd, 15,219, saw Virginia beat Arizona 93–90 in the first game on November 12, 2006. Ground was broken on May 30, 2003, and the arena opened on August 1, 2006, with Cirque du Soleil, at a cost of about 131 million dollars. VMDO Architects designed it with Roman pergolas that echo Jefferson's architecture on the Grounds. It replaced University Hall, which held roughly half as many fans. Dave Matthews Band played the grand opening in September 2006 and holds the arena record with 13 shows, and Pollstar named JPJ the best new major concert venue of 2007.

Sources

• Wikipedia – John Paul Jones Arena
• John Paul Jones Arena – A–Z Guide
• John Paul Jones Arena – Directions and Parking
• RateYourSeats – John Paul Jones Arena sections