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Pauley Pavilion flooded after massive water main break at UCLA

Not even two years after Pauley Pavilion underwent a $136-million renovation, UCLA is probably going to have to put more money aside to restore the hallowed basketball arena.

Flood water from a major water main break just north of the UCLA campus Tuesday evening left Pauley better suited to host a water polo match than a basketball game.

UCLA's basketball locker rooms (via @GoodmanESPN)
UCLA's basketball locker rooms (via @GoodmanESPN)

Ankle-high rivers of water outside the arena were deep enough that some people took off their shoes to wade across and a couple students showed up with skim and boogey boards. Enough water spewed into Pauley Pavilion that both the floor and the locker rooms were under water as of Tuesday evening and staffers were using brooms and squeegees to clear them off.

"The water will be removed from the floor tonight," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement late Tuesday night. "We will then reassess the situation tomorrow morning and be able to provide additional information at the appropriate time."

Pauley Pavilion was not the only UCLA athletic facility damaged as a result of the 8 to 10 millions of gallons of water that emanated from the ruptured water main. Drake Stadium, which is home to UCLA's soccer and track and field teams, was submerged. Water was also inside the J.D. Morgan Center, which houses UCLA's athletic department offices and its sports hall of fame.

The 30-inch water main broke at roughly 3:30 p.m., flooding Sunset Boulevard and several campus parking facilities for more than three hours before the fire department managed to shut it off. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters the pipe involved was from 1921 and could not be shut off immediately to prevent further damage to the system.

The timing of the water main break is not ideal for a state already in the midst of a drought. California had already implemented emergency water-conservation measures earlier Tuesday that included fines of up to $500 per day for using a hose to clean a sidewalk or other wasteful behaviors.

More images and video from the UCLA flood:

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!