Bradley Center
Encyclopedia
The Bradley Center is an indoor arena, located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets, in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin
.
It is home to the Milwaukee Bucks
, of the NBA
, the Marquette University
men's basketball team, the Milwaukee Admirals
, of the AHL
(and formerly of the IHL) and the Milwaukee Mustangs
, of the AFL
. It is also the former home of the Milwaukee Wave
, of the MISL
, from 1988–2003, the original Milwaukee Mustangs of the AFL
from 1994–2001, and the Badger Hockey Showdown from 1989–2002.
and the Edmonton Oilers
. At $90 million, it was meant to be a modern replacement of its current cross-street neighbor, The MECCA
(currently named the U.S. Cellular Arena), which was built in 1950. The MECCA, during much of its time operating as a NBA facility, had the league's smallest seating capacity, holding just over 11,000 people. Funds to build the Bradley Center were donated as a gift to the State of Wisconsin by philanthropists Jane Pettit and Lloyd Pettit
in memory of Jane's late father, Harry Lynde Bradley
of the Allen-Bradley
company.
Despite being one of the premier NBA facilities when completed in 1988, the Bradley Center is currently one of the oldest active NBA arenas (The Palace of Auburn Hills
in suburban Detroit
and ARCO Arena
in Sacramento, California
also opened in 1988), only behind Madison Square Garden
in New York City (which will undergo renovations starting in 2011), and Oracle Arena in Oakland (which was significantly remodeled during the mid-1990s). The lack of modern features such as revenue-boosting club seating
, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, along with outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, deteriorating seating, outdated event production technology, and insufficient parking around the arena, have all contributed to the Bucks being the lowest-valued team in the NBA and near the bottom in team revenue. The Bradley Center is unique in that it was a gift from a family without any provision for the building's long-term capital needs or annual operating expenses. While the facility is self-sufficient, Bradley Center tenants such as the Bucks are at a disadvantage compared with other NBA teams due to the arrangement.
Building a new, state-of-the-art downtown arena has been proposed by Bucks owner, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl
, but the community reaction to the idea of a publicly funded arena has been mostly negative. In 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
included a provision in the state's capital budget seeking $5 million in state bonding support to renovate the Bradley Center. The Bradley Center's board of directors told state officials that the Bradley Center needs $23 million in renovations, so they reportedly agreed to raise the remaining $18 million on their own.
Over the summer of 2010 the Bradley Center's longtime Sony Jumbotron
scoreboard was replaced with a new 3.5 million pixel LED unit manufactured by TS Sports and Lighthouse Technologies, and was put into service in October 2010 at the start of the Admirals season. Unlike many other NBA and NHL scoreboards however, the bottom panel also has an LED screen, allowing display of many images above the floor itself rather than a static image of a sponsor or team logo.
men's basketball tournament in 1995.
In March 2010, the arena hosted the first and second-round games in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, for the fifth time since 1992.
The arena has played host for WWE
events, such as The Main Event
on February 3, 1989, No Way Out 2002
, Taboo Tuesday 2004
and the debut of WWE NXT
on February 23, 2010.
Diana Ross
was scheduled to perform during her Return to Love Tour
on July 16, 2000, but the show was cancelled.
Early auditions for the tenth season of American Idol
were held at the arena on July 21, 2010.
The arena hosted Taylor Swift
's Speak Now World Tour
on June 8, 2011. During which, the event was broadcast on national television during the 2011 CMT Music Awards
when Swift accepted the award for Video of the Year via satellite. She did not attend the awards ceremony in order to perform the concert.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
.
It is home to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, the Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
men's basketball team, the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
, of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(and formerly of the IHL) and the Milwaukee Mustangs
Milwaukee Mustangs
The Milwaukee Mustangs were an Arena Football League team. They played from 1994 to 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Bradley Center.-History:The team was founded in 1994 amidst rumors that the Green Bay Packers would soon stop playing games in Milwaukee, something they'd been doing since 1936...
, of the AFL
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. It is also the former home of the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
, of the MISL
Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)
The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...
, from 1988–2003, the original Milwaukee Mustangs of the AFL
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
from 1994–2001, and the Badger Hockey Showdown from 1989–2002.
