GCU Arena facts for kids
| GCU Arena | |
The Grand Canyon University Arena at dusk.
|
|
| Location | 3300 West Camelback Road Phoenix, Arizona 85017 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°30′37″N 112°07′44″W / 33.510152°N 112.128884°W |
| Owner | Grand Canyon University Education Inc. |
| Operator | Grand Canyon University Education Inc. |
| Capacity | 7,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 25, 2010 |
| Opened | September 1, 2011 |
| Architect | 360 Architecture Architekton |
| Structural engineer | Paragon Structural Design |
| Services engineer | Henderson Engineers |
| General contractor | Perini Building Company |
| Tenants | |
| Grand Canyon Antelopes men's & women's basketball | |
The Grand Canyon University Arena (also called GCU Arena) is a large building in Phoenix, Arizona. It has 7,000 seats and is used for many different things. Grand Canyon University owns and runs the arena. It's the home court for the university's men's and women's basketball teams, called the Grand Canyon Antelopes. Many other sports and fun events happen here too.
Contents
History of the GCU Arena
The Grand Canyon University Arena first opened on September 2, 2011. This was only 15 months after the university first announced they would build it. Building the arena was part of a big plan to grow the university campus. This plan cost about $200 million.
The arena was built to host many different kinds of events. These include concerts, shows, talks, and university sports games. It also hosts graduation ceremonies for Grand Canyon University students.
Besides the arena, the university has been building other new things. They are making sports facilities better and adding new classrooms. They are also building more dorms and other learning spaces on campus.
Sports and Fun Events at GCU Arena
The GCU Arena is the main place for Grand Canyon University's men's and women's basketball teams. They are known as the Lopes.
Many different events take place at the GCU Arena. These include concerts by Christian and other music artists. There are also special performances, talks, and sports competitions. The university holds its graduation ceremonies here too.
Some famous groups and events that have been at the arena include:
- Casting Crowns
- David Crowder Band
- Switchfoot
- Pandora’s Unforgettable Moments on Ice
- Lady Antebellum
- Third Day
In 2017, the arena hosted the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championship. This exciting event happened before the big Final Four basketball games.
On October 14, 2012, the arena also hosted a big wrestling event. It was called Bound for Glory by TNA Wrestling.
Inside the GCU Arena
The arena has 7,000 seats for fans. It's a big building, about 135,000-square-foot (12,500 m2) in size. Inside, you'll find five places to buy food, including three pizza ovens. There are also 17 restrooms, four locker rooms for teams, and two escalators. Two elevators and two grand staircases help people move around.
The arena has four large HD video screens. There is also a long digital ribbon board that shows scores and messages. These cool video boards were put in by a company called Innovation Sports Marketing. The main video board is huge, measuring 15 feet (4.6 m) tall and 35 feet (11 m) wide. It weighs about three tons!
The building was designed by two companies: 360 Architecture and Architekton. When the arena was finished, many materials were used. This included 41,000 bricks and 793 tons of steel. There were also 75 miles (121 km) of electrical wires and 2,300 light fixtures.
Some special things about the arena include its large windows. These let in lots of natural light. The ceiling beams were signed by university staff and students. A special vault of Bibles is buried under the center of the court. There's also an outdoor balcony with great views of the campus. To make sure every seat is good, there are only 42 steps from the event floor to the main seating area.
Arena Expansion and Upgrades
Just over three years after it first opened, the GCU Arena closed for a big remodel. This happened on March 3, 2014. The university's sports teams, the Grand Canyon Antelopes, moved to Division I athletics faster than expected. Because of this, the school decided to make the arena bigger.
The arena grew from 5,000 seats to 7,000 seats. This expansion was mainly to have enough seats for the men's basketball games. It also allowed for larger concerts and events.
A famous Arizona sports person, Jerry Colangelo, helped with the expansion. He said that if the university had known they would join Division I so quickly, they would have built the arena bigger from the start.
The arena was supposed to finish its remodel by October 17. But it opened almost six weeks early on August 23! A Switchfoot concert was held as part of the school's Welcome Weekend. The changes included adding an upper-deck seating area. They also added a movable track for the high-definition video display. A new basketball floor was installed too.
