Colonial Life Arena
 | |
| Location | 801 Lincoln St Columbia, SC 29208 |
|---|---|
| Owner | University of South Carolina |
| Operator | U.S.C. & Global Spectrum |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 22, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $64 million |
| Tenants | |
| South Carolina Gamecocks (Men's & Women's Basketball) | |
The Colonial Center is a multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, primarily home to the University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball teams. Opened in 2002 as a replacement for the Carolina Coliseum, the 18,000 seat arena is also host various events like conferences, concerts, and graduation ceremonies throughout the year. It is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina and the tenth largest college arena.
The naming rights are held by Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company of Columbia, a subsidiary of Chattanooga, Tennessee-based insurance company UnumProvident.
History and Use
The arena first opened on November 22, 2002 with the season opener of the South Carolina women's basketball team. A sell-out crowd of 17,712 fans saw the 72-58 Gamecocks victory over in-state rival Clemson. The official grand opening took place December 2, 2002. The men's basketball team defeated Temple 66-47.
Aside from Gamecock basketball, the Colonial Center also hosts the South Carolina High School Basketball Championships each year. The facility is built to also host ice hockey games, but because of legal issues with the funding for the facility, has yet to host one.
The Colonial Center was ranked 22nd in the world in ticket sales in 2003 [1]. It was also ranked the #1 arena in the Carolinas and was the #2 rated university arena in the world in 2005, based on ticket sales for touring shows [2].
It is managed by Global Spectrum, whose Philadelphia 76ers played an exhibition game in the venue in October 2005.
Criticism & Controversy
The venue was built to host future NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament games, but before the venue opened, it was banned from such use by the NCAA under a policy enacted shortly before construction began banning venues in South Carolina and Mississippi from hosting such events under recommendations from the NAACP. The NAACP and several other groups objected to South Carolina hosting NCAA tournament games because of a Confederate Rebel Flag on a soldiers' memorial nearby on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.
The arena has been criticized for being too large for Gamecock basketball, considering the team has not won an NCAA tournament game since 1973, and has struggled since 1974. While some non-conference games attract no more than 10,000, over 14,000 typically show up for SEC games, including several 17,500+ crowds, and sellouts annually for Kentucky, and the biennial game against Clemson. The basketball program has won the past two National Invitational Tournaments.
Other Events
Other events included Disney on Ice, Sesame Street, American Idols Live !, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Some of the arists that have performed in the Colonial Center so far are Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (first artist to perform at venue), Britney Spears, and Elton John among others.
The University of South Carolina holds most of its commencement exercises in the Colonial Center. The first commencement speaker for ceremonies at the Colonial Center was President George W. Bush in 2003.