Petersen Events Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Petersen Events Center | |
|---|---|
| "The Pete" | |
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| Location | 3719 Terrace Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261 |
| Broke ground | June 15, 2000 |
| Opened | April 27, 2002 |
| Owner | University of Pittsburgh |
| Operator | SMG Facility Management |
| Surface | Hardwood Basketball Court |
| Construction cost | $119 million |
| Architect | Apostolou Associates Rosser International of Atlanta |
| Tenants | Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA) (2002-Present) Pittsburgh Xplosion (CBA) (2006-Present) |
| Capacity | 12,508 |
The John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center (more commonly known as the Petersen Events Center or 'The Pete') is a 12,508-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It hosts the men's and women's Pitt Panthers basketball teams.
The arena opened in 2002 on part of the former site of Pitt Stadium, which housed the university's football team from 1925 - 1999. The Pitt basketball program makes its home here, moving over from Fitzgerald Field House. The new building also meant that Pitt no longer had to play certain games at the Civic Arena, due to its capacity being big enough to house crowds for rivalry matchups.
Its first event was a Counting Crows concert. For concerts the Center seats 9,000 for end-stage shows, 14,763 for center-stage shows.
The arena features 16,000 square feet of lobby space, 18 luxury suites, including five courtside luxury suites (the only college arena with courtside suites) and a 193-seat SuperSuite.
The section known as the Oakland Zoo is composed of the sections across from the team benches and next to the court. "Oakland" refers to the neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh where The Pete resides. The students in the Zoo wear gold T-shirts with the words "Oakland Zoo" in some way, shape or form across the front. This layout and unity is a large factor in why the Pete is such a tough place to play for opposing teams. In fact, Pitt has lost only one home non-conference game since the Panthers moved into the Pete.[1] Since its creation the men's basketball team has had a record of 94-10.
In 2006, Sports Illustrated surveyed the Big East Conference's basketball players, and the Pete was named the "Toughest Place to Play," with specific players mentioning the Oakland Zoo and the fans' creativity. In 2007, "The Pete" hosted first and second round games of the NCAA Women's Division I Tournament.
John Petersen is a native of nearby Erie, Pennsylvania and is the retired President and CEO of Erie Insurance Group.
[edit] Notable events
- 2004 Jeopardy! College Championship
- 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship - first and second round games
- 2008 April 21st, 2008 Senator Barack Obama Presidential campaign rally
[edit] External links
[edit] Gallery
 Floor level luxury suite |
 Panther outside the Pete |
 Panther outside the Pete |
| Preceded by Sennott Square |
University of Pittsburgh Buildings Petersen Events Center Constructed: 2002 |
Succeeded by Pennsylvania Hall |
| Preceded by Payne Whitney Gymnasium |
Host of the Jeopardy! College Championship 2004 |
Succeeded by RBC Center |
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