The John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum or John M. Parker Agricultural Center is a 6,756-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 ...

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...

. It hosts local

sporting events Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, t ...

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer ...

livestock show A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llam ...

s and

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...

History

Constructed by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

, it was opened in 1937 and sat 12,000 people at its peak. At the time of its construction, it was six feet larger than Madison Square Garden, which made it the biggest coliseum in the United States. It is named after John M. Parker, 27th Governor of Louisiana, who pushed to move the campus to its current location during his tenure. WPA-Sign-Louisiana-Agricultural-Center-1936

WPA-Sign-Louisiana-Agricultural-Center-1936

When it opened in 1937, it became the primary home of the

LSU Tigers basketball The LSU Tigers men's basketball team (aka. The Louisiana State University Tigers team) represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers are currently coached by Matt McMahon, after previous coach Wi ...

team, though for several years both the Gym/Armory and the coliseum were used for LSU basketball games. In 1938, the facility hosted the

Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east ...

. In the 1950s, it became the sole home of the LSU Tigers basketball team. In the 1960s, the Coliseum was home to

Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised i ...

-led basketball teams and it was his prominence that led to the construction of the

LSU Assembly Center The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,215-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams, the LSU Tigers women's gymnastics ...

which now bears his name. The basketball team's final season playing in the coliseum was 1970–71. LSU won its final game there, defeating Auburn 114–94 on February 15, 1971. The former LSU Tigers boxing team held matches at Parker Coliseum and the Huey P. Long Field House. The 1949 LSU boxing team went undefeated in regular season play and finished the year by beating South Carolina in front of 11,000 fans in Parker Coliseum, en route to its first and only national title. Today, it has reverted to its original purpose as a host of agricultural events, such as rodeos,

s, and other events for the LSU AgCenter and the 4-H program. It also serves as the location for Dance Marathon at LSU, which is the only collegiate Dance Marathon program held in an agricultural center. The rodeo scenes with

Matthew McConaughey Matthew David McConaughey ( ; born November 4, 1969) is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first succes ...

from his Oscar winning film

Dallas Buyers Club ''Dallas Buyers Club'' is a 2013 American biographical drama film written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. The film tells the story of Ron Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey), an AIDS patient diagnosed in ...

were shot at the Coliseum.

References

External links

* Basketball venues in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Boxing venues in Louisiana Defunct boxing venues in the United States Defunct college basketball venues in the United States Equestrian venues in the United States Indoor arenas in Baton Rouge, Louisiana LSU Tigers basketball venues LSU Tigers boxing venues Sports venues in Louisiana Louisiana State University buildings and structures Event venues established in 1937 Sports venues completed in 1937 1937 establishments in Louisiana Rodeo venues in the United States Works Progress Administration in Louisiana {{Louisiana-sports-venue-stub

History

See also

References

External links