The Watsco Center (originally named the University of Miami Convocation Center) is an 8,000-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 ...

on the campus of the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, including all University of Miami men's and women's

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 ...

games.

Founding

The arena opened in 2003 and was originally named the University of Miami Convocation Center. The arena is home to the

Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...

men's and women's

teams. Additional events held in the Watsco Center include concerts, sporting events, lectures, award shows, high school graduations, and men's and women's basketball games. It is the largest arena ever built on the

campus. In 2005, the arena was renamed the BankUnited Center, after Miami Lakes-based

BankUnited BankUnited, Inc., with total consolidated assets of $37 billion at December 31, 2022, is a bank holding company with one wholly owned subsidiary, BankUnited, collectively, the Company. BankUnited, a national banking association headquartered in M ...

. In 2016,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

-based air conditioning company Watsco acquired the naming rights. Prior to the opening of the Watsco Center, from 1988 until 2002, the school's basketball teams played their home games at

Miami Arena Miami Arena was an indoor arena located in Miami, Florida. The venue served as the home of the NBA's Miami Heat, and the NHL's Florida Panthers. From 1988 until 1999, it also was the indoor arena for the Miami Hurricanes. History Completed in ...

U.S. presidential debates

The Watsco Center has hosted two U.S. presidential debates to date: On September 30, 2004, the University of Miami hosted one of the three nationally televised U.S. presidential debates between presidential candidates George W. Bush and

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

during the 2004 presidential election at the Watsco Center. The debate, which was moderated by

Jim Lehrer James Charles Lehrer (; May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. Lehrer was the executive editor and a news anchor for the ''PBS NewsHour'' on PBS and was known for his role as a de ...

of ''

PBS NewsHour ''PBS NewsHour'' is an American evening television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS member stations. It airs seven nights a week, and is known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events. Anchored by Judy Woodruff, the pro ...

'', was viewed by 62.5 million people. On March 10, 2016, the University of Miami hosted the

2016 Republican presidential primary Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film d ...

's twelfth and final debate at Wastso Center, which aired nationally on

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

and featured Republican presidential candidates

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...

John Kasich John Richard Kasich Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician, author, and television news host who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and as the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, Kasic ...

, Marco Rubio, and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

Ranking

The 2007 issue of ''Venues Today'', an entertainment industry publication, reports that the Watsco Center outperformed all but one other venue in Florida in its size category for number of concerts and touring events held in 2006.

References

External links

Official Web SiteBankUnited Center - Traditions - University of Miami Hurricanes
Coral Gables, Florida 2003 establishments in Florida Arena football venues Basketball venues in Florida Buildings and structures in Coral Gables, Florida College basketball venues in the United States Esports venues in Florida Indoor arenas in Florida Miami Hurricanes basketball venues Mixed martial arts venues in Florida Music venues completed in 2003 Music venues in Florida Sports venues completed in 2003 Sports venues in Florida University of Miami {{Florida-sports-venue-stub

Founding

U.S. presidential debates

Ranking

See also

References

External links