William Neal Reynolds Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena located in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Sout ...
, United States, on the campus of
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The univers ...
. The arena was built to host a variety of events, including agricultural expositions and NC State basketball games. It is now home to all services of
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...
and several Wolfpack teams, including women's
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, women's
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
, women's
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...
, and men's
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...
. The university named the court in Reynolds "
Kay Yow Court" on February 16, 2007 with the assistance of a substantial donation from the Wolfpack Club. That same night, the Wolfpack women upset #2 North Carolina, just two weeks after the men upset #3 North Carolina at the
PNC Arena
PNC Arena (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly the RBC Center) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena seats 18,680 for ice hockey and 19,722 for basketball, including 61 suites, 13 loge boxes ...
.
History
NC State alumnus David Clark originally petitioned for the construction of the arena in 1940 after rain had ruined a North Carolina Farmers' Week meeting held in an outdoor facility. The
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...
approved plans for the coliseum. A steel shortage threatened to delay the construction of the coliseum. However, because the proposed coliseum was also to be used as an armory, the "steel for the structure received a defense priority." Construction began in 1942. The foundation work and structural steel support system was completed by 1943 but construction was stopped due to
US involvement in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. After the war the university was preoccupied with the building of housing and classroom facilities and the unfinished coliseum was left untouched until construction resumed in 1948. The arena was completed the following year and named in honor of
William Neal Reynolds
William Neal Reynolds (March 22, 1863 – September 10, 1951) was a U.S. sportsman and businessman with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which was founded by his brother R. J. Reynolds.
Early life
Born in Patrick County, Virginia, Reynolds went ...
(1863–1951) of
Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...
.
The arena was originally intended to seat 10,000 people, but while the building was still under construction, newly hired head basketball coach
Everett Case urged the administration to add an additional 2,400 seats, bringing capacity to 12,400. This was accomplished by expanding the structure at each end. It was the largest arena in the Southeast for many years.
The first men's basketball game was played on December 2, 1949, against
Washington & Lee University. NC State defeated Washington and Lee, 67-47. Not all the seats had been installed at that time and many fans had to sit on the "cement tiers." The first women's basketball game was played on December 7, 1974. Men's basketball moved to the
Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena
PNC Arena (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly the RBC Center) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena seats 18,680 for ice hockey and 19,722 for basketball, including 61 suites, 13 loge boxes an ...
in 1999.
The Wolfpack men have played a December regular-season "heritage" game at Reynolds Coliseum in recent years, and the arena hosted 2019
NIT first and second-round games against Hofstra and Harvard on March 19 and March 24.
Reynolds was the original site of the
ACC men's basketball tournament from 1954 to 1966, the
Dixie Classic tournament from 1949 to 1960, and the
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
men's basketball tournament (1951–1953). It has hosted the
NCAA men's basketball tournament as a Regional site eight times, and as a subregional (first and second-round games) four times. It has also hosted the women's basketball tournament eleven times, only one of which was a regional site. The
ACC women's basketball tournament
The ACC women's basketball tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The tournament has been held every year since 1978, several years before the first NCAA championships for women ...
was held there twice, in 1979 and 1982. March 1982, in fact, was a very busy month for the arena: it hosted the ACC women's tournament, NCAA men's subregional, and NCAA women's regional all in succession.
It was considered to be one of the toughest places to play in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. When ESPN asked contributors who played college basketball to identify the toughest arena they ever played in, former Duke center
Jay Bilas
Jay Scot Bilas (born December 24, 1963) is an American college basketball analyst who currently works for ESPN. Bilas is a former professional basketball player and coach who played for and served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke Uni ...
and former North Carolina guard
Hubert Davis
Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 19 ...
chose Reynolds.
Jay Bilas
Jay Scot Bilas (born December 24, 1963) is an American college basketball analyst who currently works for ESPN. Bilas is a former professional basketball player and coach who played for and served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke Uni ...
: "To me, the toughest places to play had more to do with the quality of the opposing team than anything else, but Reynolds Coliseum at NC State was the toughest place I played while in college. Reynolds was configured much the same way as
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The 9,314-seat facility is the primary indoor athletic venue for the Duke Blue Devils and serves as the home court for Duke men's and ...
, but the end zones were much deeper and the sides were right on top of you. Reynolds was loud, edgy and intense. The Wolfpack under
Jim Valvano
James Thomas Anthony Valvano (March 10, 1946 – April 28, 1993), nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball player, coach, and broadcaster.
Valvano had a successful coaching career with multiple schools, most notably at North Caroli ...
were a tough out and the games were always fistfights, but the thing I remember most is coming back to a huddle and seeing lips move, but not being able to hear what was said. It was so hot and loud that your head would spin. Of course, having to guard guys like
Thurl Bailey Thurl is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Thurl Bailey (born 1961), American basketball player
* Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914May 22, 2005) was an American actor and bass singer. He was kn ...
,
Lorenzo Charles,
Cozell McQueen and
Chris Washburn
Christopher Scott Washburn (born May 13, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
A 6'11" center, Washburn was one of the top three high school recruits in the country in 1984, along with John Williams (LSU) ...
probably had something to do with my head spinning."
Hubert Davis
Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 19 ...