History
The arena was opened on October 1, 1988 with an exhibition hockey game between the Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. At $90 million, it was meant to be a modern replacement of its current cross-street neighbor, The MECCA
U.S. Cellular Arena
U.S. Cellular Arena is an indoor arena, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
(currently named the U.S. Cellular Arena), which was built in 1950. The MECCA, during much of its time operating as a NBA facility, had the league's smallest seating capacity, holding just over 11,000 people. Funds to build the Bradley Center were donated as a gift to the State of Wisconsin by philanthropists Jane Pettit and Lloyd Pettit
Lloyd Pettit
Lloyd Pettit was a sportscaster in Chicago and Milwaukee as well as the owner of the Milwaukee Admirals.-Early life:Pettit was born in Chicago and moved as a small child to the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Shorewood High School...
in memory of Jane's late father, Harry Lynde Bradley
Harry Lynde Bradley
Harry Lynde Bradley , the brother of Lynde Bradley, was the co-founder of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. He "became deeply involved in conservative causes", with "a strong sense of anti-communism animat[ing] his political beliefs". He supported Robert A...
of the Allen-Bradley
Allen-Bradley
Allen-Bradley is the brand-name of a line of Factory Automation Equipment manufactured by Rockwell Automation . The company, with revenues of approximately US$4.5 billion in 2006, manufactures programmable automation controllers , human-machine interfaces, sensors, safety components and systems,...
company.
Despite being one of the premier NBA facilities when completed in 1988, the Bradley Center is currently one of the oldest active NBA arenas (The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
in suburban Detroit
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is the metropolitan area located in Southeast Michigan centered on the city of Detroit which shares an international border with Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit metropolitan area is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area...
and ARCO Arena
ARCO Arena
Power Balance Pavilion is an indoor arena, located in the Natomas area of Sacramento, California. It is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.-Background:...
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
also opened in 1988), only behind Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City (which will undergo renovations starting in 2011), and Oracle Arena in Oakland (which was significantly remodeled during the mid-1990s). The lack of modern features such as revenue-boosting club seating
Club seating
Club Level Seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums.The Club Level is usually located towards the middle of the stage of seating sections, above the lower deck but below the upper deck. They are usually right next to the Luxury Boxes, either right above, right below, or...
, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, along with outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, deteriorating seating, outdated event production technology, and insufficient parking around the arena, have all contributed to the Bucks being the lowest-valued team in the NBA and near the bottom in team revenue. The Bradley Center is unique in that it was a gift from a family without any provision for the building's long-term capital needs or annual operating expenses. While the facility is self-sufficient, Bradley Center tenants such as the Bucks are at a disadvantage compared with other NBA teams due to the arrangement.
Building a new, state-of-the-art downtown arena has been proposed by Bucks owner, U.S. Senator Herb Kohl
Herb Kohl
Herbert H. "Herb" Kohl is the senior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association team...
, but the community reaction to the idea of a publicly funded arena has been mostly negative. In 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle
James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
included a provision in the state's capital budget seeking $5 million in state bonding support to renovate the Bradley Center. The Bradley Center's board of directors told state officials that the Bradley Center needs $23 million in renovations, so they reportedly agreed to raise the remaining $18 million on their own.
Over the summer of 2010 the Bradley Center's longtime Sony Jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
scoreboard was replaced with a new 3.5 million pixel LED unit manufactured by TS Sports and Lighthouse Technologies, and was put into service in October 2010 at the start of the Admirals season. Unlike many other NBA and NHL scoreboards however, the bottom panel also has an LED screen, allowing display of many images above the floor itself rather than a static image of a sponsor or team logo.
Notable events
The arena hosted the NCAA Frozen Four finals in 1993, 1997 and 2006 and the Great Midwest ConferenceGreat Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
men's basketball tournament in 1995.
In March 2010, the arena hosted the first and second-round games in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, for the fifth time since 1992.
The arena has played host for WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
events, such as The Main Event
WWF The Main Event
The Main Event was a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was a spin-off of the show WWF Saturday Night's Main Event and occasionally aired on NBC on Friday nights. Only the first three The Main Event episodes were shown live on NBC. The final...
on February 3, 1989, No Way Out 2002
No Way Out (2002)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on February 17, 2002 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, Taboo Tuesday 2004
Taboo Tuesday (2004)
Taboo Tuesday was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 19, 2004 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the first annual Taboo Tuesday event, marking the first time in which the fans were given the chance...
and the debut of WWE NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
on February 23, 2010.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
was scheduled to perform during her Return to Love Tour
Return to Love Tour
"The Return to Love Tour" is a 2000 concert tour by American singing group Diana Ross and the Supremes.-Origins:In 1999, Diana Ross released her final album on Motown Records, "Every Day is a New Day"...
on July 16, 2000, but the show was cancelled.
Early auditions for the tenth season of American Idol
American Idol (season 10)
The tenth season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges , a returning executive producer, a new music...
were held at the arena on July 21, 2010.
The arena hosted Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's Speak Now World Tour
Speak Now World Tour
Speak Now World Tour is the second concert tour by American country singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, in support of her third studio album, Speak Now. The tour visited Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia...
on June 8, 2011. During which, the event was broadcast on national television during the 2011 CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
when Swift accepted the award for Video of the Year via satellite. She did not attend the awards ceremony in order to perform the concert.