The Thrillerdome | |
![]() McCamish Pavilion seen here during a game in 2024. | |
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Former names | Alexander Memorial Coliseum (1956–2012) Alexander Memorial Coliseum at McDonalds Center (1996–2005) |
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Address | 965 Fowler St. |
Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
Coordinates | 33°46′51″N84°23′34″W / 33.78083°N 84.39278°W |
Owner | Georgia Tech (1956 - present) |
Operator | Georgia Tech |
Capacity | 8,600 (2012–present) 9,191 (1996–2011) 9,596 (1990–1996) 8,846 (1986–1990) 6,696 (1956–1986) |
Construction | |
Opened | November 30, 1956 |
Closed | March 6, 2011 (renovations) |
Reopened | November 9, 2012 |
Construction cost | $1.6 million ($17.9 million in 2023 dollars [1] ) $45 million (2012 renovation) |
Architect | Aeck Associates of Atlanta |
Tenants | |
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NCAA) (1956–2011, 2012–present) Atlanta Hawks (NBA) (1968–1972, 1997–1999) Atlanta Dream (WNBA) (2017–2018) |
Hank McCamish Pavilion, nicknamed The Thrillerdome and originally known as Alexander Memorial Coliseum, [2] is an indoor arena located on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball and Yellow Jackets women's basketball teams.
The venue previously hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1968 to 1972 and again from 1997 to 1999. [3] Tech's women's volleyball team occasionally uses the facility as well, primarily for NCAA tournament games and other matches that draw crowds that would overflow the O'Keefe Gymnasium. [4]
The 270-foot-diameter (82 m) Alexander Coliseum opened in 1956 at the intersection of 10th Street and Fowler on the northeast end of the Georgia Tech campus. [3] The building was named for William A. Alexander, [5] Georgia Tech's football coach from 1920 to 1944 and the third athletic director (after John W. Heisman); [3] his tenure as coach included the 1928 Rose Bowl team (the 1928 season, the Rose Bowl itself was played on January 1, 1929). [6] The huge dome was constructed by Calvert Iron Works, Co., a local Atlanta company that built many Atlanta landmarks. It was designed and built without any support pillars to obstruct the view of any fans during games. [7] It served as a replacement for the Third Street Gymnasium (later known as the Heisman Gym) on the campus of Georgia Tech, an 1,800 seat arena opened just 18 years before. [8] The arena's original capacity was 6,996 seats, though crowds larger than that sometimes assembled for big games.
Between 1956 and 1996, the Coliseum had undergone three major renovations. In 1986, 2,150 seats were added in what was previously an upper walkway around the rim of the arena. In 1989–1990, 750 seats were added in the end zone areas. The last major renovation was during 1995–1996, prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics. The floor was lowered 4 feet (1.2 m) to increase seating, 12 luxury suites were added, and many of the benches were replaced with chairback seats. Sightlines were also improved for those sitting in the first few rows of the side of the court opposite the benches. [3] Connected to the south end of the Coliseum are the Luck Building, [3] and the Coliseum Annex. [9] The facility was renamed Alexander Memorial Coliseum at McDonald's Center for 10 seasons from 1996 to 2005 [10] in conjunction with a $5.5 million donation to help pay for the mid-1990s renovation, which increased seating capacity to 9,191. [3]
The Coliseum played host to the Atlanta Hawks after they moved from St. Louis while The Omni was under construction, [11] and again between 1997 and 1999, after the Omni was demolished and while Philips Arena was being built on its site. During the latter period, the Hawks played most of their home games at the Georgia Dome with the remainder at the Coliseum. The team again played at McCamish Pavilion during October 2017 for preseason games, when Philips Arena improvements forced the Hawks to play there a third time. [12]
During the 1996 Summer Olympics, the arena hosted the Olympic boxing tournament. [3]
For most of its life, the Coliseum has hosted many rounds of the Georgia High School Association men's and women's state tournament games. The first integrated high school state tournament in Georgia history was played there before record overflow crowds in 1967.
The arena received its nickname, "The Thrillerdome," from former Tech color radio announcer and former ESPN broadcaster Brad Nessler, for the many close games it witnessed during the 1983-84 season.
In 2003, the playing surface was renamed "Cremins Court" in honor of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech's head coach from 1979 to 2000.
On February 21, 2008, the men's basketball game between Georgia Tech and the University of Virginia was cancelled due to a leak in the roof that was caused by hard rainfall that had accumulated over the day. The decision to cancel the game was based on the fact that officials at the game could not find where the water was coming through and because officials had no way to stop it. The game was delayed for about a half-hour, and then ultimately postponed until March 3, 2008. [13]
On March 14, 2008, a tornado ripped through downtown Atlanta, causing damage to the CNN Center, Philips Arena, and Georgia Dome. During the weekend, the SEC men's basketball tournament was set to play at the Georgia Dome on Thursday through Sunday. The tornado struck while the third of four quarterfinal games was in overtime. While that game was completed, SEC officials decided not to risk playing the fourth. Later that night, the conference decided to move the tournament, including the championship game, to the smaller Coliseum (damage to the Dome's roof was confirmed shortly thereafter). Due to the reduced capacity, only players' families, school officials, credentialed media and 400 fans from each school were allowed to attend the remaining games. [14]
On October 19, 2010, Georgia Tech announced that Alexander Memorial Coliseum would undergo a $45 million renovation and would be renamed McCamish Pavilion after Hank McCamish in honor of a $15 million donation from the McCamish family. The facility's extensive renovation included reconstruction of the seating bowl, the addition of an upper level balcony and club seating, and the expansion of the concourse and plaza area. During the renovation, Georgia Tech's basketball teams played their 2011–2012 games at Philips Arena or Gas South Arena. [2]
The first game in the renovated arena was on November 9, 2012 when the Yellow Jacket men’s basketball team defeated Tulane in front of a sold out crowd of 8,600 people. The playing surface retained the title "Cremins Court" from its predecessor.
