| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | 1826 West McDowell Road Phoenix, Arizona 85007 |
| Opened | November 3, 1965 |
| Owner | |
| Construction cost | $7 million USD (est. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ) |
| Tenants | Phoenix Suns (NBA) (1968-1992) Phoenix Roadrunners (WHA) (1974-1977) Phoenix Inferno (MISL) (1980-1983) Phoenix Mustangs (WCHL) (1997-2001) Phoenix Eclipse (ABA) (2001-2002) Arizona Thunder (WISL) (1998-2000) |
| Capacity | Basketball: 14,870 Hockey: 13,730 |
The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair. The Phoenix Suns are a professional Basketball team based in Phoenix Arizona. Phoenix Roadrunners (disambiguationThe Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The Phoenix Inferno, later known as the Phoenix Pride, was a Soccer team based out of Phoenix that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. This article is about the 1978-1992 Major Indoor Soccer League. The Phoenix Mustangs were a professional Minor league Ice hockey team in the West Coast Hockey League. West Coast Hockey League was a minor league in Ice hockey in United States from 1995 to 2003. The Phoenix Eclipse was an American Basketball Association (ABA team based in Phoenix Arizona. The Arizona Thunder was a professional indoor Soccer team based in Phoenix Arizona. The World Indoor Soccer League was an Indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The following is a list of indoor Arenas. Africa Asia Europe Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, The Arizona State Fair is an annual State fair, held at a permanent fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. It is commonly referred to as simply the Coliseum.
Contents |
History
Newspaper reports state that The Arizona State Fair Commission began planning for an "Arizona State Fairgrounds Exposition Center" as early as the fall of 1962. The Commission envisioned an indoor facility which could be used during the State Fair as well as year-round. In 1964, Phoenix architect Leslie Mahoney presented the commission with the final plans, and construction began that summer. Tucson architect Lew Place was also involved in the design, and the structural engineering firm was T. Y. Lin International. TY Lin International ( TYLI) founded in 1954 by Tung-Yen Lin and headquartered in San Francisco, is a full-service award winning
The unique saddle-shaped, tension-cable roof, supporting over 1000 precast concrete panels, was considered innovative architectural engineering at the time. The building also contains a series of murals by Phoenix artist Paul Coze. Paul Coze (1903 - 1974 was a French - American anthropologist artist and writer most famous as a French authority on Native Americans and for his public art in
In April 1965, the name was officially changed to honor Arizona's war veterans.
There was an early controversy over whether alcohol would be served at the new facility, but legislation was signed in April 1965 by Governor Sam Goddard providing for limited liquor sales. Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr ( 8 August 1919 1 February 2006) was an American Politician and the 12th Governor
The Coliseum opened November 3, 1965, with a production of Ice Follies. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers similar in concept to Ice Capades. The final cost was estimated at $7 million.
Tenants
This distinctive arena with its saddle-shaped roof, which sat 13,730 for ice hockey, was the home of the Phoenix Roadrunners of the WHA from 1974–1977 and of the now-defunct International Hockey League from 1989 to 1996, the Phoenix Suns of the NBA from 1968–1992, the Arizona Thunder of the World Indoor Soccer League from 1998-2000,and the Phoenix Mustangs of the now-defunct WCHL from 1999-2000. An arena is an enclosed area often circular or oval-shaped designed to showcase Theater, musical performances or sporting events Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Phoenix Roadrunners (disambiguationThe Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The International Hockey League (IHL was a minor Professional Ice hockey league in the United States and Canada from 1945 to 2001 The Phoenix Suns are a professional Basketball team based in Phoenix Arizona. The Arizona Thunder was a professional indoor Soccer team based in Phoenix Arizona. The World Indoor Soccer League was an Indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams In 2006, it was announced that the Coliseum would once again be home to pro sports, as the IBL's Phoenix Flame would play home games there. This article is about the International Basketball League formed in 2004. The Arizona Flame are an International Basketball League team The Coliseum was affectionately referred to as "The Mad House on McDowell (named for McDowell Road, the street in Phoenix where it is located) during the Suns tenure there; by both fans and the local media.
