CURE Insurance Arena facts for kids
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| Former names | Sovereign Bank Arena (1999–2009) Sun National Bank Center (2009–2017) |
|---|---|
| Location | 81 Hamilton Avenue Trenton, NJ 08611 USA |
| Public transit |   River Lineat Hamilton Avenue |
| Owner | Mercer County Improvement Authority |
| Operator | Oak View Group |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 7,605 Basketball: 8,600 Concerts: 8,500 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 2, 1997 |
| Opened | October 6, 1999 |
| Construction cost | $53 million ($93.1 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Sink Combs Dethlefs Vitetta Group |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers |
| Services engineer | French & Parrello Associates, P.A. |
| General contractor | Gilbane Building Company |
| Tenants | |
| Trenton Titans/Trenton Devils (ECHL) (1999–2013) Trenton Shooting Stars (IBL) (1999–2001) Trenton Lightning (IPFL) (2001) Philadelphia Passion (LFL) (2009–2011) Trenton Steel (SIFL) (2011) New Jersey Rascals (PLL) (2012) Trenton Freedom (PIFL) (2014–2015) Jersey Flight (NAL) (2018–2022) TCNJ Lions (ACHA) (2021–2022) Trenton Terror (PBLA) (2022–2023) Philadelphia Soul (AFL) (2024) |
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The CURE Insurance Arena is a large building in Trenton, New Jersey. It is a place where many different events happen. You can watch exciting sports games, big concerts, and fun family shows here.
This arena is the biggest in Central New Jersey. It can hold 7,605 people for ice hockey games. For basketball games, 8,600 fans can cheer on their teams. When there are concerts or other shows, up to 10,500 people can attend. The arena is easy to get to, located right next to the Hamilton Avenue station for the NJ Transit River Line. An organization called Oak View Group manages the arena.
Contents
Arena History and Exciting Events
The arena first opened its doors on October 6, 1999. Back then, it was known as the Sovereign Bank Arena. Its very first event was a World Wrestling Federation show. In 2009, its name changed to Sun National Bank Center.
Since it opened, over 1,200 events have taken place here. More than 4 million guests have visited the arena. Many famous performers have sold out shows, including Bruce Springsteen, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Cher, Elton John, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber. The arena also hosted the final regular season games of the 2018 JBA season.
Professional Box Lacrosse Games
The Trenton Terror is a team in the Professional Box Lacrosse Association. This team played its first game at the arena on December 30, 2022. They played against the New England Chowderheads in an exciting match that went into overtime.
Men's College Basketball Tournaments
The arena has been home to several important college basketball tournaments. It hosted the Northeast Conference men's basketball tournaments in 2000 and 2001. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament also took place here in 2003.
A very special basketball game happened at the arena, featuring two future basketball superstars. It was a game between Oak Hill Academy and Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School. This game showcased a matchup between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and was even shown on national television.
Women's College Basketball Tournaments
The CURE Insurance Arena has also hosted major women's college basketball events. In 2006, it was the site for the first and second rounds of the 2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. Later, in 2009, the arena hosted the Trenton Regional of the 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. The University of Connecticut team played here on their way to the Women's Final Four.
Men's Club Ice Hockey
In 2021, The College of New Jersey's club ice hockey team started playing some of its home games at the arena. The team later used the arena as their main home venue for the rest of the season. As champions of their conference, the Lions hosted the 2022 Colonial Cup Playoffs at the arena. They made it to the championship game before losing to the University of Pennsylvania.
Professional Wrestling Events
The arena has been a popular spot for professional wrestling fans. On August 10, 2008, it hosted Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) 8th Hard Justice event. More recently, on July 21, 2023, the arena hosted Ring of Honor's 20th Death Before Dishonor event.
College Wrestling Championships
The CURE Insurance Arena hosted the 2025 MAC Wrestling Championships on March 7-8, 2025.
See also
- List of New Jersey music venues by capacity
