Mizzou Arena
{{Short description|Indoor arena on the campus of the University of Missouri}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Mizzou Arena
| nickname =
| image = 250px
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=15|type=point}}
| location = One Champions Drive
Columbia, Missouri 65211
| coordinates = {{coord|38.93237|N|92.33303|W|source:placeopedia|display=inline,title}}
| publictransit = {{Bus icon}} Go COMO
| broke_ground = {{Start date|2002|09|21}}
| opened = {{Start date|2004|10|13}}{{cite web |title=Mizzou Athletics to Hold Series of Open Houses at Paige Sports Arena|url=http://www.mutigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/100804aab.html|publisher=Missouri Athletics|date=October 8, 2004|access-date=November 12, 2013}}
| closed =
| demolished =
| former names = Paige Sports Arena (October–November 2004; three regular season games{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/missouri/2005-schedule.html|title=2004-05 Missouri Tigers Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=18 December 2013}})
| owner = University of Missouri
| operator = University of Missouri
| surface = Hardwood
| construction_cost = $75 million
(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|75000000|2004}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = CDFM2
HOK Sport (now Populous)
| structural engineer = Walter P Moore{{cite web |title=Mizzou Arena|url=http://www.walterpmoore.com/general_content.cfm?categoryName=%2A%3C%2CB%28JX1G%21D2V%40%20%20%20%0A&category2Name=%28%3C%5CZ5M%28%29P%21T4%20%0A&category3Name=%288LJ3OY%2DZ%27%25%40%20%0A&projectID=%25%248C%29%5B%5DX%20%0A|publisher=Walter P Moore|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060311130749/http://www.walterpmoore.com/general_content.cfm?categoryName=%2A%3C%2CB%28JX1G%21D2V%40%20%20%20%0A&category2Name=%28%3C%5CZ5M%28%29P%21T4%20%0A&category3Name=%288LJ3OY-Z%27%25%40%20%0A&projectID=%25%248C%29%5B%5DX%20%0A|archive-date=March 11, 2006|url-status=dead}}
| services engineer = M-E Engineers, Inc.{{cite web |title=College Arenas|url=http://www.me-engineers.com/college_arenas.html|publisher=M-E Engineers, Inc.|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113135027/http://www.me-engineers.com/college_arenas.html|archive-date=January 13, 2008|url-status=dead}}
| general_contractor = J.E. Dunn Construction Group{{cite web |title=Show Me Money: Missouri Arena Delivers Revenue|first=David|last=Broughton|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2004/11/20041122/Facilities/Show-Me-Money-Missouri-Arena-Delivers-Revenue.aspx?hl|work=SportsBusiness Journal|date=November 22, 2004|access-date=November 12, 2013}}
| tenants = Missouri Tigers
(Men's & Women's Basketball)
| seating_capacity = 15,061 (2004–present)
}}
Mizzou Arena is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Home to the school's men's and women's basketball teams, the facility opened in November 2004 and replaced the Hearnes Center (which still hosts all other indoor events) as the school's flagship indoor sports facility. The arena also serves as the Columbia-Jefferson City market's venue for well-known 'arena' acts such as Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan and the Eagles. The arched-roof building seats 15,061, and is located just south of Hearnes and Memorial Stadium. The arena is host to Missouri State High School Activities Association championships for boys and girls basketball, as well as wrestling. The arena was originally known as Paige Sports Arena.{{cite news|title=College removes name of Wal-Mart heiress on arena|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-11-24-walmart-heiress-arena_x.htm|access-date=25 November 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=24 November 2004|author=Jenna Isaacson}}
About the arena
File:Mizzou Arena interior - 2014.jpg
Mizzou Arena also includes offices for the Men's and Women's basketball programs, the Athletic Administration and Mizzou Arena's Building Operations. For the basketball programs the arena also offers locker rooms, a 24-hour practice gym,{{cite news |title=$200 Million Questions: MU Officials Weigh Options for Facilities|first=Ross|last=Dellenger|url=http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu/million-questions/article_3c9a8519-7a62-5a50-b49e-8ae89ecb947c.html|newspaper=Columbia Daily Tribune|date=July 24, 2012|access-date=July 24, 2014|quote=There are other ideas floating about, too. A second basketball practice gym is a possibility. Mizzou Arena has just one practice court.}} weight and training facilities including a hydrotherapy pool, video classrooms with audio and video editing capabilities, and an academic study center.
