UD Arena | |
Location | 1801 Edwin C Moses Blvd. Dayton, OH 45417 |
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Owner | University of Dayton |
Capacity |
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Construction | |
Broke ground | November 7, 1968 |
Opened | December 6, 1969 |
Renovated |
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Construction cost | approximately $4.5 million ($39.4 million in 2023 dollars) [1] |
Architect |
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Tenants | |
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University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hosted the annual "play-in" game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament (officially the "opening round" game) which featured the teams rated 64th and 65th in the tournament field. Beginning in 2011, when the tournament expanded to four opening-round games, the arena continued to host all "first four" games. [2] Overall, the arena has hosted more men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament games than any other venue.
The playing court is known as Blackburn Court, named after historic UD coach Tom Blackburn. The Donoher Center expansion on the southwest corner of the arena was completed in 1998. Named for former Flyers basketball coach Don Donoher, the Center provides an NBA-caliber facility for conditioning and game preparation. The arena was extensively renovated during the summer of 2002. The additions include concession areas, luxury boxes, disabled access improvements, and a restaurant/bar. The venue was awarded the 2003 and 2004 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournaments. In 2010, four new video screens were installed, one in each of the arena's corners. Following the 2016–17 basketball season, a 3-year renovation project began at UD Arena. The renovations were completed by the 2020-2021 season, albeit no fans were permitted in the arena due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. [3]
Since its opening in 1969, over 14 million visitors have attended events at the arena. In 2002, the arena was the site of the first ever high-definition television (HDTV) broadcast for ESPN. [2]
UD Arena was designed by Pretzinger & Pretzinger Architects and Engineers.[ citation needed ] Construction commenced on November 7, 1968. [2]
The arena was opened on December 6, 1969. [2]
As of 2017, the University of Dayton has ranked in the top 25 in the nation for attendance at the arena 21 times. [4]
For the 2021-22 Men's basketball season, the team accounted that every game was sold out prior to the season beginning. [5]
The arena has hosted NCAA Tournament games 24 times since it opened. Along with its hosting duties for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Opening Round game ("play-in" game), it also served as the host of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament from 1989 to 1991 and was the host of the Atlantic Ten Basketball tournament in 2003 and 2004. The arena hosted the Opening Round game through 2010, when it was also a regional venue for the women's tournament. It then became the first location for the revised opening round of four games for the men's tournament in March 2011.
The University of Dayton Arena hosted the Round of 64 and Round of 32 games of the 2001, 2009, and 2013 NCAA men's basketball tournaments. UD Arena hosted the First Four games every year since 2011, with the exceptions of 2020 (in which the entire tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States) and 2021 (in which the entire tournament was moved to within the state of Indiana due to logistical concerns amid the pandemic). The arena hosted the final game of legendary Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp's career in 1972 as Kentucky fell to Florida State. [6] Through the 2024 tournament, it has hosted 135 games in the NCAA men's basketball tournament over its history, making it the most used venue to host NCAA Men's Tournament games ahead of Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium which has hosted 83. [7]
As the largest indoor arena between Cincinnati and Columbus, UD Arena is a regular stop for concert tours. Elton John, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Rush, Bob Seger, Mötley Crüe, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Usher, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z and others have performed there. It has been host to the Winter Guard International color guard, indoor percussion and winds World Championships since 2005. It hosted the Royal Hanneford Circus for most of the 1990s. WWE has hosted matches at the UD Arena since the 1980s. The Flyer Pep Band, UD's basketball pep band, plays at every UD basketball game at the arena. The University of Dayton holds its graduation ceremonies at the arena.
Williams Arena is an indoor arena located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home arena for the University of Minnesota's men's and women's basketball teams. It also housed the men's hockey team until 1993, when it moved into its own building, 3M Arena at Mariucci. The building is popularly known as The Barn, and its student section is known as "The Barnyard".
Amalie Arena is a multipurpose arena in Tampa, Florida, United States, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, arena football, concerts, and other events. It is mainly used as the home for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serves as a secondary arena for Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball.
Heritage Bank Center is an indoor arena in downtown Cincinnati, adjacent to Great American Ball Park. It was completed in September 1975 and named Riverfront Coliseum because of its placement next to Riverfront Stadium. In 1997, the facility became known as The Crown, and in 1999, it changed its name again to Firstar Center after Firstar Bank assumed naming rights. In 2002, following Firstar's merger with U.S. Bank, the arena took on the name U.S. Bank Arena and kept that name until 2019.
Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, which is located next to the Lexington Hyatt and Hilton hotels. Rupp Arena also serves as home court to the University of Kentucky men's basketball program, and is named after legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp with an official capacity of 20,500. In 2014 and 2015, in Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team was second in the nation in college basketball home attendance. Rupp Arena also regularly hosts concerts, conventions and shows.
Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers (men) and Lady Vols (women) basketball teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team. It is named after B. Ray Thompson and former university president Edward J. Boling. The basketball court is named "The Summitt" after the late Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt. It replaced the Stokely Athletic Center. The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the Tennessee River, and just southwest of Neyland Stadium. As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop Ayres Hall, the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white checkerboard pattern.
