U.S. Bank Arena

US Bank Arena

U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio
Former names	Riverfront Coliseum (1975-1997) The Crown (1997-1999) Firstar Center (1999-2002)
Location	100 Broadway Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-3514
Coordinates	39°5′52″N 84°30′16″W / 39.09778°N 84.50444°WCoordinates: 39°5′52″N 84°30′16″W / 39.09778°N 84.50444°W
Owner	Nederlander Entertainment and Anschutz Entertainment Group
Operator	Anschutz Entertainment Group
Capacity	Concert: 17,556 Basketball: 17,000 Ice hockey / Arena football: 14,453
Construction
Broke ground	November 12, 1973[1]
Opened	September 9, 1975
Construction cost	$20 million[2] ($88 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect	Pattee Architects, Inc.[4]
Structural engineer	Clark Engineering Corporation[4]
General contractor	Universal Contracting Corp.[4]
Tenants
Cincinnati Stingers (WHA) (1975–1979) Cincinnati Bearcats (NCAA) (1976–1987) Cincinnati Kids (MISL) (1978–1979) Cincinnati Tigers (CHL) (1981–1982) Cincinnati Rockers (AFL) (1992–1993) Cincinnati Silverbacks (NPSL) (1997–1998) Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) (1997–2004, 2006–present) Cincinnati Stuff (IBL) (1999–2001) Cincinnati Swarm (AF2) (2003) Cincinnati Marshals (NIFL) (2004–2006) Cincinnati Jungle Kats (AF2) (2007)

U.S. Bank Arena (formerly Riverfront Coliseum) is an indoor arena located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River, next to the Great American Ball Park. It was completed in September 1975, and named Riverfront Coliseum because of its placement next to Riverfront Stadium. The arena seats 17,556 people (in the round). It is the largest indoor arena in the Greater Cincinnati region with 346,100 square feet in area.

It was the home of the Cincinnati Stingers, of the WHA, from 1975 to 1979. Since then, the arena has hosted two minor league hockey teams and various concerts, political rallies, tennis tournaments, figure skating, professional wrestling, a Billy Graham Crusade and other events. The facility's longest-serving tenant was the men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati, which used the arena from its completion until 1987, when U.C. played its games at Cincinnati Gardens (1987–89), until an on-campus facility (Shoemaker Center), now known as Fifth Third Arena, was completed. It will also become home to the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament serving as the Midwest Regional with Miami University the host school.

The arena underwent a $14 million renovation project in 1997 and is still in use. The current main tenant is the Cincinnati Cyclones, of the ECHL.

On occasion, there are local pushes for the attraction of another major sports franchise to occupy the arena, possibly an NBA or NHL franchise either relocated or expanded, though little has ever come to fruition.^[5] The Cincinnati Royals left Cincinnati in 1972, and were the last NBA team to call Cincinnati their home. The Cleveland Cavaliers have played a preseason game at U.S. Bank Arena, however.^[6]

Until the construction of the University of Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena and Northern Kentucky University's The Bank of Kentucky Center, commencement ceremonies for these schools were held at the facility.

Owners

• Brian and Albert Heekin (1975–1997)^[7]
• Cincinnati Entertainment Associates (1997–2001)^[8]
• Nederlander Entertainment (2001–present)^[9]
• Anschutz Entertainment Group (2011–present)^[10]

Notable events

1979 The Who concert tragedy

On December 3, 1979, 11 teenagers and young adults (Peter D. Bowes, 18; Teva R. Ladd, 27; David J. Heck, 19; Connie S. Burns, 18; James T. Warmoth, 21; Bryan J. Wagner, 17; Karen L. Morrison, 15; Jacqueline L. Eckerle, 15; Walter H. Adams, Jr., 22; Stephen M. Preston, 19; Phillip K. Snyder, 20) were killed by compressive asphyxia and 26 other persons were injured in a rush for seating at the opening of a sold-out rock concert by the English rock band The Who.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]} On that evening, there were a total of 18,348 ticketed fans attending (3,578 reserved seats (sections 111 – 118), 14,770 general admission seats). The concert was using "festival seating",^[17] (also known as "general seating"), where the seats are available on a first come-first served basis. When the waiting fans outside the Coliseum heard the band performing a late sound check, they thought that the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors. Some at the front of the crowd were either trampled or squeezed to death standing up as those pushing from behind were unaware that the doors were still closed. Only a few doors were in operation that night, and there are reports that management did not open more doors due to union restrictions and the concern of people gate-crashing the ticket turnstiles.^[18][19]

As a result, the remaining concerts of 1979, Blue Öyster Cult on December 14 and Aerosmith on December 21, were canceled^[20] and concert venues across North America switched to reserved seating or changed their rules about festival seating. Cincinnati immediately outlawed festival seating at concerts. After establishment of a crowd control task force by Cincinnati mayor Ken Blackwell, the first concert held at the facility after the tragedy was ZZ Top with the Rockets on March 21, 1980 on ZZ Top's Expect No Quarter Tour.^[21]

On August 4, 2004, Cincinnati City Council unanimously overturned the ban because it placed the city at a disadvantage for booking concerts.^[22] Many music acts prefer festival seating because it could allow the most enthusiastic fans to get near the stage and generate excitement for the rest of the crowd. The city had previously made a one-time exception to the ban, allowing festival seating for a Bruce Springsteen concert on November 12, 2002. Cincinnati was, for a time, the only city in the United States to outlaw festival seating altogether.

