Upstate Medical University Arena

Last updated
Upstate Medical University Arena
Upstate Medical University Arena logo.svg
Onondaga County War Memorial side.jpg
Exterior of the venue (c.2008)
USA New York relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Upstate Medical University Arena
Location within New York
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Upstate Medical University Arena
Location within the United States
Full nameUpstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial
Former namesOnondaga County War Memorial (1951–1999)
Oncenter War Memorial Arena (2000–2019)
Address515 Montgomery Street
Location Syracuse, New York
Coordinates 43°2′41″N76°8′54″W / 43.04472°N 76.14833°W / 43.04472; -76.14833
OwnerRochester Americans fans
Operator ASM Global
Capacity 7,000
Detailed capacity [1]
  • Concerts (in the round): 7,200
  • Concerts (end stage): 6,800
  • Banquets: 1,340
  • Assembly Hall: 350
  • Hockey: 5,800
Construction
Broke groundOctober 22, 1949 [2]
OpenedSeptember 12, 1951 [3]
Renovated
  • 1994
  • 2018
Construction cost$3.7 million [4]
($47.6 million in 2023 dollars [5] )
ArchitectEdgarton & Edgarton [2]
Structural engineer Ammann & Whitney [2]
General contractorW. 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.

Contents

Naming rights

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]

Tenants

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]

Interior during a Crunch hockey game (2017) Stp 20170609 156 aurora2017 hdrjpg 34394421614 o (40542565882).jpg
Interior during a Crunch hockey game (2017)

Notable events

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 cite during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nassau Coliseum</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, U.S.

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of Queens, and is also next to the Meadowbrook Parkway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JMA Wireless Dome</span> Domed stadium on the campus of Syracuse University in 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolstein Center</span> Indoor arena in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball teams and the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. It was also the former home of the Cleveland Crunch and Cleveland Force of the NPSL and MISL. The building opened in 1991 as a replacement for Woodling Gym and was known until 2005 as the CSU Convocation Center. It is named for Bert Wolstein, a Cleveland area real estate developer, former owner of the Force, and CSU alumnus, and his wife Iris. The main arena is known as Henry J. Goodman Arena - named for a businessman and former chairman of the CSU Board of Trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)</span> Multi-purpose arena in Pennsylvania, US

The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena lies at the southwest corner of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Live!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Memorial Auditorium</span> Former multipurpose arena in Buffalo, New York

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow Palace</span> Indoor arena in Daly City, California, U.S

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.

<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">Sports in Syracuse</span> Overview article

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse Crunch</span> American Hockey League team in Syracuse, New York

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Cross Arena</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Rochester, New York, U.S.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Brothers Academy (DeWitt, New York)</span> Private, coeducational school in Dewitt, , New York, United States

Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) is a private Catholic college preparatory school in suburban Syracuse, New York run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle. Located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, the school has more than 750 students in grades seven through twelve. It was founded in 1900 by the Christian Brothers, who still run the school, though most of the teachers are laity. In 1960, it moved from its original site on Willow Street in downtown Syracuse to its current location in suburban Dewitt on Randall Road. CBA was a boys-only school until September 1987. CBA opened to girls after Syracuse's all-girls school, The Franciscan Academy, closed and many of those parents actively lobbied to have CBA accept female students.

MVP Arena Indoor arena in Albany, New York, U.S.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie Insurance Arena</span> Indoor arena in Erie, Pennsylvania

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen County War Memorial Coliseum</span> Multi-purpose arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, 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 sq ft (10,000 m2) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows and other events with seating for 7,500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena</span> Former entertainment venue in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin

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.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in New York, United States

The Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in central New York, anchored by the city of Syracuse. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 662,057, slightly down from 662,577 in the 2010 census.

Upstate New York is a storied region in North American athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haudenosaunee national indoor lacrosse team</span>

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 four World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. The team is organized by the First Nations Lacrosse Association.

References

  1. "War Memorial Arena: Seating Capacities". The Oncenter Official Website. ASM Syracuse. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2019 via Adobe Document Cloud.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Memorial Opening to Make History" (PDF). The Post-Standard . Syracuse, New York. September 12, 1951. p. 23. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  3. "Around...Our Town And Country". Warsaw Times-Union. Vol. 97, no. 240. Warsaw, Indiana. October 11, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. "Cities to Vote on Bonds Issues over Billion". Chicago Tribune . November 5, 1951. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  5. 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.
  6. LaFrank, Kathleen (October 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Onondaga County War Memorial". State of New York. Retrieved May 2, 2009.and Accompanying 21 photos, exterior and interior, from construction through 1988
  7. "ONONDAGA COUNTY, UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SYRACUSE CRUNCH ANNOUNCE UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY ARENA AT ONONDAGA COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL". Syracuse Crunch. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  8. "Onondaga County War Memorial Stadium Renovations Ahead of Syracuse Crunch Season". Local SYR. 11 July 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  9. "1961 NBA All-Star recap". NBA.com.
  10. "Boston University Championship Teams" (PDF). Boston University Terriers.
  11. Wilcox, Timmy (8 February 2024). "SU ice hockey's return to Upstate Medical Arena reflects strong bond with Syracuse Crunch". The Daily Orange . Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. "Remembering a Legend". The Post-Standard . Syracuse. September 28, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  13. "NBA championship, 60 years ago today: Syracuse Nats beat Pistons, become world champions". syracuse. 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  14. "1961 NBA All-Star recap". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  15. "NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships - Tournament History". Archived from the original on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  16. "WWF In Your House: Premiere". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  17. "Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, New York, United States". profightdb.com.
  18. "Lacrosse is Coming Home to Onondaga Nation". Federation of International Lacrosse (Press release). 2 April 2015.
  19. "NOV 21, 1965 Syracuse, NY War Memorial". Bobdylan.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  20. "How LED lighting in NHL arenas is making game better".
Events and tenants
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