Cajundome
Encyclopedia
The Cajundome is a 13,500 seat multi-purpose arena
in Lafayette, Louisiana
. It is home to the Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns
basketball
teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League
and the Louisiana high school basketball state championship.
The arena also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven day state fair that attracts over 175,000. The facility is a recognizable Lafayette landmark that was built by the State of Louisiana, funded by the City of Lafayette, and is owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and managed by the Cajundome Commission.
From the mid 1990s through the mid 2000s it was home to the ECHL
's now-defunct Louisiana IceGators. During that time, the arena earned the nickname 'The Frozen Swamp'. In 2010 it became official that the Louisiana IceGators, now as part of the SPHL, would make a return to 'The Frozen Swamp'. It also hosted the 1998, 1999, and 2007 Sun Belt Conference
men’s basketball tournaments. The Cajundome also hosts the annual Beta Club Louisiana state conventions.
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr.
, at a cost of $64 million. The project was authorized during the administration of Governor David C. Treen
and completed when Edwin Washington Edwards returned to office for a third nonconsecutive term by unseating Treen in the Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1983
. The stadium was first proposed in 1978 by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, then headed by journalist
Ron Gomez
, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1980-1989.
Gomez envisioned a building for both university and municipal needs. In his autobiography, Gomez describes the project and its architect, Neil Nehrbass of Lafayette, accordingly:
was built. The new addition added 37,301 square feet (3,465 m²) of exhibit hall space to the Cajundome's 40,000 square feet (3,716 m²) of arena floor space plus 39,685 square feet (3687 m²) of meeting space including a 15,682 square foot (1457 m²) ballroom, 12,159 square feet (1130 m²) of prefunction space and a 17,590 square foot (1630 m²) outdoor mall holding up to 2,118 for outdoor events.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. It is home to the Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League
Southern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
and the Louisiana high school basketball state championship.
The arena also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
(WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven day state fair that attracts over 175,000. The facility is a recognizable Lafayette landmark that was built by the State of Louisiana, funded by the City of Lafayette, and is owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and managed by the Cajundome Commission.
From the mid 1990s through the mid 2000s it was home to the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
's now-defunct Louisiana IceGators. During that time, the arena earned the nickname 'The Frozen Swamp'. In 2010 it became official that the Louisiana IceGators, now as part of the SPHL, would make a return to 'The Frozen Swamp'. It also hosted the 1998, 1999, and 2007 Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
men’s basketball tournaments. The Cajundome also hosts the annual Beta Club Louisiana state conventions.
Development
The arena was completed in 1985, during the administration of MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr.
Dud Lastrapes
William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr. , is a Lafayette, businessman, who was the first Republican since Reconstruction to have been elected mayor of his city, the fourth largest in Louisiana, according to the 2000 census. Lastrapes was mayor for three terms, having served from 1980-1992. Previously,...
, at a cost of $64 million. The project was authorized during the administration of Governor David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
and completed when Edwin Washington Edwards returned to office for a third nonconsecutive term by unseating Treen in the Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1983
Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1983
The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1983 resulted in the election of Edwin Edwards as governor of Louisiana, defeating incumbent David Treen.- Background :...
. The stadium was first proposed in 1978 by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, then headed by journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Ron Gomez
Ron Gomez
Ronald James Gomez, Sr., known as Ron Gomez , is a veteran print and broadcast journalist, author , and businessman from Lafayette, Louisiana, who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from Lafayette Parish, from 1980-1989. From 1990-1992, he was the secretary of natural resources in...
, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1980-1989.
Gomez envisioned a building for both university and municipal needs. In his autobiography, Gomez describes the project and its architect, Neil Nehrbass of Lafayette, accordingly:
"Several of his peers openly questioned Nehrbass' ability to handle such an immense project. They had a good basis for their anxiety since Neil had never taken on such a colossal building. He was known, rather for his non-traditional and sometimes avant-garde designs. Nehrbass and I had been acquainted many years, and he recognized my passion for this project. We talked at great length about the building and the uses for it. Neil was the consummate artist. He dressed flamboyantly, chain smoked gold-tipped, pastel-colored cigarettes which he imported from England and was definitely not a sports fan. He had never attended a USL [since UL Lafayette] basketball game. But he was enthusiastic about this new project and visited the recently-opened domed facility in BiloxiBiloxi, MississippiBiloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison 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 CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to gain insight on how he would make the Lafayette structure unique."
Convention Center addition
In 2002 a new convention center addition to the arenaArena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
was built. The new addition added 37,301 square feet (3,465 m²) of exhibit hall space to the Cajundome's 40,000 square feet (3,716 m²) of arena floor space plus 39,685 square feet (3687 m²) of meeting space including a 15,682 square foot (1457 m²) ballroom, 12,159 square feet (1130 m²) of prefunction space and a 17,590 square foot (1630 m²) outdoor mall holding up to 2,118 for outdoor events.