John Paul Jones Arena facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | 295 Massie Road Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°02′46″N 78°30′25″W / 38.046°N 78.507°W |
| Owner | University of Virginia |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | Basketball: 14,593 Concerts: *End stage 180°: 12,467 *End stage 270°: 14,075 *End stage 360°: 15,177 *Center stage: 15,405 *Theatre: 7,352 |
| Record attendance | 15,219 (11/12/06 vs. Arizona) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 30, 2003 |
| Opened | August 1, 2006 |
| Construction cost | $131 million ($208 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | VMDO Architects |
| Structural engineer | Ellerbe Becket |
| General contractor | Barton Malow |
| Tenants | |
| Virginia Cavaliers (Men's & Women's Basketball) |
|
John Paul Jones Arena, often called JPJ, is a large building owned by the University of Virginia. It is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since 2006, it has been the home for the Virginia Cavaliers men's and women's basketball teams. It also hosts many concerts and other exciting events.
JPJ can hold 14,593 fans for basketball games. This makes it the biggest indoor arena in Virginia. It is also the largest basketball arena in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) that is not in a huge city. Sports Illustrated magazine even called JPJ the best new college basketball arena of the 2000s!
The Virginia men's basketball team has a great record at JPJ. As of February 2021, they had won 205 games and lost only 45 there. Under coach Tony Bennett, their record is even better. Fans at JPJ are known for cheering very loudly, especially when their team plays defense. Coach Rick Pitino once said that JPJ has "one of the best home court advantages" he had ever seen. The arena opened for basketball on November 12, 2006. Virginia won their first game against No. 10 ranked Arizona, 93–90.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
History of JPJ
The arena's design looks a bit like ancient Roman buildings. It has special outdoor walkways called pergolas. This design is a modern take on the university's buildings, which are inspired by ancient Greek and Roman styles.
How JPJ Got Its Name
A man named Paul Tudor Jones gave $35 million to help build the arena. He studied economics at the University of Virginia in 1976. Because of his generous gift, he got to choose the arena's name. He decided to name it after his father, John Paul Jones. His father graduated from the University of Virginia's law school in 1948.
Sometimes, people get confused about the name. They might think it's named after the founder of the U.S. Navy, or the bassist from the rock band Led Zeppelin. But it's actually named after Paul Tudor Jones's dad!
Events and Facilities at JPJ
JPJ is not just for basketball. It hosts many different kinds of events. For example, in its first year (2006), it had concerts by the Dave Matthews Band. It also hosted shows like Cirque du Soleil, Larry the Cable Guy, The Wiggles, Disney on Ice, and WWE Monday Night Raw.
The arena also has offices for the staff who manage the building. It has offices for the university's sports media team and dining services. Plus, it has offices for the basketball coaches. There are also practice areas and a sports medicine center for the men's and women's basketball teams.
The very first event at JPJ was Cirque du Soleil's Delirium on August 1, 2006. The official Grand Opening was a two-night concert by the Dave Matthews Band in September 2006. In 2007, JPJ won an award for "Best New Major Concert Venue."
Basketball Games at JPJ
.jpg)
The University of Virginia's basketball teams started playing at John Paul Jones Arena on November 12, 2006. Both teams won their first games! The women's team beat Old Dominion University 92–72. Later that night, the men's team played in front of a huge crowd of 15,219 fans. They beat No. 10 ranked Arizona 93–90, even after being behind by 19 points. Before both games, there were fireworks and the Cavalier mascot even rappelled from the ceiling!
Memorable Wins
On March 1, 2007, the men's team beat Virginia Tech 69–56. This win helped them share first place in the ACC standings that season. They won 16 home games that year, which was a school record for their new arena. They also won all 8 of their home league games, something they hadn't done since 1982.
On February 28, 2013, Virginia surprised No. 3 ranked Duke with a big win. After the game, thousands of fans rushed onto the court to celebrate! The 2012–2013 Cavaliers team set a school record with 18 home wins that season.
On March 1, 2014, Virginia (ranked No. 12) beat No. 4 Syracuse at JPJ. This win meant they won the ACC regular season title all by themselves for the first time since 1980–81. This game also set two new school records: 16 conference wins in a season and 18 straight home conference wins. The Virginia student section, called the "Hoo Crew," also won the 2014 Naismith Student Section of the Year award that day!
On December 21, 2014, Virginia set an NCAA record at JPJ. They only allowed Harvard to make one basket in the first half of a game! Virginia won 76–27 against Harvard, which was a very good team that year.
JPJ is known for having one of the best home-court advantages in college basketball. Coach Rick Pitino said that the UVA crowd is "on top of you." He also praised how Virginia fans stand up and cheer loudly for their team's defense. He said, "I have not seen that in my 40 years of college basketball.”
The "76–27" Score
It's pretty rare, but two Virginia teams have won games at JPJ with the exact score of 76–27! This means they won by 49 points. On December 20, 2014, the No. 6 ranked men's team beat Harvard 76–27. Harvard was a strong team that had been ranked in the top 25. Then, on January 26, 2017, the unranked UVA women's team upset No. 19 Virginia Tech by the same score, 76–27. In both games, Virginia's strong defense made their opponents take many difficult shots, and they missed most of them!
Other Exciting Events
On August 14, 2006, WWE brought their Monday Night Raw show to the arena. This was the first time WWE had a show in Charlottesville. Before JPJ was built, the city didn't have a big enough place for all the WWE fans.
On October 25, 2008, the famous hip-hop artist Jay-Z performed a concert at JPJ. He was the first hip-hop act to play there.
On October 17, 2009, the rock band Metallica played their "World Magnetic" tour at the arena. Other bands like Lamb of God and Gojira also performed.
In September 2010, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) brought their "Built Ford Tough Series" bull riding event to JPJ.
On June 23, 2015, Paul McCartney from The Beatles played a sold-out concert at JPJ. A few days later, the arena hosted a celebration for the 2015 Virginia Cavaliers baseball team. They had just won the College World Series championship!
On September 13, 2019, the Virginia Men's Basketball team received their championship rings at John Paul Jones Arena. This was for winning the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Fans got to see the team's stars and watch as the 2019 NCAA Tournament National Champions banner was raised.