On August 22, 2016, the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced that they would play the entirety of their 2017 and 2018 home schedules as well as any 2016 home playoff games at McCamish Pavilion due to renovations at Philips Arena conflicting with the WNBA schedule. [15] Georgia State University held its Spring 2017 commencement ceremonies at McCamish Pavilion, due to the Georgia Dome's closure and scheduled demolition as well as other venues within Metro Atlanta being either unavailable, undersized, or too distant. [16]
On January 14, 2019, McCamish Pavilion served as the venue for the swearing in of Georgia's 83rd Governor, Brian Kemp, as well as other recently elected state officials. [17] [18]
In recent years, McCamish has been the home of many upset wins for the Tech men's basketball team. Since the 2012 renovation, 12 ranked teams have lost at McCamish, five of those being in the top ten.
On June 27th, 2024 the arena acted as the "spin room" for the first 2024 Presidential Debate.
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Opened in 1992, it was then the second-largest covered stadium in the world by capacity, behind the Pontiac Silverdome. Though the Georgia Dome was a profitable facility, its primary tenant, the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, grew dissatisfied with it less than two decades after its opening and began planning for a replacement stadium. It was closed and demolished in 2017.
State Farm Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League from 1999 to 2011, before the team moved to Winnipeg, as well as the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2008 to 2016 and 2019, and the temporary home of Georgia Tech basketball in 2011. It opened in 1999 as Philips Arena at a cost of $213.5 million, replacing the Omni Coliseum. It is owned by the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority and operated by the Hawks, owned by Tony Ressler along with a group of investors including Grant Hill.
Omni Coliseum was an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for basketball and 15,278 for hockey. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the CNN Center.
Stegeman Coliseum, formerly known as Georgia Coliseum, is a 10,523-seat multi-purpose arena in Athens, Georgia, United States. The arena opened in 1964 in honor of Herman Stegeman. It is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs basketball and gymnastics teams. It was also the venue of the rhythmic gymnastics and preliminary indoor volleyball matches during the 1996 Summer Olympics, as well as the 1989, 1995, and 2008 NCAA gymnastics championships. As a multi-purpose facility, the Coliseum also hosted a variety of other kinds of events, including many large indoor rock concerts during its early history, as well as the university's Graduate School commencement exercises. At its opening it replaced Woodruff Hall, a 3,000-seat field house built in 1923.
William Anderson Alexander was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1920 to 1944, compiling a record of 134–95–15. Alexander has the second most victories of any Tech football coach. Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been recognized as national champions by a number of selectors. Alexander was the first college football coach to place his teams in the four major post-season bowl games of the time: Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Rose. His teams won three of the four bowls. The 1929 Rose Bowl win, which earned his team the national championship, is the most celebrated because of the wrong-way run by California's Roy Riegels. Alexander was also the head basketball coach at Georgia Tech for four seasons from 1919 to 1924. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951.
Robert Joseph Cremins Jr. is an American retired college basketball coach. He served as a head coach at Appalachian State, Georgia Tech, and the College of Charleston.
Alfred Joseph Ciraldo was an American sportscaster best known for his work as the play-by-play announcer for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball and football teams.
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the name given to the Georgia–Georgia Tech football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The two Southern universities are located in the U.S. state of Georgia and are separated by 70 miles (110 km). They have been heated rivals since 1893.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology, located in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are eight men's and seven women's teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics and the Football Bowl Subdivision. Georgia Tech is a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Dan Radakovich is the athletic director of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
The SEC men's basketball tournament is the conference tournament in basketball for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is a single-elimination tournament that involves all league schools. Its seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament; however, the official conference championship is awarded to the team or teams with the best regular season record.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in McCamish Pavilion on the school's Atlanta campus and is currently coached by Damon Stoudamire. Bobby Cremins led his team to the first ACC tournament victory in school history in 1985 and in 1990 he took Georgia Tech to the school's first Final Four appearance ever. Cremins retired from Georgia Tech in 2000 with the school's best winning percentage as a head coach. The Yellow Jackets returned to the Final Four in 2004 under Paul Hewitt and lost in the national title game, losing to UConn. Overall, the team has won 1,352 games and lost 1,226 games, a .524 win percentage.
Sports in Georgia include professional teams, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports.
The 2008 SEC men's basketball tournament took place on March 13–16, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. The University of Georgia, the improbable winner of the tournament, earned the Southeastern Conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA tournament.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games at McCamish Pavilion.
A total of twenty-nine sports venues were used for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Sports in Atlanta has a rich history, including the oldest on-campus NCAA Division I football stadium, Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students of Georgia Tech. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between the A&M College of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Piedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football's annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest 10 km race. Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics, and Downtown Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park was built for and commemorates the games.
The 2016–17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team represented Georgia Institute of Technology during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. Returning as head coach is MaChelle Joseph entering her 14th season. The team played their home games at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 22–15, 5–11 in ACC play to finish in tenth place. They advanced to the second round of the ACC women's tournament where they lost to Miami (FL). They were invited to the Women's National Invitation Tournament where they advanced to the championship game where they lost to Michigan.
The 2017–18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team represented Georgia Institute of Technology during the 2017-18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. Returning as head coach was MaChelle Joseph in her 15th season. The team played its home games at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.