United Wireless Arena

Last updated
United Wireless Arena
USA Kansas relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
United Wireless Arena
Location within Kansas
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
United Wireless Arena
Location within the United States
Former namesDodge City/Ford County Events Center (planning/construction)
Location4100 W Comanche St
Dodge City, KS 67801-8109
Coordinates 37°45′59″N100°03′46″W / 37.76642°N 100.06268°W / 37.76642; -100.06268
OwnerCity of Dodge City & Ford County
OperatorVenuWorks
Capacity 5,300
Construction
Broke groundOctober 27, 2009
OpenedFebruary 17, 2011
Construction cost$41.5 million
ArchitectSink Combs Dethlefs
Project managerInternational Coliseums Company
General contractorJE Dunn Construction
Tenants
Dodge City Law (CPIFL/CIF) (2014–17; 2021)
Southwest Kansas Storm (CIF/AFL/AF1) (2022–present)
Kansas Bandits (M2) (2022–present)
KSHSAA Basketball Playoffs
Southern Plains League

The United Wireless Arena is a multi-purpose venue in Dodge City, Kansas. The arena sits adjacent to the Boot Hill Casino and is connected to the Boot Hill Casino & Resort Conference Center. The United Wireless Arena and the Boot Hill Casino & Resort Conference Center are both managed by VenuWorks.

It was originally known as the "Dodge City/Ford County Events Center" [1] before United Wireless purchased the naming rights to the facility in 2010. [2]

The conference center is one large space (7,200 sq feet) that can be subdivided into six separate areas. The arena has a seating capacity of 5,300 spectators.

The arena became home to the Dodge City Law of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league from 2014 until 2017. [3] The Law were resurrected for the 2021 season after the Oklahoma Flying Aces withdrew one week before the season start by using the Flying Aces roster and staff. The CIF then granted an expansion team to Dodge City for the following season called the Southwest Kansas Storm (now of Arena Football One). [4] The arena hosts sporting events (KSHSAA volleyball and basketball tournaments, NJCAA basketball playoffs, MMA wrestling matches) along with music concerts, comedians, beauty pageants, other traveling events.

Every winter, United Wireless Arena freezes the arena floor for public ice skating and for local hockey leagues to practice on. It takes over 10,000 gallons of water to create one-inch of ice and over four days of full-time labor for four people to install the ice. The subfloor is lowered to 16 degrees (F) and the air temperature is below 58 degrees (F) to maintain the ice floor.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge City, Kansas</span> City and County seat in Kansas, United States

Dodge City is a city in and the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. It was named after nearby Fort Dodge, which was named in honor of Grenville Dodge. The city is known in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hy-Vee Arena</span> Arena in Missouri, United States

Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, is an indoor arena located in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to conversion to a youth sports and community gymnasium facility, Kemper Arena was previously a 19,500-seat professional sports arena. It has hosted NCAA Final Four basketball games, professional basketball and hockey teams, professional wrestling events, the 1976 Republican National Convention, concerts, and is the ongoing host of the American Royal livestock show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nebraska Omaha</span> Public university in Omaha, Nebraska, US

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally known as the University of Omaha. Originally meant to provide a Christian-based education free from ecclesiastical control, the university served as a strong alternative to the city's many successful religiously-affiliated institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orleans Arena</span> Multipurpose indoor arena in Nevada

Orleans Arena is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Paradise, Nevada, in the Las Vegas Valley. It is located at the Orleans Hotel and Casino and is operated by Coast Casinos, a subsidiary of Boyd Gaming Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vibrant Arena at The MARK</span> Arena in Illinois, United States

The Vibrant Arena at The MARK, formerly known as The MARK of the Quad Cities, the iWireless Center, and the TaxSlayer Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moline, Illinois. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The MARK of the Quad Cities with the singer Neil Diamond as the opening act. The facility was renamed as the TaxSlayer Center on October 1, 2017. The arena started using its current name on September 1, 2022.

The Las Vegas metropolitan area is home to many sports, most of which take place in the unincorporated communities around Las Vegas rather than in the city itself. Currently, the Las Vegas Valley has three major league professional teams: the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL), which began play in 2017 as the region's first major pro team, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) which began play in 2020 after relocating from Oakland, California, and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) plan to move to Las Vegas to play at a new ballpark which is estimated to be complete by 2028 after relocating from Oakland and West Sacramento, California. When this relocation happens, Las Vegas will have progressed from being the largest market in the U.S. with no teams in the men's major professional leagues to being one of the smallest markets with at least three such teams within less than a decade. In addition, the National Basketball Association has publicly confirmed Las Vegas is being considered for an expansion franchise, which would potentially make Las Vegas by far the fastest market to progress from no teams in the Big Four leagues to having teams in all four leagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas Lottery</span>