The Jon M. Huntsman Center is a 15,000-seat indoor arena in the western United States, on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It is the home of the Utah Utes of the Big 12 conference, the primary venue for basketball and gymnastics.
The Don Haskins Center, formerly known as the Special Events Center, is the home of UTEP Miners men's and women's basketball. The venue is located in the heart of El Paso, Texas. In addition to hosting sporting events, the Don Haskins Center is also used by many area schools, such as El Paso Community College, for graduation and commencement ceremonies. Due to its large seating capacity, the center is also the city's premier entertainment venue and has hosted big-name acts such as pop star Shakira's Tour of the Mongoose, Oral Fixation Tour and The Sun Comes Out World Tour, Britney Spears during her Circus Tour, comedian George Lopez and rock band KISS.
Dee Events Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the western United States, located on the campus of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. The circular, 11,592-seat domed arena, similar in design to many of the era, opened 47 years ago in 1977. It was named for the Lawrence T. Dee family, for his extensive contributions in building the arena.
Donald Donoher was an American college basketball coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Dayton from 1964 to 1989, compiling a record of 437–275. His Dayton Flyers were champions of the 1968 National Invitation Tournament and runners-up at the 1967 NCAA University Division basketball tournament. Donoher was also the athletic director at Dayton from 1976 to 1980.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, originally known as A.J. Palumbo Center, is a 3,500-seat multi-purpose arena in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The arena originally opened in 1988 and is part of Duquesne University. It is home to both the Duquesne Dukes basketball and volleyball programs. Access to the building is available from both Interstate 376 and Interstate 579.
Tom Gola Arena was a 3,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania situated inside the TruMark Financial Center. It was home to the La Salle University Explorers men's and women's basketball teams.
The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center, known today as the Run Baby Run Arena, is a multipurpose athletic facility on the campus of Saint Peter's University, a private, coeducational Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Notable for its air-supported "bubble," the Yanitelli Center opened on November 29, 1975 at a cost of $6 million and is named after the 17th president of the college.
Walsh Gymnasium is a multi-purpose arena in South Orange, New Jersey on the campus of Seton Hall University. The arena opened in 1941 and can seat 1,316 people. It was home to the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team before they moved to the Meadowlands in 1985 and then Prudential Center in 2007. Currently, the arena hosts the women's basketball and volleyball teams, but continues to host men's basketball for preseason exhibitions, postseason invitational games such as early rounds of the NIT, and occasionally a regular season non-conference game if there is a conflict with Prudential Center's event schedule. The building is part of the Richie Regan Recreation & Athletic Center, and, like the school's main library, is named for Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, fifth bishop of Newark and former President of the Board of Trustees.
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) representing the University of Dayton in Ohio. The Flyers play their home games at University of Dayton Arena. The Flyers are coached by Anthony Grant who is in his seventh season. In March 2020, Dayton was ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll, its highest ranking since the 1955–56 season when it was ranked #2. The Flyers have never been ranked #1, but Dayton did receive a lone first place vote in the final AP poll of the 2019–2020 season. When the 2020 seasons was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Flyers did not get to participate in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, despite being projected as a #1 seed by several outlets.
The 2019–20 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers were led by third-year head coach Anthony Grant and played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The 2020–21 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Anthony Grant, in his fourth season with the Flyers. The Flyers played their home games at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. They finished the season 14-10, 9-7 to finish in 7th place. They defeated Rhode Island in the second round in the A10 Tournament before losing to VCU in the quarterfinals. They were invited to the NIT where they lost in the first round to Memphis.
The 1983–84 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 10 seed in the West region where they made an unexpected run to the Elite Eight. They defeated No. 7 seed LSU 74–66 in the opening round, upset No. 2 seed Oklahoma 89–85 in the second round, and advanced over No. 6 Washington to reach the West regional final. They lost to eventual National champion Georgetown, 61–49, and finished the season 21–11.
The 1966–67 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1966–67 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as a participant in the Mideast region where they made a run to the national championship game. The Flyers upset No. 6 Western Kentucky 69–67 in overtime in the opening round, No. 8 seed Tennessee 53–52 in the regional semifinal, and advanced to the school's only Final Four with a victory over Virginia Tech, 71–66 in overtime. They beat No. 4 North Carolina in the national semifinal, 76–62, before falling to unbeaten No. 1 UCLA and sophomore phenom Lew Alcindor, 79–64. Dayton finished the season 25–6.
The 1984–85 Dayton Flyers men's basketball team represented the University of Dayton during the 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flyers, led by head coach Don Donoher, played their home games at the University of Dayton Arena and were an NCAA independent. Dayton received a bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 9 seed in the Southeast region. They were defeated by No. 8 seed Villanova, 51–49, in the opening round. and finished the season 19–10. Villanova would go on to complete one of the most famous Cinderella runs in tournament history as they won the National championship. To this date, Villanova remains the lowest-seeded team to win the NCAA Tournament. For the second straight season, Dayton was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by the eventual National champion.