Other events

Cincinnati Cyclones vs. Evansville IceMen on March 30, 2013.

The first entertainment event (Opening Night) to be staged at the facility was a rock concert by The Allman Brothers Band and special guest Muddy Waters on the Win, Lose Or Draw Tour on September 9, 1975 attended by 16,721 persons.^[23][24]

On June 25, 1977, Elvis Presley gave his second-to-last concert in the Riverfront Coliseum. 17,140 persons attended the concert.

In 1987, the facility hosted the World Figure Skating Championships.

The arena was the site of the Regional of the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, as well as a first and second round site for the 1988 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The arena was also host to the 1997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship Final Four, as well as the 1996 men's Division I hockey Frozen Four, which was won by Michigan.

The venue hosted part of the 1981 and all of the 1992 Horizon League men's basketball conference tournament as well as the 1978 and 1983 Metro Conference and the 2002 and 2004 Conference USA men's basketball tournaments; the Atlantic 10 Conference also held its tourney there in 2005 and did so again in 2006.

The arena hosted WCW Souled Out in 2000, WWE Cyber Sunday in 2006, and TNA Lockdown in 2011. It has also hosted a number of WWE Raw & WWE Friday Night SmackDown tapings including a Raw on Sept 13, 2010 where Chad Ochocinco hosted. Prior to the July 30, 2012 live episode of Raw at the arena, an incident involving the pyrotechnic system caused fans to evacuate the arena briefly, but the show later commenced as planned.^[25]

UFC 77 was held at the arena on October 20, 2007 and was headlined by local fighter Rich Franklin. The UFC returned to the arena for the second time on May 10, 2014 with UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva. The Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov event was held at the arena on September 10, 2011.^[26] The arena hosted the opening and closing ceremonies to the 2012 World Choir Games that were held in Cincinnati.^[27][28]

See also

• WKRP in Cincinnati February 11, 1980 episode "In Concert"

References

1. "Cincinnati Begins Huge Sports Coliseum". Middlesboro Daily News. November 13, 1973.
2. Frutig, Judith (August 10, 1975). "Cincinnati: One of America's 'Best-Kept Secrets'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
3. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
4. "U.S. Bank Arena". Emporis.com. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
5. Jefferson, Don (June 6, 2007). "CityBeat Letters: Any Hope for NBA in Cincinnati?". CityBeat. Retrieved November 27, 2008.
6. "Cleveland Cavaliers VS. Philadelphia 76ers". U.S. Bank Arena. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
7. PUTTING ON CROWNING TOUCH
8. Firstar Center has seen both highs and lows
9. Firstar Center sold to ex-owner
10. AEG, Nederlander partner to own U.S. Bank Arena, Cyclones
11. "Stampede Kills 11 Persons At Coliseum Rock Concert". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 4, 1979. p. A1.
12. "Too Few Doors, Angry Crowd; 11 Die in Coliseum Stampede". The Cincinnati Post. December 4, 1979. p. 1.
13. "Rock & Roll Tragedy – Why Eleven Died In Cincinnati". Rolling Stone (309): 1. January 24, 1980.
14. "National Affairs – Cincinnati Stampede". Newsweek. December 17, 1979. pp. 52–53.
15. "The Stampede to Tragedy". Time. December 17, 1979. pp. 88–89.
16. "The Who And Pete Townshend Face A Tour And Face Their Fears After Cincinnati". People 13 (19): 97–102. May 12, 1980.
17. "General Admission 'A Way of Life'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 5, 1979. p. B3.
18. Chertkoff, JM; Kushigian, RH (1999). Don't Panic: The Psychology of Emergency Egress and Ingress. Praeger. pp. 79–83. ISBN 0-275-96268-7.
19. Johnson, Norris R. (October 1987). "Panic at 'The Who Concert Stampede': An Empirical Assessment". Social Problems 34 (4): 362–373. doi:10.1525/sp.1987.34.4.03a00040.
20. "Concert Promoters Cancel Two Events Set For December". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 5, 1979. p. B1.
21. "Concert Crackdown: 130 Arrested; Security Strong, Crowd Happy at Rock's Return". The Cincinnati Post. March 22, 1980. p. 1A.
22. Kemme, Steve (August 5, 2004). "Festival Seating Unanimously OK'd – Council Reassured Who Tragedy Won't Be Repeated". The Cincinnati Enquirer. pp. C1,8. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
23. "Opening Night At Riverfront Coliseum". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 10, 1975. p. A1.
24. "In It's Debut, Coliseum Turns Into Huge Smoke-Filled Room". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 10, 1975. p. B9.
25. "Raw Set Catches Fire, Show Goes On at 8/7 CT". WWE. July 30, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
26. (mixed martial arts)|Strikeforce%5d%5d "Barnett vs. Kharitonov" Check |url= value (help). September 10, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
27. Gelfand, Janelle (July 4, 2012). "City Shines in Welcoming World Choir Games". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
28. Gelfand, Janelle (June 5, 2012). "Idina Menzel to Headline 2012 World Choir Games Closing Ceremony". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved February 12, 2013.

External links

• Official website