Nassau Coliseum facts for kids
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The Barn
The Old Barn The Coli Fort Neverlose |
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The Nassau Coliseum in 2021
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 Nassau Coliseum
Location in New York
Nassau Coliseum
Location in the United States
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| Address | 1255 Hempstead Turnpike |
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| Location | Uniondale, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°43′22″N 73°35′26″W / 40.72278°N 73.59056°W |
| Public transit |  Nassau Inter-County Express: N70, N71 |
| Owner | Nassau County, New York |
| Operator | Nassau Live Center, LLC |
| Executive suites | 32 |
| Capacity | Concerts: 16,000 Basketball: 14,500 Ice hockey: 13,900 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Scoreboard | Daktronics Inc. |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 20, 1969 |
| Built | 1969–1972 |
| Opened | February 11, 1972 |
| Renovated | 2015–2017 |
| Expanded | 1976, 1983, 2017 |
| Reopened | March 31, 2017 (renovations) |
| Construction cost | US$32 million ($255 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Welton Becket and Associates |
| Structural engineer | Severud Associates |
| General contractor | Irwin Schlef |
| Tenants | |
| New York Islanders (NHL) (1972–2015, 2018–2021) New York Nets (ABA/NBA) (1972–1977) New York Sets/Apples (WTT) (1974–1977) Long Island Tomahawks (NLL) (1975) New York Arrows (MISL) (1978–1984) New York Express (MISL) (1986–1987) New York Saints (NLL) (1989–2003) Long Island Jawz (RHI) (1996) New York Dragons (AFL) (2001–2008) New York Titans (NLL) (2007) Long Island Nets (NBAGL) (2017–present) New York Open (ATP) (2018–2020) New York Riptide (NLL) (2019–2024) |
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The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, often called the Nassau Coliseum or "The Coli," is a large indoor arena in Uniondale, New York. It's located on Long Island, not far from New York City. This arena is a popular spot for many different events in the New York metropolitan area.
The Coliseum first opened its doors in 1972. It sits on 63 acres of what used to be Mitchel Air Force Base, an old military airfield. Today, the Coliseum hosts sports games, concerts, big exhibitions, and trade shows. It has a main arena and a large Expo Center. In 2015, the building closed for a big makeover and reopened in April 2017.
The New York Islanders hockey team played here from 1972 to 2015. They later returned for some games between 2018 and 2021. The arena was also home to the New York Nets basketball team (now the Brooklyn Nets) from 1972 to 1977. Since 2017, it has been the home of the Long Island Nets, a basketball team in the NBA G League.
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Exciting Sports Events at the Coliseum
The Nassau Coliseum has seen many thrilling sports moments over the years. Its seating capacity has changed with renovations. Originally, it held about 13,000 to 15,000 fans. After renovations in 2017, it now seats about 13,917 for hockey and 14,500 for basketball.
Hockey History and Famous Games
The New York Islanders became the Coliseum's first major hockey team in 1972. Their very first game there was on October 7, 1972. The Islanders won their first home game just five days later, beating the Los Angeles Kings.
The Islanders had an amazing record in Stanley Cup Finals games at the Coliseum. They won 11 out of 12 games! Fans even nicknamed the arena "Fort Neverlose" because the team was so tough to beat at home during the finals.
On February 8, 1983, the Coliseum hosted the 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game. During this game, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky scored four goals in the third period. He was named the game's most valuable player.
The Islanders played their last game at the Coliseum before moving to another arena on April 25, 2015. They won that game, forcing a Game 7 in the playoffs. After renovations, the Islanders returned to play some games at the Coliseum from 2018 to 2021. Their final game at the Coliseum was on June 23, 2021. They won in overtime, making it a memorable farewell.
Basketball Championships and Teams
The Coliseum was home to the New York Nets basketball team from 1972 to 1977. The Nets won two American Basketball Association (ABA) championships here. Star player Julius Erving, a Hall of Famer, led the team to victory in 1974 and 1976.
After winning their second ABA title, the Nets joined the National Basketball Association (NBA). They played one season in the NBA at the Coliseum before moving to New Jersey.
