Freedom Hall

This article is about the venue in Louisville. For the venue in Johnson City, Tennessee, see Freedom Hall Civic Center.

Freedom Hall
Tenants

Location	Freedom Way 937 Phillips Lane Louisville, KY 40209
Operator	Kentucky State Fair Board
Capacity	18,865 (basketball) 19,200 (concerts)
Opened	1956
Louisville Cardinals, men (NCAA) (1956-2010) Louisville Cardinals, women (NCAA) (1975-2010) Louisville Rebels (IHL) (1957-1960) Kentucky Colonels (ABA) (1968-1976) Louisville Fire (af2) (2001-2008) Louisville Panthers (AHL) (1999-2001) NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament (1958-1959, 1962-1963, 1967, 1969) 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament SEC/Big East Invitational (2010) Kentucky Stickhorses (NALL) (2012-2013) Kentucky Xtreme (CIFL) (2013-2014) North American Championship Rodeo (PRCA)

Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, serving as the home of the University of Louisville Cardinals men's team from 1956 to 2010, the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association from 1970 until the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976, and the Louisville Cardinals women's team from its inception in 1975 to 2010.^[1] Freedom Hall's last regular tenant was the Kentucky Stickhorses of the North American Lacrosse League, who used it from 2011 until the team folded in 2013.

The arena lost its status as Kentuckiana's main indoor sporting venue when the KFC Yum! Center opened in 2010. It is still used regularly, however, hosting concerts, horse shows, conventions, and basketball games.

History

Freedom Hall was completed in 1956 in the newly opened Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Downtown Louisville. It received its name as the result of a statewide essay contest sponsored by the State Fair Board and the American Legion. Charlotte Owens, a senior at DuPont Manual High School, submitted the winning entry over 6,500 others.^[2] Designed for the nation's premier equestrian competition, the Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show, the floor length and permanent seating were designed specifically for the almost 300-foot (91 m)-long show ring (in comparison, a regulation hockey rink is 200 feet (61 m) long, and a basketball court is only 94 feet). The North American International Livestock Exposition also is held there each November. Muhammad Ali fought his first professional fight at Freedom Hall when he won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker.

Kentucky Colonels (ABA)

The Kentucky Colonels fielded successful teams during their tenure at Freedom Hall, winning the American Basketball Association (ABA) Championship in the 1974-75 season and reaching the ABA Finals two other times. The 1970-71 team played in the ABA Championship Finals, losing to the Utah Stars in 7 games. The 1972-73 team advanced to the Finals again, losing to the Indiana Pacers in 7 games. The Colonels were dispanded when the ABA merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. Hall of Fame players Dan Issel and Artis Gilmore played for the Colonels during their successful run. Hall of Fame Coach Hubie Brown coached the Colonels Championship team.^[3]

In 1984 the facility was refurbished, including lowering the floor to allow maximum capacity to increase from 16,664 to 18,865 for basketball. It was the full-time home of Cardinal men's basketball from the 1957-58 season to 2010, with the team winning 82% of home games in 50+ seasons. U of L was ranked in the Top 5 in attendance for the past 25 years, with 16 of the last 19 years averaging more than 100% of capacity.

In addition to being the home of the Cardinals, Freedom Hall has hosted NCAA Tournament games ten times, including six Final Fours between 1958 and 1969. The arena has also hosted 11 conference tournaments, nine Metro Conference Tournaments and two Conference USA tournaments—2001 and 2003. It has also hosted the Kentucky Boys' High School State Basketball Tournament (also known as the Sweet 16) 23 times, including every year from 1965-1978. In 1984, the floor of the arena was lowered about 10 feet (3.0 m) to increase the capacity of the arena from 16,613 to its current figure. In the 1996-97 season Freedom Hall averaged an attendance of 19,590 surpassing arena capacity. Freedom Hall hosts the Championship tractor pull every February during the National Farm Machinery Show.

In November 2008 the Louisville Fire of af2 ceased operations. The Louisville Fire was an Arena Football team who played in Freedom Hall.

On the lower level is the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame" where an engraved bronze plaque honors each inductee.^[4]

The University of Louisville men's basketball team played their final game at FH in front of a record crowd of 20,138 on March 6, 2010 against Syracuse University, the #1 ranked team in the nation; Louisville won in an upset 78-68.

The arena began to gain new tenants in 2012 with the addition of the Kentucky Stickhorses, and in 2013, with the addition of the Kentucky Xtream. However, the Kentucky Stickhorses folded in 2014 after the lack of wins and th lack of attendance. The Kentucky Xtream was suspended in the middle of the season, with other teams playing their remaining games as the team's fate is still in the air.

