O'Connell Center

The Stephen C. O'Connell Center, also known as the O'Dome, is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility is named for the sixth president of the university, Stephen C. O'Connell, who served from 1967 to 1973. The facility is located on the northern side of the university's campus, between its football field, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field deal for the main arena, which was officially renamed the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Florida Gators home arena

The Exactech Arena, which is owned by the University of Florida, is the home arena of several of the university's Florida Gators intercollegiate sports teams, including the men's and women's college basketball, gymnastics, swimming and diving, and volleyball teams.

The facility was quickly dubbed the "O'Dome" by students, a nickname that is still in use. ''ESPN The Magazine'' nicknamed it the "House of Horrors" in 1999, a name that the sports teams began using promotionally a few years later. The student section of the stadium has been dubbed the "Rowdy Reptiles". ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, on assignment at the Florida-Kentucky game in 2006, said that the Rowdy Reptiles make the O'Dome one of the toughest places to play in college basketball.

On December 23, 2006, a then-record crowd of 12,621 watched the fifth-ranked Gators defeat the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 86–60. The two teams would meet again that season for the National Championship game, with the Gators, once again, emerging victorious as the first back-to-back National Champions since Duke in the early 1990s. This attendance record was broken, however, on February 5, 2011, in a 70–68 Gator victory over the 11th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, as 12,633 attended the game. Following the 2016 renovation, on February 19, 2022, the Gators defeated the 2nd-ranked Auburn Tigers in front of a crowd of 11,255, which currently stands as the largest attendance in the arena post-renovation.

Other uses

In addition to sports, the O'Connell Center regularly hosts many other events on campus. It is the largest concert venue in North Central Florida and has been the venue for a wide variety of performances, included a 2006 show by Gainesville native Tom Petty that aired on PBS's Soundstage TV series. Tom Petty's first ever show at the O'Connell Center was the year after it opened on October 7, 1981. Other events held at the facility include University of Florida graduation ceremonies, trade shows, career fairs, political rallies, public speeches, and various large banquets and private events.

Event Capacities

Concerts:

Full House: 7,000

In the Round: 10,500

Speaking Engagements:

Half House (standard set): 2,500-3,500

Full House: 6,000-7,000

Athletics:

Men's Basketball: 10,136

Women's Basketball: 10,136

Volleyball: 10,136

Gymnastics: 9,251

Banquets:

Up to 1,200

Trade Shows:

Service Level: 110 (8 ft X 10 ft booths)

Concourse Level (non-Arena): 140 (8 ft X 10 ft booths)

Total Exhibition Booths: 250

History

Alligator Alley

Before the O'Connell Center, the University of Florida's basketball teams and other indoor sports programs used the on-campus Florida Gymnasium, which was nicknamed Alligator Alley. The Florida Gym was built in 1949, and it was considered a difficult venue for opponents because the seating was very close to the court and, when full, the noise level was "deafening". However, it was also small, had very few amenities and had no air conditioning. It was compared to a "dismal and dreary" high school gym by observers. By the early 1970s, Florida was the only school in the Southeastern Conference without a modern basketball facility, a factor that affected the recruiting of top players and held back the growth of its long-mediocre basketball program.

UF / USF collaboration

In 1975, the University of Florida Athletic Association decided to seek funds to build a new facility for UF's indoor sports programs. The University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa had also decided to build a large indoor arena at about the same time, so the schools agreed to commission a common architectural design to stretch limited state funding. As originally constructed, USF's Sun Dome (now known as the Yuengling Center) and UF's O'Connell Center featured almost identical inflatable roof systems and main arenas. The primary difference was that the O'Connell Center included training areas and facilities for other sports around the main arena while USF added these facilities to the Sun Dome in a later expansion.

The $15.6 million O'Connell Center broke ground in October 1977 in a parking lot across the street from Florida Field