Sovereign Bank Arena

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Sovereign Bank Arena
nickname =


location = 81 Hamilton Ave
Trenton NJ 08611
broke_ground =
opened = October 6, 1999
owner = Mercer County Improvement Authority. [ [http://www.sovereignbankarena.com/general-info/ownership-management/ Ownership & Management] , Sovereign Bank Arena. Accessed November 4, 2007.]
operator = Global Spectrum
construction_cost = $53 million
architect =
former_names =
tenants = Trenton Devils (ECHL) (1999-present)
Trenton Lightning (IPFL) (2001)
Trenton Shooting Stars (IBL) (1999-2001)
seating_capacity = Hockey: 8,100
Basketball: 9,000
Concerts: 10,000The Sovereign Bank Arena (also referred to as the "Mercer County Arena") is an $53 million, 8,500 seat arena in Trenton, New Jersey, that is home to the Trenton Devils of the ECHL and other special events. Naming rights to the arena were bought by Sovereign Bank.

The Arena opened on October 6, 1999 with a World Wrestling Federation event. Since opening, the Arena has hosted over 1200 events with over 4,000,000 guests attending and has sold out shows by Bruce Springsteen, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Elton John, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Britney Spears. [ [http://sovereignbankarena.com/general-info/ General Info] , Sovereign Bank Arena. Accessed November 4, 2007.]

The arena held the first and second rounds of the 2006 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2000 and 2001 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournaments were held there as was the 2003 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament. The 2009 edition of the MAAC tourney is scheduled to be held there as well.

The Arena seats approximately 8,100 for hockey and other ice events, 9,000 for basketball, and up to 10,000 for concerts, family shows, and other events which makes it the largest arena in Southern New Jersey. The arena is located next to, and served by, the Hamilton Avenue station on NJ Transit's River Line and New Jersey Route 129.

The arena is managed by Global Spectrum, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based arm of sports and entertainment conglomerate Comcast-Spectacor.

The arena hosted the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Pay-Per-View "Hard Justice" on August 10th, 2008.

References

External links

* [http://sovereignbankarena.com Official website]