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BB&T Arena facts for kids
This page is about the arena in Kentucky. For the arena in Florida, see BB&T Center (Sunrise, Florida).
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BB&T Arena also referred to as "The Bank"
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| Former names | The Bank of Kentucky Center (2008–2015) |
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| Location | 500 Nunn Drive Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099 |
| Coordinates | 39°01′56″N 84°27′32″W / 39.032273°N 84.458864°W |
| Owner | Northern Kentucky University |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | 9,400 (Basketball) 7–8,000 (Concerts) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 20, 2006 |
| Opened | May 10, 2008 |
| Construction cost | $64 million ($87 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | 360 Architecture GBBN Architects |
| Structural engineer | THP Limited Inc. |
| General contractor | Turner Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Northern Kentucky Norse (NCAA) (2008–present) Northern Kentucky River Monsters (UIFL/CIFL) (2011, 2014) Black-n-Bluegrass Roller Girls (WFTDA) (2012–present) Cincinnati Bearcats (NCAA) (2017–2018) |
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The BB&T Arena is a large building in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It's located right on the campus of Northern Kentucky University (NKU). This arena can hold about 10,000 people! It's a "multi-purpose" arena, which means it's used for many different things.
The arena first opened its doors on May 10, 2008, with NKU's graduation ceremony. Before it was called BB&T Arena, it was known as The Bank of Kentucky Center.
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What Happens at BB&T Arena?
The main teams that play here are the men's and women's basketball teams from NKU. But it's not just for basketball! Many other exciting events happen at the arena.
Cool Events and Shows
Over the years, lots of famous people and shows have visited the arena.
- Music stars like Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, Jay-Z, REO Speedwagon, and Styx have performed here.
- Comedians such as Jeff Dunham, Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy, and Larry the Cable Guy have made people laugh.
- Big productions like Cirque du Soleil and Walking With Dinosaurs have also been staged.
- The arena even hosted a live show of So You Think You Can Dance.
Sports Tournaments
The arena has been home to important sports events too.
- In 2012, it hosted the Elite Eight games for the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship.
- The very first basketball game played at the arena was on November 8, 2008. The NKU men's and women's teams played against Louisville.
- From 2016 to 2018, the arena hosted the KHSAA Girls' Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament. This is a big event for high school basketball teams in Kentucky!
Who Owns the Name?
The name of the arena has changed a couple of times because of sponsorships.
Original Naming Rights
When the arena was first built, The Bank of Kentucky helped pay for it. They agreed to give up to $6 million for the arena's construction. In return, they got the right to name the building "The Bank of Kentucky Center." They also got special perks like a luxury suite and free use of the arena once a year.
Name Change to BB&T Arena
In 2015, a company called BB&T Corp. bought The Bank of Kentucky. Because of this, the arena's name was changed to BB&T Arena. Later, in 2020, BB&T itself was bought by another company called Truist.
Teams That Call It Home
Besides the NKU Norse basketball teams, other sports teams have used the BB&T Arena as their home.
Indoor Football
In 2011, the arena was home to the Northern Kentucky River Monsters. This team played indoor football in a league called the Ultimate Indoor Football League. They played here again in 2014.
Roller Derby
Since 2012, the Black-n-Bluegrass Roller Girls have also played their home games at BB&T Arena. Roller derby is a fast-paced sport played on roller skates!
Temporary Home for Bearcats
For the 2017–2018 basketball season, the Cincinnati Bearcats team played their home games at BB&T Arena. Their usual arena, Fifth Third Arena, was being renovated at the time.