USF Sun Dome
Encyclopedia
The USF Sun Dome is a 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) multi-purpose facility, on the campus of the University of South Florida
, in Tampa, Florida
. It was built, starting in 1977 and was completed on November 29, 1980.
It is located on the southeastern side of campus, and is home to the men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams.
The Sun Dome is a multi-purpose facility, hosting approximately 300 different events each year, including sporting events, concerts, home and garden shows, trade shows, religious services and conventions, ethnic festivals, rodeos, bull riding competitions, youth sports camps, wrestling, boxing, Taekwondo tournaments, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, commencement ceremonies, lectures and political rallies among other corporate, community and university events.
It also held live events by WWE
, such as Saturday Night's Main Event in December 1985, and the 1995 Royal Rumble
. The UFC also made their debut in the arena in February 2009 with UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs Stephens.
The Sun Dome was one of the few arenas in the United States to be created with an inflated roof. Airlocks kept the interior pressurized and the roof up. This system was replaced in 2000 with a 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) Teflon coated roof supported by a futuristic steel space frame that peaks 115 feet (35.1 m) above the arena floor. State of the art video screens were added in time for the USF Men's Basketball Team's 2005-2006 season.
On June 8, 2011, the USF Board of Trustees approved a renovation of $35.6 million to the Sun Dome. The renovation plans include a reconfiguration of seating, adding a center hung scoreboard, adding a concourse level with concessions and restrooms, and restoration to the existing exterior concrete. The project is to begin immediately and should be completed by April 2012. Both the men's and women's basketball programs will play at other venues in the Tampa Bay area for the 2011-2012 seasons, as well as commencement ceremonies.
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. It was built, starting in 1977 and was completed on November 29, 1980.
It is located on the southeastern side of campus, and is home to the men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams.
The Sun Dome is a multi-purpose facility, hosting approximately 300 different events each year, including sporting events, concerts, home and garden shows, trade shows, religious services and conventions, ethnic festivals, rodeos, bull riding competitions, youth sports camps, wrestling, boxing, Taekwondo tournaments, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions, commencement ceremonies, lectures and political rallies among other corporate, community and university events.
It also held live events by 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...
, such as Saturday Night's Main Event in December 1985, and the 1995 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
. The UFC also made their debut in the arena in February 2009 with UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs Stephens.
The Sun Dome was one of the few arenas in the United States to be created with an inflated roof. Airlocks kept the interior pressurized and the roof up. This system was replaced in 2000 with a 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²) Teflon coated roof supported by a futuristic steel space frame that peaks 115 feet (35.1 m) above the arena floor. State of the art video screens were added in time for the USF Men's Basketball Team's 2005-2006 season.
On June 8, 2011, the USF Board of Trustees approved a renovation of $35.6 million to the Sun Dome. The renovation plans include a reconfiguration of seating, adding a center hung scoreboard, adding a concourse level with concessions and restrooms, and restoration to the existing exterior concrete. The project is to begin immediately and should be completed by April 2012. Both the men's and women's basketball programs will play at other venues in the Tampa Bay area for the 2011-2012 seasons, as well as commencement ceremonies.
Trivia
- With a capacity of 10,411, the Sun Dome was Tampa's largest arena until the completion of the Ice Palace (now the St. Pete Times Forum)St. Pete Times ForumThe St. Pete Times Forum is an arena in Tampa, Florida, that has been used for ice hockey, basketball, and arena football games, as well as concerts....
in 1996. - Original cost: $12 million
- Renovated in 93-94 for $5 million
- New roof installed in 2000 at a cost of $8 million
- First events: USF vs Florida A&M men’s basketball; Alice Cooper in concert