Taco Bell Arena
Encyclopedia
The Taco Bell Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena
, on the campus of Boise State University
, in Boise
, Idaho
. The arena is located on the east end of campus, between West Campus Lane & Cesar Chavez Circle, immediately northwest of Bronco Stadium
.
It is home to the Broncos basketball
, wrestling
and gymnastics
teams. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos
of the MW
and its current seating capacity
is 12,542, for basketball.
The venue is also used for concerts (capacity 13,390) and many community events, including trade shows (17,000 square feet of arena floor space plus 10000 square feet (929 m²) at auxiliary gym).
field, currently the site of the auxiliary gym on the west side of the arena.
(photo - 1971) (photo - late 1970s) Eight tennis courts were rebuilt on the former baseball infield, (photo - mid 1980s) west of the arena. The baseball field was not rebuilt as BSU dropped baseball as a varsity sport following the 1980 season. During their final season, the Broncos played their home games at Borah Field, four miles (6 km) west of campus.
The arena opened in May 1982, as the BSU Pavilion, its first three events were the graduation ceremonies for the city's public high schools. Later that year, the arena hosted a Billy Graham
Crusade.
The BSU Pavilion was renamed in June 2004, after Taco Bell
signed a 15-year naming rights
agreement with the university for $4 million.
men's basketball tournaments: 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1994. BSU moved to the Big West Conference
after the 1995-96 basketball season, and then moved on to the WAC
following the 2000-01 season.
Taco Bell Arena has been a familiar site for early-round NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games, hosting first and second round competition eight times (1983
, 1989
, 1992
, 1995
, 1998
, 2001
, 2005
and 2009
). The tournament games played at the arena have resulted in some of the most memorable moments in NCAA history. In 1995
, UCLA
's Tyus Edney
dashed the length of the 94 feet (28.7 m) court in just over 4 seconds to make a layup that gave the Bruins a 75-74 win over Missouri
, which sustained UCLA's run to a national title. In 2001
, it was the site of the closest first-round day at a single host location ever, with the four games played on March 15 decided by a combined total of 7 points. One of those games included #15 seed Hampton
's upset of #2 seed Iowa State
-- making Hampton only the fourth #15 seed to beat a #2 seed in tournament history.
The NCAA Basketball Tournament returned to Taco Bell Arena in 2009
, with four first round games on Friday & two second round games on Sunday (March 20 & 22). Teams playing included Missouri
, Xavier
, Florida State, Wisconsin
, and Marquette
.
and Michael Bublé
.
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...
, on the campus of Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
, in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The arena is located on the east end of campus, between West Campus Lane & Cesar Chavez Circle, immediately northwest of Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
.
It is home to the Broncos 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...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
teams. It is the home of the Boise State Broncos
Boise State Broncos
The Boise State Broncos are the official athletic program of Boise State University. The Broncos compete in a wide variety of sports. Perhaps the most well-known of these sports is the football program. The program attained a 13-0 season in 2006 capped by a memorable overtime win in the 2007 Fiesta...
of the MW
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
and its current seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 12,542, for basketball.
The venue is also used for concerts (capacity 13,390) and many community events, including trade shows (17,000 square feet of arena floor space plus 10000 square feet (929 m²) at auxiliary gym).
History
Ground was broken for the arena in February 1980, directly north of the Bronco Gymnasium (capacity 3,000). Construction displaced the tennis courts and the right field area of the baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field, currently the site of the auxiliary gym on the west side of the arena.
(photo - 1971) (photo - late 1970s) Eight tennis courts were rebuilt on the former baseball infield, (photo - mid 1980s) west of the arena. The baseball field was not rebuilt as BSU dropped baseball as a varsity sport following the 1980 season. During their final season, the Broncos played their home games at Borah Field, four miles (6 km) west of campus.
The arena opened in May 1982, as the BSU Pavilion, its first three events were the graduation ceremonies for the city's public high schools. Later that year, the arena hosted a Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
Crusade.
The BSU Pavilion was renamed in June 2004, after Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
signed a 15-year naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
agreement with the university for $4 million.
Basketball tournaments
The venue hosted four Big Sky ConferenceBig Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
men's basketball tournaments: 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1994. BSU moved to the Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
after the 1995-96 basketball season, and then moved on to the WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
following the 2000-01 season.
Taco Bell Arena has been a familiar site for early-round NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games, hosting first and second round competition eight times (1983
1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 52 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 2, 1983, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at The Pit, then officially known...
, 1989
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...
, 1992
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, 1995
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
, 1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
, 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
, 2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
and 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
). The tournament games played at the arena have resulted in some of the most memorable moments in NCAA history. In 1995
1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1995 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1995, and ended with the championship game on April 3 at the Kingdome in Seattle,...
, UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
's Tyus Edney
Tyus Edney
Tyus Dwayne Edney is an American professional basketball player. A point guard for UCLA from 1991–1995, Edney led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA National Championship. He also led Žalgiris Kaunas to the 1999 Euroleague title...
dashed the length of the 94 feet (28.7 m) court in just over 4 seconds to make a layup that gave the Bruins a 75-74 win over Missouri
Missouri Tigers men's basketball
The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Missouri in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are located in Columbia, Missouri. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2011. The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team plays its home games at...
, which sustained UCLA's run to a national title. In 2001
2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in...
, it was the site of the closest first-round day at a single host location ever, with the four games played on March 15 decided by a combined total of 7 points. One of those games included #15 seed Hampton
Hampton University
Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:...
's upset of #2 seed Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :...
-- making Hampton only the fourth #15 seed to beat a #2 seed in tournament history.
The NCAA Basketball Tournament returned to Taco Bell Arena in 2009
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, with four first round games on Friday & two second round games on Sunday (March 20 & 22). Teams playing included Missouri
Missouri Tigers men's basketball
The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Missouri in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are located in Columbia, Missouri. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2011. The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team plays its home games at...
, Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
, Florida State, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
, and Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball
The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I...
.
Concert Events
Many different genres of music have been played at this arena. Many rock bands have played here over the years it's been open. And some of the newer musicians including Katy PerryKaty Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
and Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
.
External links
- Taco Bell Arena.com - official site
- Bronco Sports.com - Taco Bell Arena
- Boise State Library - digital archives - BSU Pavilion (Taco Bell Arena)
- Aerial photo (1998) & topographic map - BSU campus from USGS The National Map