O'Connell Center facts for kids
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"The O'Dome"
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| Location | 250 Gale Lemerand Drive Gainesville, Florida 32611 |
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| Coordinates | 29°38′58″N 82°21′04″W / 29.64944°N 82.35111°W |
| Public transit | 8 |
| Owner | University of Florida |
| Operator | University of Florida |
| Capacity | 10,500 (2016–present) 12,050 (1980–2016) |
| Record attendance | 12,633 (all-time) 11,355 (post-renovation) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1977 |
| Opened | December 30, 1980 |
| Renovated | 1998, 2016 |
| Construction cost | $15.6 million ($55.4 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Caudill Rowlett Scott Moore, May & Harrington |
| Structural engineer | Geiger–Berger Associates |
| General contractor | Dyson and Company, Inc. Brasfield & Gorrie (2016) |
| Tenants | |
| Florida Gators men's basketball Florida Gators women's basketball Florida Gators women's gymnastics Florida Gators swimming and diving Florida Gators women's volleyball |
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The Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, often called the O'Dome, is a large sports and event center. It is located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. This arena can hold 10,500 people.
The building is named after Stephen C. O'Connell. He was the university's sixth president from 1967 to 1973. You can find the O'Dome on the north side of campus. It sits between the famous Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field and the Heavener Complex.
From 1980 until 2016, the entire building was known simply as the O'Connell Center. In 2016, it had a huge renovation that cost $64.5 million. A medical company from Gainesville, Exactech, paid $5.9 million for the naming rights to the main arena. This is why it's now called the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
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Home of the Florida Gators
The Exactech Arena is owned by the University of Florida. It is the home court for many of the university's sports teams, known as the Florida Gators. These teams include men's and women's college basketball, gymnastics, swimming and diving, and volleyball.
Students quickly gave the arena the nickname "O'Dome," which is still used today. In 1999, ESPN The Magazine called it the "House of Horrors." The sports teams even started using this name in their promotions. The student section, where fans cheer loudly, is known as the "Rowdy Reptiles." Famous sports commentator Dick Vitale once said that the Rowdy Reptiles make the O'Dome one of the toughest places for opposing teams to play.
On December 23, 2006, a record 12,621 fans watched the Gators men's basketball team win a big game. They beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 86–60. These two teams met again later that season in the National Championship game. The Gators won again, becoming the first team since Duke in the early 1990s to win back-to-back national titles. This attendance record was broken on February 5, 2011, when 12,633 people watched the Gators beat the Kentucky Wildcats 70–68. After the 2016 renovation, the largest crowd was 11,355 fans. They gathered on April 7, 2025, for a viewing party of the National Championship game. They watched the Gators win their third men's basketball title against the Houston Cougars.
Other Exciting Events
Besides sports, the O'Connell Center hosts many other events. It is the biggest concert venue in North Central Florida. Many different performers have played there. For example, Gainesville native Tom Petty performed a show in 2006 that was shown on TV. His first show at the O'Connell Center was on October 7, 1981.
The facility also hosts University of Florida graduation ceremonies. Other events include trade shows, career fairs, political rallies, and public speeches. It's a busy place for many different kinds of gatherings.
Event Space and Capacity
The O'Connell Center can be set up in different ways for various events.
Concerts:
- Full House: 7,000 people
- In the Round: 10,500 people
Speaking Events:
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- Half House (standard): 2,500-3,500 people
- Full House: 6,000-7,000 people
Sports Events:
- Men's Basketball: 10,136 fans
- Women's Basketball: 10,136 fans
- Volleyball: 10,136 fans
- Gymnastics: 9,251 fans
Banquets:
- Up to 1,200 guests
Trade Shows:
- The O'Dome can hold up to 250 booths for trade shows.
History of the O'Dome
Alligator Alley: The Old Gym
Before the O'Connell Center, the University of Florida's basketball teams played in the Florida Gymnasium. This old gym was nicknamed Alligator Alley. It was built in 1949. Fans said it was a tough place for opponents to play because the seats were very close to the court. When it was full, the noise was "deafening."
