With Cal Poly officials looking for a larger alternative to the previously used Crandall Gym on campus, construction for the new multi-purpose arena was well underway by April 1959.Following an elevation to Division I of the NCAA, the Cal Poly men's basketball team saw its attendance jump from an average of 926 fans in 1994-95 to 2,901 spectators by 1996-97, coinciding with season ticket sales skyrocketing from 36 in 1995-96 to 1,140 by 1997-98, prompting designs for a $1.2 million renovation to the building's seating.The seating was completely redone and arena-style chairbacks were added to Mott Athletics Center in addition to upgraded heating and ventilation systems.Mott Athletics Center underwent another significant renovation in the summer of 2014, including a repainted court design, the addition of two new 22-by-17-foot (6.7 by 5.2 m) Daktronics video boards and the implementation of new LED-advertising courtside panels.[9] Musicians including Miles Davis,[26] Eddie Money,[27] The Pretenders,[28] The Doors,[29] Kenny Loggins,[30] Cheap Trick,[31] Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy[32] performed in the arena from the late 1960s to early 1990s, often to capacity crowds of 3,000.
In the late fall of 2023, Cal Poly's Mott Athletics Center exterior was repainted adjacent to Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.