: "The toughest place I ever played was Reynolds Coliseum, former home of the NC State Wolfpack. Cameron Indoor Stadium and
Cole Field House
The Jones-Hill House is an indoor College athletics, collegiate sports sports training, training complex located on of land on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, College P ...
don't even come close. I remember the long walk from the locker room to the floor. You had to enter under the bleachers and then had to sprint to the floor so that the fans wouldn't throw soda on us. The end zone seating went back as far as I've ever seen – the sea of red just never seemed to end. In the four years I played there as a Tar Heel, I never scored on the opposite basket away from our bench in the first half. I eventually calmed down, but was always flustered in those first 20 minutes. It was that intimidating."
In May 2005, the arena was damaged by a small fire. Damage was minimal, and crews quickly repaired the structure.
Renovations were completed in 2005 that added new lighting, a new sound system, and new separate floors for basketball and volleyball. The new sound system proved to be inadequate, and was reworked in 2008. Because of the unusually long floor area, the volleyball court was able to fit in the north end of the coliseum perpendicular to the basketball court. The basketball area of the coliseum was curtained off or blocked off with temporary bleachers during volleyball matches. During basketball games temporary bleachers were rolled out over the volleyball floor, as well as over the open area on the south end of the court.
![Reynolds Coliseum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Reynolds_Coliseum.jpg)
The arena was closed in March 2015 for extensive remodeling, which cost an estimated $35 million. The project moved the competition floor to the south end of the arena while lowering the seating capacity to 5,500 (it can be a bit higher for festival events). The north end of the building features a new Walk of Fame and History, including a permanent home for the
NC State Athletic Hall of Fame
The NC State Athletic Hall of Fame is a sports history museum located in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a c ...
, as well as offices for women's basketball and volleyball. Restrooms, concessions and hospitality areas were renovated and concourses were widened. A new video control room for all sports was added. And for the first time, the entire arena is air-conditioned.
NC State's volleyball team was the first to play at home in the newly renovated Reynolds on September 9, 2016, defeating Delaware 3-0.
Configuration
The building's arena floor measures . Originally, it seated 12,400 for basketball and 14,000 for concerts. Besides the building's long dimensions, another recognizable feature of the building is the floor-level bleacher seating, which is noticeably separate from the arena's main seating sections, a feature copied in the building of the PNC Arena. The building's exterior dimensions are .
PA Announcer
C. A. Dillon was the
Public Address
A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
Announcer
An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event.
Television and other media
Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narration ...
for the men's basketball games (including games of the
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
,
ACC,
Dixie Classic and
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
basketball tournaments) during the entire 50-year run of men's basketball in the arena. Bob Ferrone started as the PA Announcer for women’s basketball in 1975, the same year Kay Yow began her award-winning 34-year career as coach of the Wolfpack Women. He continued, assisted by his wife Jan, for 27 years rarely missing a game at Reynolds Coliseum.
Currently, women's basketball is announced by Ed Funkhouser. For eleven years, volleyball was announced by Vance Elderkin.
For many years, the arena housed an organ that was played before and after games and at halftimes. During the years in which
Norm Sloan was the Wolfpack's head coach, his wife Joan sang the National Anthem before tip-offs.
Special events
The arena hosted games for the
Carolina Cougars
The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...
of the
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 American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
during some but not all of their time in North Carolina from 1969 through 1974.
The arena also hosts annual N.C. State
homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...
events, particularly concerts, featuring artists such as
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...
,
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
,
Lonestar
Lonestar (formerly known as Texassee) is an American country music group from Nashville, Tennessee. The group consists of Drew Womack (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (keyboards, acousti ...
,
Chris Daughtry
Christopher Adam Daughtry (; born December 26, 1979) is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fifth season of ''American I ...
,
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
&
Crossfade, and hip hop artist T.I., among others. It also played host to many
Raleigh
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
area high school graduation ceremonies, though most now take place at the
Raleigh Convention Center
The Raleigh Convention Center is a convention and exhibition facility in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina that opened in September 2008. The architect was Tvsdesign with the participation of local firms O'Brien/Atkins Associates and Clearscapes. ...
.
Historically, Reynolds served as the host for many campus concerts and special events.
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
,
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...
,
Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly " Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still heard on many classic rock and classic hits r ...
,
Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American media personality, podcaster, actor, and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is inactive due to a knee injury. He has over 23 m ...
, The Kingston Trio and
Huey Lewis & The News have all performed in Reynolds. Additionally, former presidents
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
,
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, and
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
have addressed students, faculty, and campus visitors in the coliseum.
On February 24, 2015,
Phish
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...
released a live recording of their 12/16/99 concert from Reynolds Coliseum on LivePhish.com.
On March 10, 2018, Reynolds Coliseum hosted the NCHSAA 3A Men’s Basketball Championship. The game saw the Cox Mill Chargers men’s basketball team take home their second straight State Championship.
See also
*
List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
External links
NC State facilities information: Reynolds Coliseum
{{Authority control
American Basketball Association venues
Basketball venues in North Carolina
Carolina Cougars
NC State Wolfpack sports venues
College basketball venues in the United States
College gymnastics venues in the United States
College volleyball venues in the United States
College wrestling venues in the United States
NC State Wolfpack basketball venues
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four venues
Sports venues completed in 1949
Sports venues in Raleigh, North Carolina
1949 establishments in North Carolina
Buildings and structures associated with the Reynolds family