Allen Arena is an

indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike o ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

. The

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

was named in honor of James C. and Linda Allen, the facility's primary benefactors. James Allen is a member of the board of trustees for the university and worked for the university at one time. The arena is primarily used for basketball and volleyball athletic events and is also used for daily chapel services and occasional concerts.Allen Arena Facilities
at lipscombsports.com, URL accessed November 6, 2009. 11/5/09

Facilities

Other than hosting athletic events and on campus convocations, the arena hosts many events such as dinners, concerts, area-wide worship services, and graduations (the university and Nashville surrounding high schools). The facility has been host to events such as the annual

Minnie Pearl Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (October 25, 1912 – March 4, 1996), known professionally as her stage character Minnie Pearl, was an American comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years (1940–1991) and on the television ...

Cancer Foundation Concert, bringing entertainers such as former Vibe host Sinbad,

Dana Carvey Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...

, and

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...

. Besides being the home of Lipscomb sports teams, it served as the home of the now-defunct Nashville franchise, the

Nashville Rhythm Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, in the revived

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

. It was also the home of the Music City Stars, an

team during the 2009-10 season.

History

The Allen Arena opened on October 28, 2001, with a local worship service called "In His Hands". The Arena and adjacent parking garage was the site for the school's old McQuiddy Gym name after J.C. McQuiddy Part of the McQuiddy Gym was retained along with the adjacent Student Activities Center (SAC). Yearwood Hall, a women's dormitory, was torn down for construction of the arena. In the first Lipscomb Bisons home game at Allen Arena, Bison Clayton Osborne made an inbounds shot from three-quarters of the court away. With no time remaining, the ball fell through the net, giving the Bisons a 78-77 victory over the North Texas Mean Green. The arena hosted the 2008 and 2009

Atlantic Sun Conference The ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Divisi ...

men's basketball tournaments. Due to the damage incurred to the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

House during the

May 2010 Tennessee floods The 2010 Tennessee floods were 1,000-year floods in Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, south-central and western Kentucky and northern Mississippi areas of the United States of America as the result of torrential rains on May 1 and 2, 2010. Flo ...

and because the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...

was unavailable, Allen Arena hosted the June 5 and June 15, 2010 editions of the Grand Ole Opry. In October 2013, the arena held the nationally televised 44th GMA Dove Awards for the

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely around ...

scene.

Capacity

Arena

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

is between 4,000 and 5,000 depending upon the purpose for which it is being used, and is officially given as 5,028, which is the capacity in the format typically utilized.Lipscomb University, Allen Arena
at nashville.metromix.com, URL accessed November 6, 2009. 11/6/09

References

External links

Official WebsiteFacilities - Allen Arena
{{Nashville landmarks American Basketball Association (2000–present) venues College basketball venues in the United States College volleyball venues in the United States Sports venues in Nashville, Tennessee Lipscomb Bisons basketball 2001 establishments in Tennessee Sports venues completed in 2001

Facilities

History

Capacity

See also

References

External links