Pinnacle Bank Arena facts for kids
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"The Vault"
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Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013
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| Former names | West Haymarket Arena |
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| Address | 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive |
| Location | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°49′4″N 96°42′48″W / 40.81778°N 96.71333°W |
| Owner | City of Lincoln |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Executive suites | 36 |
| Capacity | Basketball: 15,500 Boxing: 14,660 Ice hockey: 12,700 Volleyball: 15,290 Center stage: 16,130 End stage: 14,620 Half-house: 10,900 |
| Record attendance | 15,998 (March 9, 2014) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 7, 2011 |
| Opened | August 16, 2013 |
| Construction cost | Arena: $180,797,782 ($227 million in 2022) Project: $328,200,000 ($412 million in 2022) |
| Architect | DLR Group BVH Clark Enersen Partners |
| Structural engineer | Buro Happold |
| Services engineer | M–E Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Hampton Construction Mortenson Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers (NCAA) Men's basketball (2013–present) Women's basketball (2013–present) |
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Pinnacle Bank Arena is a super cool indoor stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. People often call it PBA or "The Vault." It's located in the West Haymarket area, close to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
This arena opened in 2013 and can hold 15,500 people for basketball games. It's the home court for the men's and women's basketball teams. Before PBA, these teams played at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Pinnacle Bank Arena is the main place in Lincoln for big concerts and fun events. It also hosts the state basketball tournaments for high school teams every year. It's the second-largest arena in Nebraska!
Contents
Building the Arena
Why a New Arena Was Needed
For many years, people in Lincoln wanted a new arena. The older venues, like the Pershing Center, were too small for modern concerts. The Bob Devaney Sports Center was also getting old and needed a lot of repairs.
In 2007, the city looked at different places for a new, bigger arena. They decided the best spot was in the West Haymarket area. This area was perfect for a new, exciting development.
How the Arena Was Funded
Building such a big arena cost a lot of money. In 2010, people in Lincoln voted to help pay for it. The city also used money from special taxes on restaurants, bars, hotels, and rental cars.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln also paid rent to use the arena for basketball games. All these different ways of getting money helped make the new arena possible.
Constructing "The Vault"
Construction on Pinnacle Bank Arena started in August 2011. It was a tricky project because the site was between two railway lines. Workers had to build the arena "inside out" in some parts.
They also spent money to move the railroad tracks and build a new train station. This made sure there was enough space for the arena.
In December 2011, Pinnacle Bank agreed to pay $11.25 million over 25 years for the arena to carry its name. This is called a "naming rights" agreement.
The arena officially opened on August 16, 2013, with the university's summer graduation ceremony. It has 36 fancy suites, club seats, and many places to buy snacks. There's even a Huskers team store!
Basketball at Pinnacle Bank Arena
Home of the Huskers
Nebraska's men's and women's basketball teams played their first games here on November 8, 2013. Both teams won!
For men's games, the student section is called the "Red Zone." It's right behind the team benches to make the atmosphere super exciting. The men's team had a great first season, winning 15 out of 16 games at home. This helped them get into the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time since 1998.
Ten years later, in 2024, the men's team had another amazing season at home. They won 18 out of 19 games and even beat the country's top-ranked team, Purdue!
Big Crowds and Tournaments
Both the men's and women's basketball teams at Pinnacle Bank Arena always have huge crowds. The men's team has been in the top 25 nationally for attendance every year. The women's team has always been in the top 20.
PBA also hosted some big games for the 2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. In 2015, the arena hosted a sold-out game between the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets played another NBA preseason game here in 2016.
Every year, the arena is also home to several games for the state high school basketball tournaments.
Concerts and Other Events
Music and Entertainment
The first concert at Pinnacle Bank Arena was by Michael Bublé on September 13, 2013. Since then, many famous artists and bands have performed here. Some of them include the Eagles, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, Metallica, Twenty One Pilots, Jay-Z, Cher, Katy Perry, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Chesney, Snoop Dogg, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Justin Bieber, KISS, Iron Maiden, and Morgan Wallen.
In 2015, Eric Church played to a crowd of 15,823 people, which was the biggest attendance for a non-basketball event at the time. A George Strait concert in 2022 set a record for ticket sales!
Fun for Everyone
Besides music, Pinnacle Bank Arena hosts many other exciting events. You can see the Harlem Globetrotters perform their amazing basketball tricks. Cirque du Soleil brings incredible acrobatic shows.
There are also events like Monster Jam with huge trucks, WWE SmackDown wrestling, and Disney on Ice shows. The arena has also hosted professional boxing and mixed martial arts events. Famous comedians like Jeff Dunham and Larry the Cable Guy have made people laugh here too.
In 2021, the arena was used by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department to give out over 130,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the community.
Images for kids
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The 4,526-seat Pershing Center was Lincoln's largest entertainment venue before Pinnacle Bank Arena.
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Pinnacle Bank Arena during construction in January 2013.
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The inside of Pinnacle Bank Arena just before its grand opening in September 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Pinnacle Bank Arena para niños