The Coliseum has also hosted college basketball tournaments. It welcomed first and second-round games of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1982, 1994, and 2001. In 2017, the Long Island Nets, the NBA G League team for the Brooklyn Nets, made the Coliseum their new home.
Other Exciting Sports Played Here
Beyond hockey and basketball, the Coliseum has hosted many other sports.
- The New York Arrows soccer team won the first four championships of the Major Indoor Soccer League.
- The New York Sets tennis team won the World TeamTennis championships in 1976.
- Lacrosse teams like the New York Saints and New York Riptide also played their home games here.
- The Professional Bull Riders brought their thrilling events to the Coliseum several times.
- In 2017, the arena hosted a major UFC event.
- The New York Open, a professional tennis tournament, was held here from 2018 to 2020.
Amazing Entertainment and Concerts
The Nassau Coliseum has been a stage for countless famous musicians and entertainers.
Legendary Concert Performances
Many legendary artists have performed at the Coliseum:
- Elvis Presley played four sold-out concerts in 1973.
- The Beach Boys performed to a packed audience in 1974, even joined by Elton John and Paul Simon.
- David Bowie recorded a live album, Live Nassau Coliseum '76, during his 1976 tour.
- Queen played here in 1977 and 1978.
- Pink Floyd performed five shows for their famous The Wall Tour in 1980. They also recorded parts of their live album Delicate Sound of Thunder here in 1988.
- Billy Joel's 1982 concert at the Coliseum was recorded for an HBO special called Billy Joel: Live From Long Island.
- Bruce Springsteen has played at the arena many times, including a memorable three-night stand in December 1980.
- Metallica filmed a performance of "Master of Puppets" here in 1986 for their home video Cliff 'Em All.
- Both The Grateful Dead and Phish played the Coliseum often, releasing several live albums from their shows. The Grateful Dead holds the record for the most performances by a single act, with 42 shows.
Thrilling Professional Wrestling Events
The Coliseum has been a popular venue for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) for over 30 years.
- It has hosted many episodes of Raw and SmackDown.
- Major pay-per-view events like SummerSlam (2002) and The Great American Bash (2008) took place here.
- In 2018, the Coliseum hosted Evolution, WWE's first-ever all-women's pay-per-view event.
- It was one of three venues for WrestleMania 2 in 1986, featuring a boxing match between Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. T.
- AEW also held its Worlds End pay-per-view here in December 2023.
The Coliseum on the Big Screen
The arena has even appeared in movies! Scenes for the 2007 film Music and Lyrics, starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, were filmed at the Nassau Coliseum.
Modernizing the Coliseum: Renovations
After the Islanders announced their move to Brooklyn, plans began to update the Nassau Coliseum. The goal was to make it a smaller, more modern venue.
In 2013, a company called Forest City Ratner won the bid to renovate the arena. Their plan reduced the seating capacity to 13,000 and gave the building a fresh new look. The renovations cost about $89 million.
Billy Joel played the last concert before the renovations on August 4, 2015. The arena then reopened with another Billy Joel concert on April 5, 2017. Other famous artists like Stevie Nicks and Lionel Richie also performed during the opening week.
In 2016, the arena was renamed NYCB Live: Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of a sponsorship deal.
Islanders' Temporary Return and New Home
After the renovations, the New York Islanders played some preseason games at the Coliseum. Because their new home in Brooklyn wasn't ideal for hockey, the team decided to split their home games between the Brooklyn arena and the renovated Nassau Coliseum.
In December 2017, a group involving the Islanders won a bid to build a brand new, 18,000-seat arena at Belmont Park. This new arena, called UBS Arena, opened for the 2021–22 season.
The Islanders played a growing number of games at the Coliseum until their new arena was ready. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they played all their 2020–21 season home games at the Coliseum without fans. Their final game at the renovated Coliseum was a playoff victory on June 23, 2021, before they moved to UBS Arena.
New Management for the Arena
In June 2020, the company managing the Coliseum announced it would close indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in August 2020, a new company called Nassau Live Center, LLC took over the lease. This ensured the Islanders could continue to play their home games at the arena until their new home, UBS Arena, was completed.
Images for kids
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The original appearance of Nassau Coliseum, photographed in 2015
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View of the Coliseum's seating during an Islanders game in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum para niños
