Full name | Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial |
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Former names | Onondaga County War Memorial (1951–1999) Oncenter War Memorial Arena (2000–2019) |
Address | 515 Montgomery Street |
Location | Syracuse, New York |
Coordinates | 43°2′41″N76°8′54″W / 43.04472°N 76.14833°W |
Owner | Onondaga County |
Operator | ASM Global |
Capacity | 7,000 Detailed capacity [1]
|
Construction | |
Broke ground | October 22, 1949 [2] |
Opened | September 12, 1951 [3] |
Renovated |
|
Construction cost | $3.7 million [4] ($47.6 million in 2023 dollars [5] ) |
Architect | Edgarton & Edgarton [2] |
Structural engineer | Ammann & Whitney [2] |
General contractor | W. E. O'Neil Construction Co. [2] |
Tenants | |
Syracuse Warriors (AHL) (1951–1954) Syracuse Orange men's basketball (NCAA) (1951–1952; 1955–1962) Syracuse Nationals (NBA) (1951–1963) Syracuse Blazers (EHL/NAHL) (1967–1977) Syracuse Eagles (AHL) (1974–1975) Syracuse Firebirds (AHL) (1979–1980) Syracuse Crunch (AHL) (1994–present) Syracuse Smash (NLL) (1997–2000) Syracuse Soldiers (AIFL) (2006) Syracuse Silver Knights (MASL) (2011–2018) |
The Upstate Medical University Arena (originally known as Onondaga County War Memorial and later as the Oncenter War Memorial Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Syracuse, New York. It is part of the Oncenter Complex. Designed by Edgarton and Edgarton and built from 1949 through 1951, the structure is significant as an example of a World War I, World War II and Aroostook War commemorative [6] and as "an early and sophisticated example of single-span thin-shell concrete roof construction." It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The Upstate Medical University Arena has been renovated twice, in 1994 and 2018.
On December 20, 2019, Onondaga County, Upstate Medical University, and the Syracuse Crunch announced an 11-year sponsorship agreement that includes naming rights of the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial. The sponsorship also includes health programming and the continuation of Upstate's sponsorship with the Syracuse Crunch. [7]
The Upstate Medical University Arena is home to the Syracuse Crunch ice hockey team. [8]
Previous teams to call the War Memorial home included the NBA's Syracuse Nationals, the NLL's Syracuse Smash, the Major Arena Soccer League's Syracuse Silver Knights, and several now-defunct American Hockey League teams. The Nationals defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in a deciding seventh game at home to win the 1954–55 NBA Championship. The War Memorial also hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1961 [9] and the NCAA Frozen Four in 1967 and 1971. [10] The Syracuse Orange women's ice hockey occasionally play their games at the arena, having played 13 games there since 2008. [11]
The 1977 film Slap Shot included the War Memorial among the various arenas used as shooting locations for in-game action. [12]
The arena played host to four games of the 1954-55 NBA Finals and hosted the pivotal Game 7 where the Nationals beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 92–91. [13]
Syracuse also hosted the NBA All Star Game in 1961. [14] Three of the Syracuse Nationals players were on the team.
The Onondaga County War Memorial was home to the annual NYSPHSAA wrestling tournament in 1968, from 1970 to 1972, and then for 29-straight years, 1974–2003. [15] The championship event has since been hosted by various venues around the state.
Professional wrestling has also experienced its share of history at the War Memorial. Shortly after completion of filming of the WCW-produced film Ready to Rumble, actor David Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship title on April 26, 2000, in a taping of the company's weekly Thunder broadcast, which is often cited as being the first legitimate sign of the demise of WCW. It also hosted the first WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1995. [16] In April 1998 the arena hosted WWF Monday Night Raw. [17] The arena occasionally hosts WWE house shows.
The American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch have hosted the AHL All-Star Classic twice (1998, 2016) and reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2013 and 2017.
The arena hosted the opening ceremonies and several games of the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship from September 18 to 26, 2015. [18]
It is also a prominent concert venue in the region, which includes various Queen, KISS, Bruce Springsteen, The Grateful Dead, Phish and Aerosmith shows among numerous others over the years. The venue was included among the stops on Bob Dylan's legendary 1965 electric tour with The Hawks. [19] Elvis Presley also performed at the venue, July 25 and 26, 1976. An audience recording featuring both shows was released in 2015 under the title Onondaga Nights.
The Oncenter War Memorial Arena was the first professional hockey arena to install LED lighting in 2012, provided by Ephesus Lighting. [20]
On top of the arena's stage are the words, "In memory of our service veterans."
The War Memorial was also used as a vaccination and testing site during the COVID-19 pandemic.
KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York, United States. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League since 1996, is the largest indoor arena in Western New York, seating 19,070. It replaced the Sabres' former home, Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, where the team played from 1970 to 1996. The venue is also home to the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. The venue is situated approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City, adjacent to the Meadowbrook Parkway. It is one of the larger public auditoriums in the New York metropolitan area.
Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a public community college that serves Onondaga County and Central New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. OCC's 280-acre main campus is located in the Town of Onondaga, which borders the city of Syracuse, New York.
The JMA Wireless Dome, originally the Carrier Dome (1980–2022) and colloquially called "The Dome," or more recently "The JMA Dome," is a domed stadium in Syracuse, New York, United States. Located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood, it is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. In 2006–07, the women's basketball team began playing home games in the Carrier Dome. In May 2022, Syracuse University announced in April 2022 that Carrier Global Corp. would no longer hold naming rights to the venue. When Syracuse University and JMA Wireless announced the new naming rights in May 2022, it marked the first time the venue's name would change since the opening in 1980.
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA), the Buffalo Bisons (AHL), the Buffalo Bisons (NBL), the Buffalo Braves (NBA), the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), the Toronto-Buffalo Royals (WTT), the Buffalo Stallions (MSL), the Buffalo Bandits (MILL), the Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL) and the Buffalo Stampede (RHI). It also hosted events such as college basketball, concerts, professional wrestling and boxing. The venue was closed in 1996 after the construction of the venue now known as KeyBank Center, and remained vacant until being demolished in 2009.
The Cow Palace is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a portion of the upper parking lot is in San Francisco.
Syracuse, New York, United States, is a top-division, minor-league and college sports city. Teams include the Syracuse Mets of AAA Baseball and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The most attended sporting events in Syracuse are those of the NCAA Division I Syracuse University Orange.
The Syracuse Crunch are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Syracuse, New York, at the Upstate Medical University Arena. They are the primary development affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning.
Blue Cross Arena, also known as the War Memorial, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 10,662. The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memorial. It was renovated in the mid-1990s and reopened as The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, on September 18, 1998. It is home to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.
MVP Arena is an indoor arena located in Albany, New York. It is configurable and can accommodate from 6,000 to 17,500 people, with a maximum seating capacity of 15,500 for sporting events.
The Cambria County War Memorial Arena is a 4,001-seat multi-purpose arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. It is managed by SMG Entertainment.
Erie Insurance Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the downtown area of Erie, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and was the former home of the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. It was built in 1983 as part of the Erie Civic Center Complex Plaza, which also includes the Warner Theatre and UPMC Park – all of which are administered by the Erie County Convention Center Authority. The arena is named for the Erie Insurance Group, which purchased the naming rights in May 2012.
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,103 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball. Opened in 1989, the Coliseum's $26 million Exposition Center contains 108,000 square feet (10,000 m2) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows and other events with seating for 7,500.
The Macon Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is home to the Macon Mayhem, a minor-league hockey team in the SPHL. The Centerplex was home to the Macon Whoopee (ECHL), Macon Whoopee (CHL) and Macon Trax ice hockey teams and the Macon Knights arena football team. It seats 7,182 for hockey and arena football and up to 9,252 for concerts.
The Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena was a 5,248-seat multi-purpose arena in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, situated on the corner of Lombardi Avenue and Oneida Street, across from Lambeau Field. The arena opened on November 11, 1958. The final event held at the arena was a Bret Michaels concert on April 6, 2019. The building, along with neighboring Shopko Hall, was replaced by a new exposition center, Resch Expo, in 2021. Demolition of the arena began April 30, 2019.
The Oncenter is a three-building convention and entertainment complex in Downtown Syracuse, New York, United States. It is composed of a convention center, sporting arena, and theaters.
The Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area comprising three counties in central New York, with the city of Syracuse as its core. The three counties are Onondaga, Madison, and Oswego. According to the 2020 census, the population of the Syracuse MSA was 662,057; a slight difference from 662,577, in the 2010 census.
Upstate New York is a storied region in North American athletics.
The 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship (WILC) was the fourth international box lacrosse championship organized by the Federation of International Lacrosse every four years. The 2015 WILC was hosted by the Onondaga Nation in the United States, south of Syracuse, New York, and took place between September 18 and 27. Canada defeated the host Iroquois Nationals 12–8 in the gold medal game, the same finals match-up featured in the first three indoor championships. Since the WILC started in 2003, Team Canada is undefeated with an overall record of 23–0.
The Haudenosaunee Nationals Indoor Lacrosse Team, known as the Haudenosaunee Nationals, represents the Iroquois Confederacy in international box lacrosse competitions. They are currently ranked second in the world by World Lacrosse and have won silver medals in all five World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. The team is organized by the First Nations Lacrosse Association.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by | Home of the Syracuse Crunch 1994–present | Succeeded by Current |
Preceded by | Home of the Syracuse Nationals 1951–1963 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1961 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 1967 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 1971 | Succeeded by |