Gallery

Year	Average Attendance	Games	Percent of capacity
UofL Men's Basketball Attendance by Year
1997/98	18,669	14	98.96%
1998/99	19,055	14	101.0%
1999/00	19,180	15	101.2%
2000/01	17,457	16	92.53%
2001/02	18,929	19	100.3%
2002/03	19,037	18	101.0%
2003/04	19,443	15	103.1%
2004/05	18,746	17	99.36%
2005/06	18,316	22	97.09%
2006/07	18,488	20	98%
2007/08	19,481	17	103.3%

Freedom Hall at a distance
2008
2008

References

↑ "Records: Home/Attendance" (PDF). 2010–11 Louisville Cardinals Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Louisville Sports information. p. 159. Retrieved March 5, 2011. The women's team used Freedom Hall as its primary home from its first season, 1975–76, through 1980–81. It then began using a series of smaller arenas, both on campus and off, for nearly two decades, though it used Freedom Hall at least once every season except in 1993–94. The team again made Freedom Hall its primary home starting in 1998–99.
↑ http://kyexpo.org/history.html
↑ http://www.remembertheaba.com/Kentucky-Colonels.html
↑ Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame - Walls of Fame at Freedom Hall

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freedom Hall.

Coordinates: 38°12′1.06″N 85°44′30.79″W / 38.2002944°N 85.7418861°W / 38.2002944; -85.7418861

Preceded by first arena	Home of the Kentucky Stickhorses 2012	Succeeded by current

Kentucky Colonels

Based in Louisville, Kentucky

The Franchise	Franchise Players Executives

Arenas	Louisville Gardens Freedom Hall

Head Coaches	John Givens Gene Rhodes Alex Groza Frank Ramsey Joe Mullaney Babe McCarthy Hubie Brown

History	1975 ABA Champions 1971 ABA Runner Up 1973 ABA Runner Up Penny Ann Early ABA–NBA merger

ABA All-Time Team Players	Darel Carrier Louie Dampier Artis Gilmore Dan Issel Maurice Lucas

Seasons	1967-68 1968-69 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 1972-73 1973-74 1974-75 1975-76

American Basketball Association seasons

Seasons	1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76

Playoffs	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

All-Star Games	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

Champions Awards and honors ABA–NBA merger (1976 ABA Dispersal Draft)

Louisville Cardinals men's basketball

Venues	Jefferson County Armory (1945–1956) Freedom Hall (1956–2010) KFC Yum! Center (2010–present)

Rivalries	Kentucky Memphis

Culture & lore	History Cardinal Bird The Rivalry: Red v. Blue

People	Head coaches Notable players

Seasons	1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

NAIA and NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

College basketball venues in Kentucky

Division I

ACC	KFC Yum! Center (Louisville)

C-USA	E. A. Diddle Arena (WKU)

Horizon	BB&T Arena (Northern Kentucky)

OVC	CFSB Center (Murray State) Ellis Johnson Arena (Morehead State) Alumni Coliseum (Eastern Kentucky)

SEC	Rupp Arena (Kentucky men) Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky women)

Division II

G-MAC	Alumni Gymnasium (Georgetown) Owensboro Sports Center (Kentucky Wesleyan)

GLVC	Knights Hall (Bellarmine)

SIAC	William Exum Center (Kentucky State)

Division III

Heartland	Clive M. Beck Center (Transylvania)

Presidents	Connor Convocation Center (Thomas More)

SAA	Alumni Gymnasium (Centre)

NAIA

Appalachian	John M. Robsion Arena (Union)

KIAC	Campus Center (Brescia) George E. Luce Physical Activities Center (Asbury) Grady Nutt Athletic Center (Alice Lloyd) Marshall Gymnasium (Midway) Seabury Center (Berea)

Mid-South	Biggers Sports Center (Lindsey Wilson) Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center (Pikeville) Lourdes Hall (St. Catharine) O. Wayne Rollins Center (Cumberlands) Powell Athletic Center (Campbellsville)

North American Lacrosse League

Teams	Baltimore Bombers Boston Rockhoppers Kentucky Stickhorses Rhode Island Kingfish

Venues	Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena New England Sports Center Freedom Hall

Related Articles: Box lacrosse Lacrosse National Lacrosse League Major League Lacrosse Professional Lacrosse League

Music venues of Kentucky

Theaters and clubs	The Kentucky Center The Louisville Palace Mountain Arts Center Paramount Arts Center

Arenas	Eastern Kentucky Expo Center Freedom Hall KFC Yum! Center Louisville Gardens Rupp Arena

Festivals	Abbey Road on the River Cropped Out Festival of the Bluegrass Forecastle Festival Ichthus Music Festival

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