Moby Arena facts for kids
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Moby
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Moby Arena, 2015
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 Moby Arena
Location in Colorado
Moby Arena
Location in the United States
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| Full name | Auditorium-Gymnasium |
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| Former names | Moby Gymnasium (1966–1986) |
| Location | 951 West Plum Street Fort Collins, Colorado, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°34′32.41″N 105°5′36.25″W / 40.5756694°N 105.0934028°W |
| Owner | Colorado State University |
| Operator | Colorado State University |
| Capacity | 8,745 |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1964 |
| Opened | January 24, 1966 |
| Architect | Bunts and Kelsey |
| Tenants | |
| Colorado State Rams (Volleyball and Basketball) | |
Moby Arena is a large sports building in Fort Collins, Colorado. It can hold 8,745 people. This arena is home to the Colorado State University Rams basketball and volleyball teams. It officially opened on January 24, 1966. The first event was a basketball game where Colorado State won against New Mexico State. Moby Arena was built to replace an older gym called South College Gymnasium. That old gym was much smaller, seating only 1,500 people.
Contents
What Does Moby Arena Look Like?
Moby Arena has a unique design. From the outside, it looks like a rounded rectangle with a curved, hump-shaped roof. Inside, the seats are higher along the sides of the court. The most famous parts of the arena are the corner walls. These walls have huge ram's horn patterns on them. These patterns spread out from the corners.
The Ram's Horn Design Inside
The basketball court itself also features the ram's horn pattern. This is made using two different colors of wood. The darker wood creates the horn shapes. Above the court, a video scoreboard hangs from the ceiling. It is surrounded by banners. There are also basketball hoops that can be pulled up for practice. Two smaller scoreboards are on opposite corner walls.
How Did Moby Arena Get Its Name?
When it was being built, the arena was meant to be called the Auditorium-Gymnasium. State records still list it by this name. However, a student newspaper article joked that the building looked like a beached whale. Because of this, people started calling it "Moby Gymnasium." This nickname came from Moby Dick, the famous white whale from Herman Melville's classic story. Later, in the late 1980s, the athletic director officially changed the name to "Moby Arena."
What Events Happen at Moby Arena?
Moby Arena is mainly used for sports. It is the home court for the Colorado State Rams basketball and volleyball teams. It has also hosted important sports events. In 1967, it held two first-round games for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. It also hosted the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament in 1992.
Concerts and Other Events
Besides sports, Moby Arena is a popular place for concerts. The famous band The Rolling Stones played their first show of their 1969 tour here. Many other well-known artists have performed at Moby Arena. These include Frank Zappa, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Steve Miller Band, O.A.R., Dave Matthews Band, The Fray, Blind Melon, Gov't Mule, and Ludacris. Other artists like Lupe Fiasco, Three 6 Mafia, Guess Who, Beach Boys, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Doobie Brothers, Chicago, Jerry Jeff Walker, Van Halen, Willie Nelson, and Tanya Tucker have also played there.
Moby Arena in Movies
Parts of the 1977 movie One on One were filmed inside Moby Arena. This shows how important the arena is to the community.
Other Gatherings
The Campus Crusade for Christ group holds its U.S. staff conference at Colorado State University every two years. The main meetings for this large event take place inside Moby Arena.
Images for kids
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Moby Arena, 2015.
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Moby Arena's front entrance at night, 2021.
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Moby Arena's interior, 2021.
