Stegeman Coliseum is a 10,523-seat multi-purpose
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 ...
in
Athens, Georgia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The arena opened in 1964 in honor of C. Sal Stegeman. It is home to the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
Bulldogs
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and
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 ...
teams. It was also the venue of the
rhythmic gymnastics and preliminary
indoor volleyball matches during the
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
, as well as the 1989, 1995, and 2008
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 an ...
gymnastics championships. As a multi-purpose facility, the Coliseum also hosted a variety of other kinds of events, including many large indoor rock concerts during its early history, as well as the university's Graduate School commencement exercises. At its opening it replaced
Woodruff Hall, a 3,000-seat field house built in 1923.
Design
The ceiling is barrel-shaped, with the Sanford Drive side being curved as well. The resulting inside seating is in a "U" shape, with the flat end, which includes the scoreboard, not having the upper levels of seating. The Sanford Drive side was decorated with the Olympic insignia and other markings for the 1996 Olympics. Also, the roof is a separate structure from the coliseum itself, and is connected by an aluminum bellows which allows the roof to rise and fall with the temperature. The roof has four outward supports in an arc style, which were often used in fraternity initiations until gated off.
The former Georgia Coliseum received its current name on March 2, 1996, in honor of
Herman Stegeman, a longtime basketball coach at UGA who was a pioneer in the development of the original
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 ...
basketball tournament in 1921.
Renovations
The university has undertaken several renovations. Originally, Stegeman Coliseum had a stage at one end. Today, a scoreboard, a new section for student seating and banners commemorating the accomplishments of the teams that call Stegeman Coliseum home occupy that space. In anticipation of the 1996 Olympic Games, Stegeman Coliseum received new scoreboard systems, including the first video replay board in an SEC basketball venue. In 2000, all of the old, wooden seats in the lower level were removed, the concrete was resealed, and new cushioned seats were installed. More recently, new LED "ribbon" boards have been installed around the upper ring of the Coliseum (not a 360-degree ribbon but three segments of ribbon on each of the non-video-board sides). The building has also undergone several cosmetic changes to the exterior in the past few years. Currently, the university has preliminary plans to undertake a drastic overhaul of the building, including dropping the event level down several feet to increase capacity. In October 2006, an adjoining practice facility for men's and women's basketball and gymnastics was finished.
The Coliseum underwent a $13 million expansion and renovation after the 2009–10 season. The main concourse level of approximately was fully renovated, including modernization and addition of restrooms, upgrades to concession area, a new merchandising area, a first aid room, a new ticket sales area, and new graphics and way finding signage. Also included were of expanded lobby space (including both sides) and of renovated concourse, restrooms, and concessions. Renovations began on May 12, 2010, and were functionally complete in time for the 2010–11 basketball season. The expansion was officially dedicated on January 18, 2011.
Notable events
Georgia upset arch-rival Georgia Tech in the Coliseum's first game on February 22, 1964, 81–68, under the leadership of head coach Harbin "Red" Lawson. The inaugural game set an attendance record of 13,200 that has never been surpassed. The original design afforded the Coliseum 11,200 seats, but in the excitement of the opening of "The Jewel of North Georgia", officials let anyone come inside that showed up. This would be the first and the last time that this was done.
The Coliseum also hosted the Mideast Regional of the 1971 NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers won the regional with an 81–78 win in overtime over the Ohio State Buckeyes. At the close of the 2014-2015 season, Georgia's men's basketball teams had amassed a home record of 484 wins and 221 losses (.686).
On April 13–16, the arena hosted the inaugural
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...
Peachtree District State Championship. 41 teams from the state of Georgia attended the championship, with Global Dynamics, East Cobb Robotics and Walton Robotics winning the event. In addition, Kell Robotics won the District Championship Chairman's Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the FIRST Robotics Competition. They, along with 8 other teams, qualified for the
FIRST Championship.
Jake Scott
Jacob E. Scott III (July 20, 1945 – November 19, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a free safety and punt returner from 1970 to 1978 for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NF ...
, a member of the
1968 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 1968 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. The team was named national champion by NCAA-designated major selector Litkenhous.
...
once rode a motorcycle over the arches of the stadium. Later renovations added special railings to make sure the event didn't occur again.
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 uni ...
References
Sources
1996 Summer Olympics official report.Volume 1. p. 544.
1996 Summer Olympics official report.Volume 3. p. 457.
External links
*
{{Olympic venues volleyball
University of Georgia campus
Georgia Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball
Basketball venues in Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia Gym Dogs venues
Indoor arenas in Georgia (U.S. state)
College basketball venues in the United States
College gymnastics venues in the United States
Venues of the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic gymnastics venues
Olympic volleyball venues
Sports venues in Georgia (U.S. state)
Sports in Athens, Georgia
1964 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Sports venues completed in 1964