Mullins Center

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = William D. Mullins Memorial Center | nickname =


location = Amherst, Massachusetts
broke_ground =
opened = February 4, 1993
closed =
demolished =
owner = University of Massachusetts
operator = Global Spectrum
surface = 200x95 ft (hockey)
construction_cost=
architect =
former_names = | tenants = UMass-Amherst basketball and hockey programs (men's and women's)
seating_capacity = 9,493 (basketball)
8,387(hockey)The Mullins Center is a 10,500 seat, multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Mullins Center is the exclusive home of UMass Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and Men's Hockey. In addition, the venue hosts numerous concerts, family shows, theater shows, and commencements annually. Located adjacent to the Mullins Center is the Mullins Community Ice Rink which is open for public skating and raquetball.

In 1985, William D. Mullins, a state representative from Ludlow, suggested that the University needed a multipurpose arena and convocation center to help expand the athletic program and assist in the university's growth. He died in 1986, but the state went ahead with the building of the complex, naming it for him. It replaced the Curry Hicks Cage, the 1930s-era basketball gymnasium, as home of the Minutemen basketball teams. In addition, it allowed the hockey team, which had been downgraded to club status since the late 1970s, to be elevated to Division I status.

The Mullins Center is managed by Global Spectrum, which is the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 70 facilities throughout the United States and Canada, including the Mullins Center. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment companies, Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, a regional sports programming network, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities, and Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency. In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

Concerts and Events

The Mullins Center has hosted many great performances over the years, including:

Photos

External links

* [http://www.mullinscenter.com/ Mullins Center website]
* [http://umassathletics.cstv.com/ University of Massachusetts Athletics]
* [http://www.global-spectrum.com/default.asp?lnopt=-1/ Global Spectrum]
* [http://www.umass.edu/ University of Massachusetts Amherst]
* [http://www.comcastspectacor.com/ Comcast Spectacor]