The Coliseum also housed the Phoenix Inferno also known as the Phoenix Pride of the MISL from 1980 to 1983
It hosted the 1975 NBA All-Star Game and WCW Wrestle War 1991. The Phoenix Inferno, later known as the Phoenix Pride, was a Soccer team based out of Phoenix that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional Indoor soccer league in the USA. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. The Coliseum was also host to the Phoenix Mustangs hockey team as part of the West Coast Hockey League and the Phoenix Eclipse ABA basketball team. The Phoenix Mustangs were a professional Minor league Ice hockey team in the West Coast Hockey League. West Coast Hockey League was a minor league in Ice hockey in United States from 1995 to 2003. The Phoenix Eclipse was an American Basketball Association (ABA team based in Phoenix Arizona. The ABA will return to the Coliseum, as the Phoenix Phantoms have selected that arena as one of their three venues. The Phoenix Phantoms are a team of the American Basketball Association scheduled to begin play in 2008-09
The arena remains open for some events, even though the Suns left in 1992 for the America West Arena (now US Airways Center). US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and entertainment Arena located in Phoenix Arizona. US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and entertainment Arena located in Phoenix Arizona. The Arizona State Fair schedules concerts, comedy shows and other events in the Coliseum during the Fair's annual season (which begins each October). The Arizona State Fair is an annual State fair, held at a permanent fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. Until recently it hosted portions of Arizona's high school basketball championships, but those have been moved to the newer Jobing.com Arena. Jobingcom Arena is a Sports and entertainment Arena located in Glendale Arizona.
In the fall of 2005, the Coliseum sheltered up to 2,500 evacuees from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States The evacuees were relocated to other housing in time for the opening of the Fair that October.
It also hosts the West's biggest book sale, the VNSA Book Sale, during February.
On January 8, 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama held a rally at the Coliseum. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Arizona governor Janet Napolitano and Caroline Kennedy were both part of the rally. Janet Napolitano (b November 29, 1957) is the current governor of the U Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American Author and Attorney.
Sources
Newspaper clippings used to research portions of this article:
The Arizona Republic: May 28, 1964; April 20, 1965
The Phoenix Gazette: April 24, 1963; March 27, 1965; October 28, 1966
Arizona Journal: November 14, 1962
External links
| Preceded by first arena | Home of the Phoenix Suns 1968 – 1992 | Succeeded by America West Arena |
| Preceded by Seattle Center Coliseum | Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1975 | Succeeded by The Spectrum |
| Current arenas in the American Basketball Association Red Conference | ||||||||
| Northwest Division | Southwest Division | Central Division | South Division | |||||
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| Consumnes River College | Kezar Pavilion | Maywood Activity Center | JSerra High School | Kroc Center | Long Beach City College | Anderson High School Wigwam | Anita M. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Phoenix Suns are a professional Basketball team based in Phoenix Arizona. US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and entertainment Arena located in Phoenix Arizona. KeyArena at Seattle Center, also known as KeyArena is located north of downtown Seattle, USA on the grounds of Seattle Center (the site of 1962 The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967–1994 CoreStates Spectrum (1994–1998 and First Union Spectrum (1998–2003 is an Cosumnes River College is a two-year Community college located at the southern edge of Sacramento in Sacramento County, California. Kezar Pavilion, located adjacent to Kezar Stadium, is an indoor Arena in the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park, San Francisco California. Controversy When plans for the school were revealed an outcry arose from the local American Indian community whose members claimed that the site where the school's multi A Kroc Center (formally known as a Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center) is one of many community centers run by the Salvation Army. Long Beach City College, established in 1927 is a Community college located in Long Beach, California. Anderson High School Wigwam is an indoor Arena in Anderson Indiana. Stone Jewish Community Center | Attack Athletics | Cicero Stadium | Groves High School | Mayo Civic Center | Roy Wilkins Auditorium | St. Louis Community College | Carver Center | DeSoto Town Center | John H. Reagan High School | |||||
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