United Spirit Arena
Encyclopedia
United Spirit Arena is a multi-purpose arena
on the campus of Texas Tech University
in Lubbock, Texas
. The 15,020-seat arena opened in 1999 and is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball
and Texas Tech Red Raiders women's volleyball teams. United Supermarkets
, a Lubbock based supermarket
chain with numerous stores in West Texas
and North Texas
, was a major financial contributor and was granted naming rights to the building. Prior to the building of the arena, the teams played in the nearby City Bank Coliseum.
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 Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. The 15,020-seat arena opened in 1999 and is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball
Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball
The Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team is coached by Kristy Curry who is in her fourth season at the university.-History:...
and Texas Tech Red Raiders women's volleyball teams. United Supermarkets
United Supermarkets
United Supermarkets is a Lubbock, Texas based supermarket chain whose roots go back to 1916, when H.D. Snell opened his first United Cash Store in Sayre, Oklahoma. Today, his legacy has grown to include 50 stores in 30 Texas cities and over 10,000 workers....
, a Lubbock based supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain with numerous stores in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
and North Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
, was a major financial contributor and was granted naming rights to the building. Prior to the building of the arena, the teams played in the nearby City Bank Coliseum.
Notable events
- The first basketball game was played in the arena on November 19, 1999. Texas TechTexas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
lost 68-60 to IndianaIndiana Hoosiers men's basketballThe Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
, whose legendary coach Bob Knight would later become the head coach of Texas Tech's men's basketball team. - Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's performance on February 8, 2000 was the first concert to be held at United Spirit Arena. - In the summer of 2002, Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
brought her Dream Within a Dream TourDream Within a Dream TourThe Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It promoted her third studio album Britney in North America and Japan. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel...
to the arena. After the second song, "(You Drive Me) Crazy(You Drive Me) Crazy" Crazy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger for Spears' debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on August 23, 1999 by Jive Records, as the third single from the...
", a power outage occurred and the rest of the concert had to be canceled. Spears, along with her tour manager, came onstage to explain the situation to the sold out crowd. Due to Spears being overbooked for the entire tour, there was no time to reschedule the concert. - United Spirit Arena hosted WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
RAW (the first RAW ever to be hosted in Lubbock) in May 2006. - On January 1, 2007, a 70-68 defeat of New Mexico by Texas Tech marked the 880th total win for Bob Knight, making him the winningest coach in men's college basketball history.
- On May 4, 2007, the Houston CometsHouston CometsThe Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
with former Lady Raiders Sheryl SwoopesSheryl SwoopesSheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball player who, subsequent to being waived into free agency, signed to re-join the WNBA to play with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and...
and Erin Grant played a WNBAWomen's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
exhibition game against the Detroit ShockDetroit ShockThe Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
with Plenette PiersonPlenette PiersonPlenette Pierson is a professional WNBA player for the New York Liberty. In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA.-College:...
, also a former Lady Raider. - On October 14th, 2011, Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
made her first ever appearance at the United Spirit Arena with her Speak Now World TourSpeak Now World TourSpeak Now World Tour is the second concert tour by American country singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, in support of her third studio album, Speak Now. The tour visited Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia...
. Tickets for the show were sold out within twenty minutes after going on sale, the fastest sell-out in United Spirit Arena history.