San Diego Sports Arena

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name =San Diego Sports Arena
nickname =


fullname =
location =3500 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego, CA 92110
coordinates =
broke_ground =
built =
opened =17 NOV 1966
closed =
demolished =
owner =Arena Group 2000
operator = Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)
construction_cost =$6.5 million USD
architect =
former_names =iPayOne Center (2004-2007)
tenants=San Diego Gulls (WHL) (1966-1974)
San Diego Rockets (NBA) (1967-1971)
San Diego Conquistadors/Sails (ABA) (1975-1976)
San Diego Mariners (WHA) (1974-1977)
San Diego Clippers (NBA) (1978-1984)
San Diego Sockers (MISL/CISL/ WISL) (1982-1983,1984-1996,2001-2004)
San Diego Gulls (IHL) (1990-1995)
San Diego Gulls (ECHL) (1995-2006)
San Diego Riptide (af2) (2002-2005)
San Diego Barracudas (RHI) (1993-1996)
1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
seating_capacity=Arena Football: 12,000
Hockey: 12,920
Basketball: 14,500
Concerts: 14,800
Circus:13,000
Boxing/ Wrestling: 16,100 The San Diego Sports Arena (formerly iPayOne Center) is an indoor arena located on Sports Arena Blvd in Point Loma, San Diego, California off of Interstate 8.

The arena was built in 1966 by Robert Breitbard, a local football hero who played for Hoover High School and San Diego State, for "a modest" $6.4 million dollars. [San Diego Sports Arena's web site, History page [http://www.sandiegoarena.com/history.php] ]

The arena opened on 17 November 1967 when more than 11,000 pro hockey fans watched the San Diego Gulls (then a member of the Western Hockey League) win their season opener 4-to-1 against the Seattle Totems. [San Diego Sports Arena's web site, History page [http://www.sandiegoarena.com/history.php] ]

The arena seats 12,000 for arena football, 12,920 for ice hockey, 14,500 for basketball and tennis, 5,450 for amphitheater concerts and stage shows, between 8,900 and 14,800 for arena concerts, 13,000 for ice shows and the circus, and 16,100 for boxing and wrestling.

In 2003 "Amusement Business/Billboard Magazine" listed the arena as the "#5" facility in the nation for venues seating 10,001 to 15,000 seats. The same magazine ranked the arena as #2 in 2002. [Arena rankings, quoted in San Diego Sports Arena's web site's History page [http://www.sandiegoarena.com/info.php] ; Amusement Business Magazine folded in 2006 so the primary source cannot be accessed [http://www.amusementbusiness.com/amusementbusiness/index.html] .]

Naming rights

The venue's original name was the 'San Diego International Sports Center'. The name was later renamed the 'San Diego Sports Arena which it kept until 2004. In the latter year, and until 2007, iPayOne, a real estate savings company based in Carlsbad, California, held the arena's naming rights. The deal was worth $2.5 million over five years.

On 8 April 2007, Ernie Hahn II, CEO of Arena Group 2000 which holds the leasing rights to the property, announced that AG2000 has bought out the remainder of the contract. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070407-9999-1b7ipayone.html|title=iPayOne taking no new listings|accessdate = 2007-04-08] According to Hahn, iPayOne has been in and out of default in payments - mostly balloon payments - in the last year. In addition, iPayOne appears to be halting operations and is accepting no new listings. As a result, the name was changed back to the San Diego Sports Arena while Hahn seeks a new naming rights sponsor.

Redevelopment

As recently as 2006, the arena was the home venue to the San Diego Gulls of the ECHL and the San Diego Riptide of the af2, but both franchises folded. The Gulls franchise majority owner was Arena Group 2000 LP, a private company which is also the current arena leaseholder. When the team was disbanded - and not sold - there was much speculation regarding the closely-held company's intentions for the facility, which has fallen into disuse and disrepair.