The Kansas Lottery is a government organization run by the government of Kansas. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). The mission of the lottery is to produce the maximum revenue for Kansas while insuring the integrity of its games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Omaha, Nebraska</span>

Sports in Omaha, Nebraska are supported by a high attendance at events and tax support from the City of Omaha. Omaha, Nebraska is home to several professional sports teams and modern sports venues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-Mobile Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Las Vegas, US

T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), T-Mobile Arena is situated on the Las Vegas Strip behind the New York-New York and Park MGM casino hotels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge City Law</span>

The Dodge City Law were a professional indoor football team based in Dodge City, Kansas, with home games at the United Wireless Arena. The team joined the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) in 2013 as an expansion member for the 2014 season. In 2014, the CPIFL merged with the Lone Star Football League (LSFL) to form Champions Indoor Football (CIF). The branding was used again for the 2021 season as a replacement team before an expansion team was granted to the Southwest Kansas Storm for the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champions Indoor Football</span> Indoor American football league

Champions Indoor Football (CIF) was a professional indoor American football minor league created in 2014 out of the merger between the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL) and Lone Star Football League (LSFL), plus one team from the Indoor Football League and two expansion teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita Force</span>

The Wichita Force were a professional indoor football team based in Wichita, Kansas, with home games in Wichita Ice Center. The team was founded in 2014 as an expansion franchise in the Champions Indoor Football league for the 2015 season. The Force's membership in the CIF was revoked prior to the 2022 season and the team joined the new Arena Football Association.

The Kansas Star Casino is a casino and hotel in western Mulvane, Kansas, United States, owned and managed by Boyd Gaming. It is located on the west side of the I-35.

The 2015 Dodge City Law season is the team's second season as a professional indoor football franchise and first as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF) in the 2015 season.

The 2014 Dodge City Law season was the team's first season as a professional indoor football franchise and only season as a member of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL). One of nine teams in the CPIFL for the 2014 season, the Law were owned and operated by Ricky Bertz. The Law played their home games at the United Wireless Arena in Dodge City, Kansas, under the direction of head coach Sean Ponder.

The 2015 Sioux City Bandits season was the team's sixteenth overall, fifteenth as the Sioux City Bandits and first as a member of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). One of nine teams in the CIF for the inaugural 2015 season, the Bandits finished the regular season with a 9–3 record to earn the number one seed in the playoffs, in which they defeated the Amarillo Venom, 83–52 in the semifinals and beat the Texas Revolution in Champions Bowl I, 76–61.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salina Liberty</span> American indoor football team

The Salina Liberty are a professional indoor football team based in Salina, Kansas. They began play in 2016 as members of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) and played in the Arena Football League in 2024. In 2025, they will become inaugural members of the newly-formed Arena Football One. The team plays their home games at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Flying Aces</span> American indoor football team

The Oklahoma Flying Aces are a dormant professional indoor football team based in Enid, Oklahoma, and members of the National Arena League (NAL). The team was founded in 2018 as an expansion franchise in Champions Indoor Football for the 2019 season. The team was dormant for the 2021 season, but did not return for the 2022 season. The Flying Aces joined the National Arena League for the 2024 season but became dormant before the season was completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid City Marshals</span> Professional indoor football team based in Rapid City, South Dakota

The Rapid City Marshals were a professional indoor football team based in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Marshals played their home games at the Summit Arena at The Monument. They began as an expansion team in Champions Indoor Football in 2022 and played in that league until 2023. They became members of the revived Arena Football League and began play in 2024 before folding midseason among labor strife tied to a wider league instability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Kansas Storm</span> American indoor football team

The Southwest Kansas Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Dodge City, Kansas. Members of Champions Indoor Football (CIF) from 2022 to 2023, they were announced as members of the revived Arena Football League (AFL) for the 2024 season. In 2025, they will become inaugural members of the newly-formed Arena Football One.

References

  1. "Encore Facility Management Contracted as Management Company for $41.5 Million Multi-Purpose Events Center in Dodge City, Kansas" (Press release). Tempe, Arizona: Global Entertainment Corporation. Business Wire. November 30, 2009. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  2. "Dodge City Special Events Center to be named United Wireless Arena". Dodge City Daily Globe . GateHouse Media. November 5, 2010. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  3. Bluhm, Roger (April 18, 2015). "Staff does heavy arena lifting". Dodge City Daily Globe. Dodge City, KS: GateHouse Media. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  4. "Southwest Storm arena football team introduced in Dodge City". Dodge City Daily Globe . October 1, 2021.