AMSOIL Arena

AMSOIL Arena

AMSOIL Arena
Address	350 Harbor Drive Duluth, MN 55802
Owner	Duluth Entertainment Convention Center
Operator	Duluth Entertainment Convention Center
Capacity	6,726 (Hockey) [1] 9,264 (Concerts) [2]
Record attendance	8,372
Surface	85' x 200' (Ice)
Construction
Broke ground	September 2008
Opened	December 30, 2010
Construction cost	$80 million ($107 million in 2022 dollars [3] )
Architect	Populous (formerly HOK Sport) SJA Architects
General contractor	Mortenson/Thor [4]
Tenants
UMD Bulldogs men's hockey (NCHC) (2010–present) UMD Bulldogs women's hockey (WCHA) (2011–present)
Website
decc.org/venue/amsoil-arena/

AMSOIL Arena is a multipurpose arena in Duluth, Minnesota, home to the UMD Men's and UMD Women's hockey teams. It opened in 2010, replacing the DECC Arena on the waterfront near Duluth's landmark Aerial Lift Bridge.

Naming rights for 20 years were purchased by AMSOIL, a corporation based in Superior, Wisconsin, for $6 million, one-third up front. ^{[5] [6]}

The facility cost nearly $80 million; about half ($38 million) paid by the State of Minnesota through a 2008 bond bill, another 27% (about $21.6 million) by a voter-approved city food-and-beverage tax increase, 12% (about $9.6 million) by UMD, and the last 11% (about $8.8 million) by the DECC. Construction ran from September 2008 to December 2010, and included a 475-space parking garage with a skywalk connecting it to the arena. ^[7]

The first event held at the arena was on December 30, 2010. UMD men's hockey team lost 0–5 to North Dakota before a crowd of 6,764, tied for the team's highest home attendance that season.

In their first season in the arena, the UMD men's hockey team won the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. In 2012, the arena hosted the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, in which Minnesota beat Wisconsin, 4–2.

The arena's attendance record was set on June 20, 2018, during a President Donald Trump rally, which drew 8,372 people. ^[8] The attendance record for a sporting event was set on January 25, 2020, when UMD men's hockey team lost to their rival, North Dakota, 2–3 in front of 7,711 fans.

Comparison to DECC Arena

Characteristic	DECC Arena	AMSOIL Arena
Hockey seating	5,100	6,726
Concessions	28	35 + 6 portable
Club space	0 sq. ft.	2000 sq. ft.
Suites	0	16
Leg room between rows	31"	34" lower, 33" upper
Elevators	1	3
Scoreboard	10' x 12'	15' x 20'
Ice sheet	85' x 190'	85' x 200'

Arena Usage

Hockey

AMSOIL Arena is primarily used as a hockey arena home to the University of Minnesota-Duluth's men's and women's hockey teams. The arena hosted the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament and the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament.

AMSOIL Arena hosted the 2017 Ice Breaker Tournament, held October 6-7th 2017. Four teams participated in the tournament. Michigan Tech defeated Union College 6-3 and University of Minnesota Duluth defeated University of Minnesota 4–3 in overtime in the tournament's first round. In the final round, University of Minnesota Duluth fell to tournament champion Michigan Tech 4–3, while in the consolation game the University of Minnesota beat Union College 2–0.

Other hockey events include preseason practices for the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild-open to the public, Minnesota State High School League section 7A and 7AA tournament games, as well as a high-school all-star game.

Basketball

AMSOIL Arena hosted the Harlem Globetrotters in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, for which Minnesota Lynx's (WNBA) court has been brought up from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Globetrotters Basketball Game on April 1, 2011

Events

Main article: List of concerts at Amsoil Arena

AMSOIL Arena has held many different types of events, from comedians Jeff Dunham and Jim Gaffigan to Cirque du Soleil. The local AAD Shrine holds its annual AAD Shrine Circus fundraiser at the arena each April. ^[9] The arena also hosts concerts. The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra had the first non-sporting event held at the arena, "Cirque de la Symphonie on Ice", on December 31, 2010, a day after the facility opened. It can also be converted to host dinners and conventions. On June 20, 2018, President Donald Trump held a rally in the arena that saw a record breaking attendance of 8,372.

Awards

In 2013, Stadium Journey rated AMSOIL Arena as the best stadium experience in the United States and Canada. ^[10] In 2014 and 2015, Stadium Journey rated AMSOIL Arena as the second best stadium experience in the United States and Canada, behind Oriole Park at Camden Yards home to Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles. ^{[11] [12]}

AMSOIL Arena was ranked the best college hockey arena by Stadium Journey in 2014 and 2015. ^{[13] [14]}

The Wall Street Journal named AMSOIL Arena one of its 10 "Golden Zamboni" winners for its uniqueness among the nation's college hockey venues. ^[15]

References

1. "AMSOIL Arena" . Retrieved October 9, 2014.
2. Gustafson, C. "Amsoil Arena: Duluth's new hockey home". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
3. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved May 28, 2023.
4. "AMSOIL Arena".
5. Kuchera, Steve (May 11, 2010). "For $6 million, it's Amsoil Arena". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
6. Hanson, Howie. "Naming rights for new Duluth arena; UMD names new chancellor". Star Tribune. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
7. url=http://umdbulldogs.com/sports/2013/8/30/Amsoil-Arena.aspx?path=general
8. Slater, Brady (20 June 2018). "Trump playful in Duluth". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
9. url=http://decc.org/event/71st-annual-aad-shrine-circus/ Archived 2017-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
10. Swaney, Paul (January 6, 2014). "Stadium Journey's Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2013". Stadium Journey.
11. Swaney, Paul (January 8, 2015). "Stadium Journey's Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2014". Stadium Journey.
12. Swaney, Paul (January 7, 2016). "Stadium Journey's Top 100 Stadium Experiences of 2015". Stadium Journey.
13. Baker, Paul (April 13, 2014). "College Hockey Arena Rankings". Stadium Journey.
14. Swaney, Paul (March 24, 2015). "College Hockey Arena Rankings". Stadium Journey.
15. "Why College Hockey Arenas Are the Cathedrals of Sports". Wall Street Journal. 11 February 2011.

Preceded by DECC Arena	Home of the UMD Bulldogs Men's Hockey 2010-present	Succeeded by Current
Preceded by DECC Arena	Home of the UMD Bulldogs Women's Hockey 2011-present	Succeeded by Current
Preceded by Erie Insurance Arena	Host of the NCAA Women's DI Ice Hockey Tournament 2012	Succeeded by Ridder Arena
Preceded by Pegula Ice Arena	Host of the NCAA Women's DI Ice Hockey Tournament 2023	Succeeded by Whittemore Center

46°46′53″N92°05′53″W / 46.78139°N 92.09806°W / 46.78139; -92.09806