- CenturyLink Center Omaha
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CenturyLink Center Omaha Former names Qwest Center Omaha (2003-2011) Location 455 N 10th Street
Omaha, Nebraska, 68102-1151Coordinates 41°15′45.60″N 95°55′41.54″W / 41.262667°N 95.9282056°W Broke ground 2001 Opened September 24, 2003[1] Renovated 2011-2014[citation needed] Expanded 2006 Owner City of Omaha Operator Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) Surface Multi-surface Construction cost USD $291 million
($347 million in 2011 dollars[2])Architect DLR Group Project Manager Kiewit Construction Co.[3] Structural engineer Thornton Tomasetti[4] Capacity 18,300 (concerts)
17,560 (basketball)
16,680 (hockey)Tenants Creighton Bluejays
UNO MavericksCenturyLink Center is an arena and convention center facility in the North Downtown neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space.
The arena opened in 2003 as Qwest Center Omaha. It adopted its current name on July 22, 2011 as part of a $22 billion buyout of Qwest by CenturyLink (formerly CenturyTel). All signage, inside and outside, will be changed to conform to the new arena name; lighting will also be switched (from blue to green). The transition was expected to be completed by August 1, 2011. However, all the inside changes have been made, but the signage on the outside of the arena has yet to be changed.
The arena hosts various basketball games, hockey games, professional wrestling events and concerts. Another notable event held there is the annual shareholders meeting of Omaha-based conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.
Other names for the facility are "The Qwest", "The Riverfront Centre", "The Omaha Convention Center & Arena" or "The CLink".
Contents
History
In 2000, Omaha voters approved a $216 million bond issue to build a new convention center and arena; the remainder of the $291 million project was provided by private organizations and individuals. The facility design was led by architectural firm DLR Group. Naming rights to the arena were purchased by Qwest.
Qwest Center Omaha opened in September 2003 with an initial seating capacity of 17,000 for concerts, 15,500 for basketball, and 14,700 for hockey. In 2006, a $5.7-million expansion of the arena increased capacity by approximately 1,500 seats.
The Qwest Center displaced the 1954 Omaha Civic Auditorium as the premier indoor arena in the city. The venerable Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum was closed in 2002 and was demolished in 2005.
The arena hosted games in the first and second rounds of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Wrestling Championships. It was also home to the WWE Judgment Day 2008 pay-per-view, as well as other events from the WWE.
The 2008 USA Swimming Summer Olympic Trials were hosted over eight days at the Qwest Center and on June 29, 2009 it was announced the trials would return again in 2012. The 2008 event averaged more than 12,000 spectators each night.[5]
Part of the first and second round games for the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament will be held on either March 15 and March 17 or March 16 and March 18.
A portion of the roof, "The Hat", was damaged by a storm on June 27, 2008. There was no structural damage, however, the damage caused water to pour into parts of the Qwest Center, flowed down two sets of arena steps and onto the deck of the competition pool for the USA Swimming Summer Olympic Trials. The schedule for the trials went on as scheduled.[6]
In 2011 it was announced the name would be changed to The CenturyLink Center Omaha.
Tenants
- Creighton Bluejays men's college basketball
- UNO Mavericks ice hockey
- Nebraska School Activities Association -- Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament
Attendance history
Top 10 Largest Home Crowds at Qwest Center Omaha, Creighton History
[citation needed]Rank Attendance Opponent Result Date 1 17,954 Wichita State W 68-56 December 28, 2008 2 17,607 Drexel L 58-64 February 17, 2007 3 17,459 Southern Illinois L 57-58 January 20, 2007 4 17,411 George Mason W 76-63 February 21, 2009 5 17,371 Indiana State W 86-69 January 19, 2008 6 17,263 Indiana State W 71-55 January 27, 2007 7 17,193 Drake L 62-74 January 24, 2009 8 17,152 Northern Iowa L 52-60 December 29, 2009 9 17,116 Illinois State W 74-70 February 28, 2009 10 17,110 Wichita State W 71-54 February 24, 2007 Records and milestones
On the evening of December 28, 2008, the largest crowd to ever watch a basketball game in Nebraska occurred when 17,954 fans witnessed the game between Creighton University and Wichita State University.[citation needed] This crowd was also the largest crowd to witness a Missouri Valley Conference regular season Men's basketball game.[citation needed]
The CenturyLink Center holds several NCAA attendance records, especially in college volleyball. Qwest Center owns the top three NCAA tournament attendance record. The highest attendance to ever watch a volleyball match in the United States occurred when 17,340 fans watched the 2008 NCAA National Semifinal match between Penn State and Nebraska. The second highest attendance in NCAA tournament history occurred when 17,209 fans watched Nebraska defeat Stanford for the 2006 NCAA championship. For the 2008 NCAA National Championship, 14,299 people watched Penn State defeat Stanford, the third highest attendance in NCAA tournament history and just two days after the Qwest Center broke the attendance record for the semifinals.[7]
See also
- Omaha Civic Auditorium
- Mid-America Center
- Rosenblatt Stadium
- Ak-Sar-Ben - (defunct)
- TD Ameritrade Park
- Morrison Stadium
References
- ^ http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/11/20031124/Facilities/City-Finishes-Qwest-For-New-Arena.aspx?hl=%22club%20seats%22&sc=0
- ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2003/11/20031124/Facilities/City-Finishes-Qwest-For-New-Arena.aspx?hl=%22club%20seats%22&sc=0
- ^ http://s3.amazonaws.com/tt_assets/pdf/SportsEntertainmentBrochure.pdf
- ^ (nd) [1]
- ^ (nd) Severe storm in Omaha damages swimming arena Retrieved 7/1/2008.
- ^ 2008 NCAA Championship Match Notes
External links
Preceded by
Omaha Civic AuditoriumHome of
Creighton Bluejays Men's Basketball
2003 – presentSucceeded by
CurrentPreceded by
Omaha Civic AuditoriumHome of
UNO Mavericks Men's Hockey
2003 – presentSucceeded by
CurrentBasketball arenas in the Missouri Valley Conference Carver Arena (Bradley, men's) • Renaissance Coliseum (Bradley, women's) • CenturyLink Center Omaha (Creighton, men's) • D. J. Sokol Arena (Creighton, women's) • Knapp Center (Drake) • Ford Center (Evansville) • Redbird Arena (Illinois State) • Hulman Center (Indiana State) • JQH Arena (Missouri State) • McLeod Center (Northern Iowa) • SIU Arena (Southern Illinois) • Charles Koch Arena (Wichita State)
Categories:- Event venues established in 2003
- College basketball venues in the United States
- College ice hockey venues in the United States
- Convention centers in Nebraska
- Creighton Bluejays basketball venues
- Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States
- Music venues in Omaha, Nebraska
- Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks ice hockey
- Sports venues in Omaha, Nebraska
- Sports venues in Nebraska
- CenturyLink
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