Lakefront Arena

Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena (Lakefront Arena) is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Arena was built in 1983 and hosts an array of events including concerts, family shows, and graduations. Some of the events include Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live, WWE, Widespread Panic, Madonna, Phish, AC/DC, Christina Aguilera, Incubus, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, Blue Man Group, 311, and Green Day. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass to over 150,000 people on the grounds of the Arena. Prominent political figures such as Bill Clinton and John Kerry have also spoken at the Arena. Large festivals such as Lollapalooza and Steel Pony Express have also been held on the grounds. The Arena is home to the University of New Orleans Privateers basketball team. It hosted the 1991 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament where the University of Tennessee beat University of Virginia for their 3rd national title as well as the 2002 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournament. The Arena is also notable for hosting Larry Bird's career-high of 60 points on March 12, 1985, against the Atlanta Hawks, who were hosting a series of special "home" games in New Orleans during the 1984-1985 season.

The Lakefront Arena is named in honor of Nat G. Kiefer, the late state senator who aided UNO’s efforts to obtain state funding for the building. It is part of the university's East Campus, where most of the school's athletic facilities are located.

In August 2005, as a result of massive damages sustained during Hurricane Katrina, the building closed for substantial repairs and renovations for nearly three years. During this time, the school's men's and women's basketball teams played their home games in their former home, the Human Performance Center (or "The Chamber of Horrors" as it grew to be known during the late '70s and early '80s). The Lakefront Arena held its grand re-opening May 2, 2008. Disney's "" was the first show to take the stage. As of May 2, 2008, the events area was the only portion of the Arena completed, although officials said that the remainder of the facility would be completed shortly thereafter.

The Lakefront Arena will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on November 1, 2008.

External links

* [http://arena.uno.edu/ Lakefront Arena]