Savage Hall

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John F. Savage Hall (formerly Centennial Hall) has served as Northwest Ohio's premier sports and entertainment venue since opening in 1976. Located in Toledo, Ohio USA, on the University of Toledo campus, the arena is home to the university's Rockets basketball teams. It seats 9,000 for basketball and up to 10,000 for concerts.

Savage Hall features 33,000 square foot (3,000 m²) of space on its arena floor, large enough to accommodate each of the following: an ice rink, an arena football field, a rodeo ring, 5 basketball courts, 8 volleyball courts, 5 tennis courts, 6 racquetball courts, 22 badminton courts, and a 300 yard (274 m) indoor track. There is even a 48-by-56-foot portable stage at the arena. The Joe Grogan Room, which seats 200 for dinners, is located at the arena's south side.

Many first-tier concert tours also frequently stop by Savage Hall. It is also the site of convocations and commencement ceremonies, as well as the occasional conventions. In addition, the arena welcomed President George W. Bush and Mexican president Vicente Fox in 2001.

There is no bad seat in the house at Savage Hall, thanks to the arena's long span trusses that support the roof, 57 feet (17 m) above the arena floor. The trusses also support the arena's public address and ventilation systems, a catwalk system for service and maintenance, and the arena's center-court scoreboard. The arena is named for John F. Savage, an university alum who was instrumental in the arena's construction.

The facility has hosted five Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournaments: 1985, 1987-1989, and 1995.

As of July 17th, 2006, a gift of $5 million, the largest single gift ever made to the UT athletic department, has been donated and earmarked for use on the new Savage Hall update project. These funds will be used along with those obtained in a capital raising campaign in order to make major repairs and upgrades to the facility, including an all new athletic center. Final plans include new locker rooms, weight rooms, a pro shop, a Rocket Hall-of-Fame, new ticket offices and a professional office area, not to mention a revamping of the main arena area which will modernize every aspect of the Savage Hall experience.

There are also plans in the works to attach an enclosed indooor practice complex for both the basketball and football teams.

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