Blackham Coliseum
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| Blackham Coliseum | |
|---|---|
| Image:79466057 5047689f0c | |
| Location | 444 Cajundome Boulevard (at Johnston Street) Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 |
| Opened | 1950 |
| Closed | Open |
| Demolished | N/A |
| Owner | City of Lafayette |
| Operator | Cajundome, Convention Center and Artisan Creative Catering |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Construction cost | $60 million |
| Architect | Neil Nehrbass |
| Former names | N/A |
| Tenants | Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (NCAA) (1950-1984) Louisiana IceGators (ECHL) (1995–2005) |
| Capacity | Official : 12,068 Concerts: 13,500 |
Blackham Coliseum is a multipurpose arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was built on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus in 1950 as the home to the then named USL Bulldogs, now called the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns basketball teams. It remained their home until the Cajundome was completed in 1984. It hosted the Southland Conference men's basketball tournament in 1982.
Today it is still in use, seating 5,500 for basketball and up to 9,800 for concerts. It also features 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) of space at the main arena with two barns adding an additional 46,500 square feet (4,300 m²) of space. Altogether, the three buildings can also be used for trade shows, rodeos and conventions.
The venue serves as home to the Grammy-styled, annual Le Cajun Music Awards Festival held every August by the Cajun French Music Association, an association of Cajun music enthusiasts for the preservation of the Cajun music, language, its heritage and culture.[1]
