Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Encyclopedia
The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (a.k.a. LJVM Coliseum, Joel Coliseum or simply The Joel) is a 14,407-seat multi-purpose arena
, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
. Construction on the arena began on April 23, 1987 and it opened on August 28, 1989. It was named after Lawrence Joel
, an Army
medic
from Winston-Salem who was awarded the Medal of Honor
in 1967 for action in Vietnam
on November 8, 1965. The memorial was designed by James Ford in New York, and includes the poem "The Fallen" engraved on an interior wall. It is home to the Wake Forest University
Demon Deacons men's basketball
and women's basketball teams, and is adjacent to the Dixie Classic Fair
grounds. The arena replaced the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum
, which was torn down for the LJVM Coliseum's construction.
Men's and Women's basketball teams,but other basketball games are held there, such as the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic
basketball tournament, an annual event for high school basketball teams in the area. Since 2003, the LJVM has hosted the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Western Regional Basketball Tournaments. The NCHSAA state individual wrestling championships are also contested in the LJVM.
The LJVM was the site of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(CIAA) basketball tournament from 1994-1999. Also, the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
have been held at the coliseum four times (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2007). It has also hosted the MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament since 2009.
In a memorable NCAA second-round game at the coliseum on March 15, 1997, North Carolina
gave head coach Dean Smith
victory number 877, surpassing Kentucky
legend Adolph Rupp
as the winningest college basketball coach in history.
The Harlem Globetrotters
have even played there.
as the arena for visits from World Championship Wrestling
in the area. It hosted the annual Fall Brawl
pay-per-view event from 1996 to 1999 which featured the WarGames match
es .
, but has also hosted racing
, bull riding
, circus
, religious conferences, conventions and other events.
; it seats about 4,000, and is used primarily for hockey, but also for basketball, concerts, trade shows, and other events. The Winston-Salem State University
Rams play basketball in the annex. There is also an Education Building available for additional floor space; both buildings are technically located on the Dixie Classic Fair
grounds. Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, a baseball stadium, is also considered part of the complex. Bowman Gray Stadium
, though not in the vicinity, is technically part of the complex as well. All these buildings combined make up the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex, which, with the exception of Bowman Gray Stadium is bordered by University Parkway, 27th Street, Deacon Boulevard, and Shorefair Drive. BB&T Ballpark has replaced Gene Hooks Field in downtown at the intersection of Business 40
and North Carolina Highway 150.
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 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. Construction on the arena began on April 23, 1987 and it opened on August 28, 1989. It was named after Lawrence Joel
Lawrence Joel
Lawrence Joel was a United States Army Sergeant First Class who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars...
, an Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
medic
Combat medic
Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
from Winston-Salem who was awarded the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
in 1967 for action in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
on November 8, 1965. The memorial was designed by James Ford in New York, and includes the poem "The Fallen" engraved on an interior wall. It is home to the Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Demon Deacons men's basketball
Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have...
and women's basketball teams, and is adjacent to the Dixie Classic Fair
Dixie Classic Fair
The Dixie Classic Fair is an annual fair held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The fair takes place every autumn on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds , which is part of the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex; the grounds are located adjacent to the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum...
grounds. The arena replaced the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum
Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum
Winston–Salem Memorial Coliseum was a multi-purpose arena in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The arena, which opened in 1955, held 8,500 people and was eventually replaced by the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 1989...
, which was torn down for the LJVM Coliseum's construction.
Basketball
The LJVM is home to the Wake Forest UniversityWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Men's and Women's basketball teams,but other basketball games are held there, such as the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic
Frank Spencer Holiday Classic
The Frank Spencer Holiday Classic is a nationally recognized basketball tournament held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in late December. The tournament is named after Frank Spencer, former sports editor for the Winston-Salem Journal, and is a significant fundraiser for the high schools of...
basketball tournament, an annual event for high school basketball teams in the area. Since 2003, the LJVM has hosted the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Western Regional Basketball Tournaments. The NCHSAA state individual wrestling championships are also contested in the LJVM.
The LJVM was the site of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
(CIAA) basketball tournament from 1994-1999. Also, the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
have been held at the coliseum four times (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2007). It has also hosted the MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament since 2009.
In a memorable NCAA second-round game at the coliseum on March 15, 1997, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
gave head coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
victory number 877, surpassing Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
legend Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
as the winningest college basketball coach in history.
The Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
have even played there.
Wrestling
By 1993, the LJVM had replaced the Greensboro ColiseumGreensboro Coliseum
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an entertainment complex located in College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, North Carolina. Opening in 1959, the arena was one of the largest venues in the South, with a seating capacity of over 7,000...
as the arena for visits from World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
in the area. It hosted the annual Fall Brawl
Fall Brawl
Fall Brawl was an annual pay-per-view in World Championship Wrestling held in the month of September from 1993 through 2000. The name was derived from the fall edition of Clash of the Champions, called "Fall Brawl"...
pay-per-view event from 1996 to 1999 which featured the WarGames match
WarGames match
The WarGames match was a gimmick match used originally in the National Wrestling Alliance and later held annually in World Championship Wrestling , usually at their Fall Brawl pay-per-view event in September.-History:...
es .
Concerts
The arena has hosted concerts by many famous artists, spanning many different genres. The LJVM's amply large size makes it an ideal location for performers who wish to perform at smaller venues. The main arena can also be curtained off to create a theater-like setting.http://www.ljvm.com/theatre.htmlOther events
The LJVM has played host to large-scale events such as the quarterfinals of the 2007 Davis Cup2007 Davis Cup
The 2007 Davis Cup was the 96th edition of the Davis Cup, the most important tournament between national teams in men's tennis. Sixteen teams participated in the World Group and 123 took part in different regional groups...
, but has also hosted racing
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
, bull riding
Bull riding
Bull riding refers to rodeo sports that involve a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider....
, circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, religious conferences, conventions and other events.
Coliseum Complex
In addition to its main arena, the LJVM also has an AnnexLJVM Coliseum Annex
The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum Annex is a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was built in 1989. It was formerly home to the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds, Winston-Salem Mammonths, Winston-Salem Icehawks, Winston-Salem T-Birds, Winston-Salem Polar Twins,...
; it seats about 4,000, and is used primarily for hockey, but also for basketball, concerts, trade shows, and other events. The Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
Rams play basketball in the annex. There is also an Education Building available for additional floor space; both buildings are technically located on the Dixie Classic Fair
Dixie Classic Fair
The Dixie Classic Fair is an annual fair held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The fair takes place every autumn on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds , which is part of the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex; the grounds are located adjacent to the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum...
grounds. Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, a baseball stadium, is also considered part of the complex. Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 1/4-mile asphalt flat oval short track and football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track"...
, though not in the vicinity, is technically part of the complex as well. All these buildings combined make up the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex, which, with the exception of Bowman Gray Stadium is bordered by University Parkway, 27th Street, Deacon Boulevard, and Shorefair Drive. BB&T Ballpark has replaced Gene Hooks Field in downtown at the intersection of Business 40
Interstate 40 Business (North Carolina)
In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 40 Business is a business loop of Interstate 40; which serves the cities of Winston-Salem and Kernersville.-Route description:...
and North Carolina Highway 150.