Most of the speculation centered on implosion and redevelopment of the property, which may or may not include a replacement arena, instead concentrating on offices and condos. The city may award the redevelopment contract to another firm, following the failure of Arena Group 2000's to make money with the arena. Many developers are salivating over the prospect of landing the contract, as property values have risen substantially in the last decade.

The venue continues to host occasional concerts, although other San Diego venues, like Coors Amphitheater in Chula Vista, Cox Arena at San Diego State University (on the eastern edge of the city) and SOMA (which is next door to the arena), are becoming more popular for musical events. The San Diego Sports Arena remains the only ice arena facility in San Diego County, and hosts annual skating events such as the Stars on Ice and Champions on Ice shows, and the Disney holiday ice shows. The property continues to derive the majority of income from the Kobey's Swap Meet, held every weekend in the west end of the parking lot.

History

1972 GOP National Convention

In 1972, the Republican Party considered the arena for its National Convention. With little warning, however, the GOP decided to hold the convention in Miami Beach. To compensate for this blow to local prestige, then mayor Pete Wilson gave San Diego the by-name of "America's Finest City", [San Diego Historical Society website, Time Line Section [http://www.sandiegohistory.org/timeline/timeline3.htm#1960] ] which is still the city's official moniker. [City of San Diego's official web page [http://www.sandiego.gov/] ]

ports franchises and events

The most notable sporting event to take place in the arena was the 1973 Ken Norton--Muhammad Ali fight in which, by split decision, San Diego local Norton won. Irish distance runner Eamonn Coghlan broke the world record for the indoor mile in 1979 and 1981. A photo of his crossing the finish line appeared around the world including the cover of Sports Illustrated. Coghlin's time for the 1981 race is still the world record for the indoor mile. [San Diego Sports Arena's web site, History page [http://www.sandiegoarena.com/history.php] ]

It was the home of the San Diego Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967-1971, the San Diego Conquistadors/Sails of the American Basketball Association from 1975-1976, the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association from 1974-1977, the San Diego Clippers of the NBA from 1978-1984, the San Diego State University Aztecs basketball teams, off and on, from 1966-1997, the San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team which won 10 titles in the arena, as well as other small sports franchises such as World Team Tennis.

The venue hosted the 1971 NBA All-Star Game and the 1975 NCAA men's basketball Final Four as well.

Because the arena's ice rink does not fit the National Hockey League's minimum area, 200 feet by 85 feet (the arena's ice surface is 185 feet by 85 feet), the Boston Bruins, whose home ice was of the same dimensions, used the San Diego Gulls as a farm team in the 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately for San Diego hockey fans, the non-regulation size has precluded the city from ever being seriously considered for an NHL franchise.Fact|date=December 2007

Music and entertainment

Metallica's concert video of their 1992 San Diego show which is included in . Britney Spears opened her world Onyx Hotel Tour on March 2, 2004 at the arena.

The arena has hosted many WWE pay-per-views including One Night Stand 2008, Taboo Tuesday 2005, and Vengeance 2001.

In 1970, Elvis Presley played the arena. After playing before a packed house, Elvis became friendly with one of the security guards whom he discovered hailed from his home town. The next day, a brand-new Cadillac was delivered to the guard, courtesy of Presley. [San Diego Sports Arena's web site, History page [http://www.sandiegoarena.com/history.php] ]

The exterior of the Sports Arena and its parking lot feature in an early scene in Cameron Crowe's 2000 film "Almost Famous".

Janet Jackson performed there as part of her Rock Witchu Tour on September 20, 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.sandiegoarena.com San Diego Sports Arena]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=85481412 San Diego Sports Arena - MySpace page]

succession box
title = Home of the
San Diego Rockets
years = 1967 – 1971
before = first arena
after = Hofheinz Pavilionsuccession box
title = Home of the
San Diego Clippers
years = 1978 – 1984
before = Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
after = Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arenasuccession box
title = Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
years = 1971
before = The Spectrum
after = The Forumsuccession box
title = NCAA Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Finals Venue
years = 1975
before = Greensboro Coliseum
after = The Spectrum