U.S. Bank Arena
Encyclopedia
U.S. Bank Arena is an indoor arena, located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio
, along the banks of the Ohio River
, next to the Great American Ball Park
. Completed in September 1975, the arena seats 17,556 people (in the round). It is the largest indoor arena in the Greater Cincinnati region with 346,100 square feet in area.
It was the home of the Cincinnati Stingers
, of the WHA
, from 1975–1979. Since then, the arena has hosted another minor-league hockey team and various concerts, political rallies, tennis tournaments, figure skating, a Billy Graham Crusade
and other events. The facility's longest-serving tenant was the men's basketball
program of the University of Cincinnati
, which used the arena from its completion until 1987, when U.C. played its games at Cincinnati Gardens
(1987–89), until an on-campus facility (Shoemaker Center), now known as Fifth Third Arena
, was completed.
The arena underwent a $14,000,000 renovation project in 1997 and is still in use. The current main tenant is the Cincinnati Cyclones
, of the ECHL. The Cincinnati Jungle Kats
, of the arenafootball2 league, played their one and only season at the arena in 2007, posting a record of 1–15.
On occasion, there are local pushes for the attraction of another major sports franchise to occupy the arena, possibly an NBA or NHL franchise either relocated or expanded, though little has ever come to fruition. The NBA was last played in Cincinnati in 1972
and never at this facility, aside from exhibition games.
Until the construction of the University of Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena and Northern Kentucky University
's The Bank of Kentucky Center, commencement ceremonies for these schools were held at the facility.
rock band
The Who
. On that evening, there were a total of 18,348 ticketed fans attending (3,578 reserved seats (sections 111 – 118), 14,770 general admission seats). The concert was using "festival seating
", (also known as "general seating"), where the seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors. Some at the front of the crowd were either trampled or squeezed to death standing up as those pushing from behind were unaware that the doors were still closed. Only a few doors were in operation that night, and there are reports that management did not open more doors due to union restrictions and the concern of people gate-crashing the ticket turnstiles.
As a result, the remaining concerts of 1979, Blue Öyster Cult
on December 14 and Aerosmith
on December 21, were cancelled and concert venues across North America switched to reserved seating or changed their rules about festival seating. Cincinnati immediately outlawed festival seating at concerts. After establishment of a crowd control task force by Cincinnati mayor Ken Blackwell
, the first concert held at the facility since the tragedy was ZZ Top
on March 21, 1980 on their Expect No Quarter Tour.
On August 4, 2004, Cincinnati City Council unanimously overturned the ban because it placed the city at a disadvantage for booking concerts. Many music acts prefer festival seating because it could allow the most enthusiastic fans to get near the stage and generate excitement for the rest of the crowd. The city had previously made a one-time exception to the ban, allowing festival seating for a Bruce Springsteen
concert on November 12, 2002. Cincinnati was, for a time, the only city in the United States to outlaw festival seating altogether.
The first entertainment event (Opening Night) to be staged at the facility was a rock concert by The Allman Brothers Band
and special guest Muddy Waters
on the Win, Lose Or Draw Tour
on September 9, 1975 attended by 16,721 persons.
In 1987 the facility hosted the World Figure Skating Championships
.
The arena was the site of the Regional of the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, as well as a first and second round site for the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and the 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. The arena was also host to the 1997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
Final Four, as well as the 1996 men's Division I hockey Frozen Four, which was won by Michigan
.
The venue hosted part of the 1981 and all of the 1992 Horizon League
men's basketball conference tournament as well as the 1978, 1983, 2002, and 2004 Conference USA
men's basketball tournaments; the Atlantic Ten Conference
also held its tourney there in 2005 and did so again in 2006.
The arena hosted WCW Souled Out in 2000, WWE Cyber Sunday
in 2006, and TNA Lockdown
in 2011. It has also hosted a number of WWE Monday Night Raw & WWE Friday Night Smackdown tapings including a Raw on Sept 13, 2010 where Chad Ochocinco hosted.
UFC 77
was also held at the arena in 2007 and was headlined by local fighter Rich Franklin
and the Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov
event was held at the arena on September 10, 2011.
The PBR's Built Ford Tough Series
tour hosted an event at the arena in 2005 and 2008.
The arena will host the opening and closing ceremonies to the 2012 World Choir Games
that are being held in Cincinnati.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, along the banks of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, next to the Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park
The Great American Ball Park is a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home of the National League's Cincinnati Reds. It opened in 2003, replacing the Reds' former home, Cinergy Field, which was known as Riverfront Stadium from its opening in June 1970 until the 1996...
. Completed in September 1975, the arena seats 17,556 people (in the round). It is the largest indoor arena in the Greater Cincinnati region with 346,100 square feet in area.
It was the home of the Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
, of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
, from 1975–1979. Since then, the arena has hosted another minor-league hockey team and various concerts, political rallies, tennis tournaments, figure skating, a Billy Graham Crusade
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...
and other events. The facility's longest-serving tenant was the men's 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...
program of the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
, which used the arena from its completion until 1987, when U.C. played its games at Cincinnati Gardens
Cincinnati Gardens
The Cincinnati Gardens is an indoor sports and entertainment arena located in Cincinnati, Ohio, that opened in 1949. The 25,000 square foot brick and limestone building, whose entrance is decorated with six three-dimensional carved athletic figures, was modeled after Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto,...
(1987–89), until an on-campus facility (Shoemaker Center), now known as Fifth Third Arena
Fifth Third Arena
Fifth Third Arena is a 13,176-seat multi-purpose arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, named for Fifth Third Bank. The arena opened in 1989. It is home to the University of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team. It is located in the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, which was the name of the arena as...
, was completed.
