Oklahoma State Fair Arena
| The Big House | |
| Former names | Jim Norick State Fair Arena, Oklahoma State Fair Arena |
|---|---|
| Address | 333 Gordon Cooper Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73107 |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA |
| Owner | City of Oklahoma City |
| Operator | Oklahoma State Fair Park |
| Capacity | 10,944 |
| Opened | 1965 |
Jim Norick Arena (originally Jim Norick State Fair Arena, commonly State Fair Arena and nicknamed The Big House) is a large multi-purpose arena located at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It seats approximately 8,500 in its usual configuration.
The formal name of the arena at its opening was the Jim Norick State Fair Arena, named for the city's mayor at the time. The building was also unique in that it had the largest roof of its type in the world. It is the third largest city-owned multi-purpose arena, after Chesapeake Energy Arena and the arena at Cox Convention Center.
It has hosted the state high school basketball playoffs in the past and was home to the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL from 1965-1977.
The Grateful Dead's performance on October 19, 1973, was recorded and later released as Dick's Picks Volume 19.
Today, it is used primarily to host events such as rodeos, horse-shows and other equine events, as well as a backup facility for concerts and sporting events. Most recently, it hosted Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour Tour in 2015; it was his first Oklahoma concert. Coordinates: 35°28′14″N 97°34′24″W / 35.470604°N 97.573438°W
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