UNT Coliseum

Last updated
UNT Coliseum
"The Super Pit"
University of North Texas Coliseum Logo.PNG
University of North Texas September 2015 44 (UNT Coliseum).jpg
UNT Coliseum
Location801 North Texas Boulevard
Denton, Texas 76201 USA
Coordinates 33°12′30″N97°9′14″W / 33.20833°N 97.15389°W / 33.20833; -97.15389
OwnerUniversity of North Texas
OperatorUniversity of North Texas
Capacity 9,797
Record attendance10,600
(1/22/1977 vs. SMU)
Construction
Broke groundMarch 1971
OpenedMarch 27, 1973 [1]
Construction cost $7.5 million [2]
($51.5 million in 2023 dollars [3] )
ArchitectClutts & Parker, Inc. [4]
General contractor Manhattan Construction Company [2]
Tenants
North Texas MBB (1973–present)
North Texas WBB (1976–present)
The UNT Coliseum in 2015 University of North Texas September 2015 27 (UNT Coliseum).jpg
The UNT Coliseum in 2015
UNT Coliseum, Interior 2016 UNT Coliseum, Interior.JPG
UNT Coliseum, Interior 2016

The UNT Coliseum is a 9,797-seat multi-purpose arena located in Denton, Texas, United States, built in 1973. While the arena's formal name is the UNT Coliseum, the building is more commonly referred to as the Super Pit, a nickname derived from its proximity to the former home of the Mean Green basketball teams, the Ken Bahnsen Gym, nicknamed the Snake Pit. Most signage inside the stadium uses the Super Pit name; the most prominent usage of the UNT Coliseum name is above a single new set of ticket windows added during 2017 renovations.

Contents

History

The arena opened in 1973 and has undergone very few changes since its opening, mainly due to the unusual physical construction of the building in which the lower concourse is supported by beams underneath the walkways that run the length of the building as well as the media section being placed at half court on the West side of the arena. [5] Due to the prior home of the Mean Green being famous for noise, the Coliseum was designed specifically to retain noise and as such, the Mean Green have maintained a high winning percentage at the facility. In recent years upgrades, however, have been few and far between with the exception of the seats being repainted green from their original color of bright orange [6] and the stadium's sound and video boards undergoing a massive renovation with the introduction of 4 center-hung LED scoreboards.

Despite the building's main usage as the home of the Mean Green, over the years it has hosted many famous concerts, notably Pearl Jam in 1993 [7] and J. Cole in 2014. [8] In addition to concerts, the arena routinely holds area graduations, festivals, cheer, dance and gymnastic competitions and has hosted the 1988 Southland Conference Tournament. It was also highly lauded upon completion, holding first and second-round games of the 1976 NCAA basketball tournaments. [9] North Texas has compiled a winning percentage of over .640 at the Pit. During the 1975–1983 era under men's coach Bill Blakeley, North Texas, playing primarily as an independent, recorded three 20-win seasons, its first-ever top-20 ranking, the four biggest crowds in Super Pit history and memorable wins over Texas, Kansas State and a sell-out crowd against SMU, which to this date, is the highest-attended basketball game at the arena. [9]

Due to the facility's age, the current UNT administration is looking into large-scale renovations of the aging facility, citing the notoriously poor lighting and need for improved infrastructure. [10]

Largest crowds

Top Ten Super Pit Crowds
RankGameDateAttendance
1UNT vs SMUJanuary 21, 197710,600
2UNT vs DePaulDecember 16, 19809,100
3UNT vs West Texas StateMarch 1, 19768,816
4UNT vs Louisiana TechFebruary 26, 20228,522
5UNT vs Western KentuckyFebruary 9, 20198,195
6UNT vs TexasJanuary 17, 19808,100
7UNT vs. SMUJanuary 25, 20247,239
8UNT vs Texas TechNovember 16, 20107,105
9UNT vs Texas-Pan AmericanMarch 2, 19777,100
10UNT vs BradleyFebruary 28, 19767,087

Source: [11]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Wives Set For Banquet". Denton Record-Chronicle . March 27, 1973. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Coliseum Beaming". The North Texan. June 1972. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  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 February 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Architectural Rendering of the Coliseum #2". University of North Texas. 1970. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ "The Yucca".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ↑ "Email : Webview : ELEVAR Grant, Inclusive Excellence, Big Event".
  7. ↑ "Pearl Jam Setlists". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  8. ↑ "UPC Spring Concert Featuring Bas, Best Coast, & J. Cole • UNT Division of Student Affairs". Archived from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  9. 1 2 "The Super Pit". University of North Texas Athletics. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  10. ↑ Reporter (19 February 2015). "University officials looking to upgrade Super Pit".
  11. ↑ "2020-21 North Texas Men's Basketball Fact Book (PDF)" (PDF). University of North Texas Athletics. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
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