The arena underwent a $14,000,000 renovation project in 1997 and is still in use. The current main tenant is the Cincinnati Cyclones
Cincinnati Cyclones
The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....
, of the ECHL. The Cincinnati Jungle Kats
Cincinnati Jungle Kats
The Cincinnati Jungle Kats were an af2 team that played its home games at the U.S. Bank Arena. Their only year in existence was 2007. The team is not to be confused with the The Marshals , the NIFL club that was the arena's former tenant, who changed their name to "The Marshals" and moved to Hara...
, of the arenafootball2 league, played their one and only season at the arena in 2007, posting a record of 1–15.
On occasion, there are local pushes for the attraction of another major sports franchise to occupy the arena, possibly an NBA or NHL franchise either relocated or expanded, though little has ever come to fruition. The NBA was last played in Cincinnati in 1972
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and never at this facility, aside from exhibition games.
Until the construction of the University of Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena and Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...
's The Bank of Kentucky Center, commencement ceremonies for these schools were held at the facility.
1979 The Who concert tragedy
On December 3, 1979, eleven persons (Peter D. Bowes, 18; Teva R. Ladd, 27; David J. Heck, 19; Connie S. Burns, 18; James T. Warmoth, 21; Bryan J. Wagner, 17; Karen L. Morrison, 15; Jacqueline L. Eckerle, 15; Walter H. Adams, Jr., 22; Stephen M. Preston, 19; Phillip K. Snyder, 20) were killed by compressive asphyxia and 26 other persons were injured in a rush for seating at the opening of a sold-out rock concert by the EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. On that evening, there were a total of 18,348 ticketed fans attending (3,578 reserved seats (sections 111 – 118), 14,770 general admission seats). The concert was using "festival seating
Festival seating
In live entertainment, there are several possible schemes for the seating assignment of spectators. There are several schemes which are most commonly used, though there are no hard and fast rules and alternate or modified schemes are sometimes used as is suitable to the event.-Reserved seating:In a...
", (also known as "general seating"), where the seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors. Some at the front of the crowd were either trampled or squeezed to death standing up as those pushing from behind were unaware that the doors were still closed. Only a few doors were in operation that night, and there are reports that management did not open more doors due to union restrictions and the concern of people gate-crashing the ticket turnstiles.
As a result, the remaining concerts of 1979, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
on December 14 and Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
on December 21, were cancelled and concert venues across North America switched to reserved seating or changed their rules about festival seating. Cincinnati immediately outlawed festival seating at concerts. After establishment of a crowd control task force by Cincinnati mayor Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell
John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician and activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1979 to 1980 and Ohio Secretary of State from 1999 to 2007. A Republican, he was the first African-American to be the candidate for governor of a major party in Ohio. In 2006, Blackwell...
, the first concert held at the facility since the tragedy was ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
on March 21, 1980 on their Expect No Quarter Tour.
On August 4, 2004, Cincinnati City Council unanimously overturned the ban because it placed the city at a disadvantage for booking concerts. Many music acts prefer festival seating because it could allow the most enthusiastic fans to get near the stage and generate excitement for the rest of the crowd. The city had previously made a one-time exception to the ban, allowing festival seating for a Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
concert on November 12, 2002. Cincinnati was, for a time, the only city in the United States to outlaw festival seating altogether.
Other events
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
and special guest Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
on the Win, Lose Or Draw Tour
Win, Lose Or Draw Tour
The Win, Lose Or Draw Tour was a 1975 concert tour by the American rock group The Allman Brothers Band. The tour began on August 27 in Foxboro, Massachusetts and ended on December 31 in Lakeland, Florida.-Tour Dates:...
on September 9, 1975 attended by 16,721 persons.
In 1987 the facility hosted the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
.
The arena was the site of the Regional of the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
and 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 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, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, as well as a first and second round site for the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1988 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 17, 1988, and ended with the championship game on April 4 returning to Kansas City, Missouri...
and the 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
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...
. The arena was also host to the 1997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
Final Four, as well as the 1996 men's Division I hockey Frozen Four, which was won by Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
The venue hosted part of the 1981 and all of the 1992 Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
men's basketball conference tournament as well as the 1978, 1983, 2002, and 2004 Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
men's basketball tournaments; the Atlantic Ten Conference
Atlantic Ten Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' eastern seaboard. It also has two member schools in Ohio: Dayton and Xavier, located in Dayton and Cincinnati, respectively. Another member, Saint Louis is located in St. Louis, Missouri...
also held its tourney there in 2005 and did so again in 2006.
The arena hosted WCW Souled Out in 2000, WWE Cyber Sunday
Cyber Sunday (2006)
Cyber Sunday was the first annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 5, 2006 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 7,000 fans attending...
in 2006, and TNA Lockdown
Lockdown (2011)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on April 17, 2011 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the seventh event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2011 TNA PPV schedule...
in 2011. It has also hosted a number of WWE Monday Night Raw & WWE Friday Night Smackdown tapings including a Raw on Sept 13, 2010 where Chad Ochocinco hosted.
UFC 77
UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...
was also held at the arena in 2007 and was headlined by local fighter Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin
Rich Jay Franklin II is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion.-Background:...
and the Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov
Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce that served as the Heavyweight Tournament semifinals. The event aired live on Showtime. The event took place on September 10, 2011 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio....
event was held at the arena on September 10, 2011.
The PBR's Built Ford Tough Series
Built Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
tour hosted an event at the arena in 2005 and 2008.
The arena will host the opening and closing ceremonies to the 2012 World Choir Games
World Choir Games
The World Choir Games is the largest choir competition in the world. Organized for amateur choirs from all over the world, regardless of their country of origin, race, genre of music or artistic ambitions, its motto is "Singing together brings nations together"...
that are being held in Cincinnati.
See also
- WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
2/11/80 episode "In Concert"