Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center is a multi-purpose
arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
on the campus of the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
in
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, United States. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the
Tennessee Volunteers (men) and
Lady Vols (women)
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 (appro ...
teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team. It is named after
B. Ray Thompson and former university president
Edward J. Boling. The basketball court is named "The Summitt" after the late Lady Vols basketball coach
Pat Summitt. It replaced the
Stokely Athletic Center. The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
, and just southwest of
Neyland Stadium. As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop
Ayres Hall, the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white
checkerboard
A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English) is a game board of check (pattern), checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of alternating ...
pattern.
History

In terms of
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
, Thompson-Boling was at one time the largest facility ever built specifically for basketball in the United States with a
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
of 24,535 until its 2007 renovation. The current capacity is 21,678. The men's record crowd was 25,610 for a game against Kentucky on January 21, 1989, which is also the SEC record for a regular-season game. The Lady Vols' record crowd of 24,653, set at their win over
archrival UConn on January 7, 2006, is also the all-time record for an NCAA regular-season women's game.
The facility hosted the 1989
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
men's basketball tournament. It hosted games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 1990 (first and second rounds), 1994 (regional), and 1999 (regional), and the 1990 NCAA Women's Final Four.
Since 2001, it has played host to Knoxville's
Living Christmas Tree.
In August 2006, ground was broken for the Pratt Pavilion, a basketball practice facility to be located adjacent to the arena. It was ready for use in early November, but not all exterior construction were finished.
On November 30, 2006, plans were announced at utsports.com to add new renovations to Thompson–Boling Arena. Renovations included black seats, a center hung scoreboard, and concourse refurbishments, such as graphics and other amenities. Also added were luxury suites and loge seating. Construction began in March 2007. Phase I was finished in late October 2007 with an opening game against the
Temple Owls of the
Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose schools compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. The A-10's member schools are located most ...
.
Phase II is scheduled to include a new lighting system, new ticket kiosks, and new food courts.
The outer volume of Thompson–Boling Arena is approximately .
During the 2006–2007 and the 2007–2008 year, the University of Tennessee Men's Basketball team went 16–0 in Thompson–Boling Arena. As of November 18, 2008,
Bruce Pearl's home record at Thompson–Boling Arena was 47–2, a home winning percentage at Tennessee of 96%.
On February 5, 2009, history was made at Thompson–Boling Arena, as the Tennessee Lady Vols defeated the
Georgia Bulldogs 73–43, to give head coach
Pat Summitt her 1,000th win.
It is also a concert venue, holding up to 25,000 people. It has been Tennessee's largest arena since it was opened. Only
Greensboro Coliseum Complex has had a larger capacity among other arenas in the Southeast.
See also
*
List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
References
External links
Official WebsiteUT Sports Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson-Boling Arena
College basketball venues in Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers basketball
Tennessee Volunteers sports venues
1987 establishments in Tennessee
Sports venues completed in 1987
College volleyball venues in the United States
Indoor arenas in Tennessee