However, the Florida Gym was also small and didn't have many modern features. It even lacked air conditioning. People compared it to a "dismal and dreary" high school gym. By the early 1970s, Florida was the only school in its conference without a modern basketball facility. This made it hard to get top players for the team.
Building a New Arena
In 1975, the University of Florida decided to build a new facility for its indoor sports. The University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa was also planning a new arena. So, the two schools decided to use the same architectural design. This helped them save money. The original designs for USF's Sun Dome and UF's O'Connell Center were almost identical. They both had unique inflatable roof systems.
Construction for the O'Connell Center began in October 1977. It cost $15.6 million. There were some delays when cracks appeared in the support beams. But after a few months, the problems were fixed. Both arenas were finished in late 1980. The Sun Dome opened in November, and the O'Connell Center opened in December.
The first event at the O'Connell Center was a Florida men's basketball game on December 30, 1980. It was officially dedicated in January 1981.
How the New Arena Helped Basketball
The new arena had a big positive effect on Florida's men's basketball team right away. One of the first people to come back was former coach Norm Sloan. He had coached Florida in the 1960s and then won a national championship with North Carolina State in 1974. He returned to Florida in 1980. Sloan said he "always felt that if Florida had the proper facility, I would consider coming back."
Playing in their new arena under Coach Sloan, the Gators team got better and better. They made it to their first NCAA tournament in 1987. This set the stage for even more success in the years that followed.
Design and Upgrades
The O'Connell Center was designed to be a place for most of the university's indoor sports. It has always served this purpose. The main part of the building is the large Exactech Arena. Around it, you can find a basketball practice court, a swimming pool (called a natatorium), and gymnastics practice areas.
The Original Roof
When it first opened, the O'Connell Center had a special inflatable Teflon roof. Large blowers kept the air pressure inside high enough to hold the flexible roof up. You couldn't feel the higher air pressure inside. But if you opened a door, air would rush out. So, revolving doors were put at the main entrances to help keep the pressure steady.
Over time, maintaining this inflation system became expensive. In 1998, during a $10 million renovation, the inflatable roof was replaced with a more traditional hard dome. Even though the old system was no longer used, the blowers stayed in place until the next big renovation in 2016.
Smaller Updates
After the new roof in 1998, the O'Connell Center had another smaller renovation in 2006. The university updated some of the seats and replaced the four old scoreboards. The new video boards could show instant replays and other videos.
After the men's basketball team won their first national title in 2006, the university bought the special wooden floor used in the championship game. From 2011 to 2016, the basketball teams played on this same floor where they won their first championship. The university also bought the court from their second championship win in 2007. They displayed it and later sold pieces of it to raise money for scholarships.
The Big 2016 Rebuild
In March 2016, the O'Connell Center began its biggest renovation ever. This $64.5 million project completely rebuilt the main arena. The entire inside of the arena was taken apart down to its foundation and then rebuilt.
The renovation included new seating, a luxury club with special box seats, and a new scoreboard with a huge video screen hanging over the floor. Locker rooms and meeting rooms were also improved. The swimming and gymnastics areas were updated. A "grand entrance" was built facing the football stadium. When it reopened in December 2016, the naming rights deal with Exactech changed the main arena's name.
Photo gallery
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The non-student side of the O'Connell Center during the 2008 NIT Second Round. Note the video replay board in the upper left added during the 2006–2007 season.
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Another angle from inside of the O'Connell Center during the 2008 NIT Second Round
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Florida men's basketball championship banners hanging inside the O'Connell Center during the 2012–13 season
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Exactech Area set up for a volleyball match in 2019
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The interior of the O'Connell Center in 2024 before a men's basketball game versus Virginia
See also
In Spanish: Stephen C. O'Connell Center para niños
- Florida Gators
- History of the University of Florida
- List of University of Florida buildings
- List of University of Florida presidents
- List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
- University Athletic Association