Missouri basketball coach from 1967 to 1999, Norm Stewart, is the namesake of the arena's playing court.{{cite web |title=New Arena Floor Named for Norm Stewart|url=http://www.mutigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/030704aaa.html|publisher=University of Missouri Department of Athletics|date=March 7, 2004|access-date=February 11, 2014}}
History
After protracted negotiations,{{cite news|last1=Sherbo|first1=Marisa|title=Arena plans move forward without Lauries" donation|url=http://www.themaneater.com/stories/1997/9/16/arena-plans-move-forward-without-lauries-donation/|access-date=14 June 2015|work=The Maneater|date=16 September 1997|quote=MU administrators say they still are committed to building a new basketball arena, even though they will have to do it without the $10 million donation from Bill and Nancy Laurie.}} a third of the venue's $75 million cost was donated by Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband Bill. It was initially named Paige Sports Arena after their daughter (who attended the University of Southern California rather than Mizzou, to much alumni and student criticism regarding the name), but the Lauries gave up their naming rights due to a term paper scandal involving that daughter shortly after the arena's dedication.{{cite news |title=Lauries Transfer Arena Naming Rights Back to Missouri U.|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/11/22/daily31.html|newspaper=St. Louis Business Journal|date=November 23, 2004|access-date=December 17, 2013}}{{cite news |title=Benefactors Find Scandal Gave New Arena a Bad Name|first=Stephanie|last=Simon|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/11/25/benefactors-find-scandal-gave-new-arena-a-bad-name/|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 25, 2004|access-date=December 17, 2013}}{{cite news |title=Univ. of Missouri Board Approves New Arena Name|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2004/11/22/daily41.html|newspaper=St. Louis Business Journal|date=November 26, 2004|access-date=December 17, 2013}}{{cite news |title=Paige Sports Arena Signs Removed from eBay|first=Sheena|last=Martin|url=http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2004/12/10/paige-sports-arena-signs-removed-ebay/|newspaper=The Maneater|location=University of Missouri–Columbia|date=December 10, 2004|access-date=December 17, 2013}} The name of the arena's playing surface, Norm Stewart Court (in honor of Mizzou's longtime men's coach), was carried over from the basketball team's previous home at the Hearnes Center with the arena's opening in 2004.
In September 2014, the university announced renovations to the arena including new scoreboard infrastructure, improvements to the facility's entryway and upgrades to the team's locker room coming from a $1.5 million donation.{{cite news |title=Mizzou Arena Getting Upgrades After 10 Years|first=Steve|last=Walentik|url=http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/mizzou-arena-getting-upgrades-after-years/article_8518a403-2ff3-5f08-8439-371c0435a041.html|newspaper=Columbia Daily Tribune|date=September 19, 2014|access-date=February 17, 2015}}
In June 2017, a former Mizzou athletics staffer was arrested on two felony charges after he allegedly drove a Volkswagen Passat through Mizzou Arena and onto Norm Stewart Court early that morning, causing an estimated $100,000 in damages.{{cite news|last1=Matter|first1=Dave|title=MU grad drives onto court at Mizzou Arena, causes $100K in damage|url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/recent-grad-crashes-car-into-mizzou-arena-causes-k-damage/article_8349bb7f-d9e7-572b-9c79-6d96373f38ee.html|access-date=27 June 2017|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=26 June 2017}}
Prior to the 2023-2024 basketball season, the gold seats inside the arena were removed and replaced with black seats. {{cite news|last1=Hudnell|first1=Bryan|title=Seating at Mizzou Arena is changing from gold to black|url=https://krcgtv.com/sports/content/seating-at-mizzou-arena-is-changing-from-gold-to-black|access-date=16 December 2024|work=KRCG|date=21 July 2023}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.mutigers.com/facilities/mizzou-concerts-intro.html Mizzou Arena Concerts at MUTigers.com]
- [http://www.mutigers.com/facilities/fac-mizzou-arena-mbb.html Mizzou Arena Men's Basketball at MUTigers.com]
- [http://www.mutigers.com/facilities/fac-mizzou-arena-wbb.html Mizzou Arena Women's Basketball at MUTigers.com]
- [http://www.tsf-mizzou.com/ Tiger Scholarship Fund]
{{Mizzou}}
{{Missouri Tigers men's basketball navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference basketball venue navbox}}
{{Missouri NCAA Division I college basketball venue navbox}}
{{Music venues of Missouri}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Missouri Tigers basketball venues
Category:Sports venues completed in 2004