AT&T Center

AT&T Center (originally SBC Center) is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball (NBA: San Antonio Spurs, WNBA: San Antonio Silver Stars), 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms (16 Men's and 16 Women's).

It was completed in 2002, as the SBC Center, at a cost of $175 million, financed by county-issued bonds, which were supported by a hotel-occupancy and car rental tax increase and an additional contribution of $28.5 million from the Spurs.^[6] SBC Communications, Inc. purchased the naming rights to the facility under a 20-year, $41 million naming rights agreement with Bexar County, the San Antonio Spurs and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in July 2000. SBC Communications changed its name to AT&T in November 2005 after its purchase of AT&T Corporation. The arena officially changed its name to AT&T Center in January 2006.

It is home to the San Antonio Spurs, of the NBA, the San Antonio Rampage, of the AHL, in the winter-spring season and the San Antonio Silver Stars, of the WNBA, in the summer.

The PRCA, who holds the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo every February, also hosts an Xtreme Bulls tour event annually (at around the same time as the Stock Show). On the weekend of August 1–2, 2009, the PBR also hosted a Built Ford Tough Series event at this arena, after having held a BFTS event at the Alamodome in 2007 and 2008.

In addition to many local community and sporting events, the San Antonio Sports Car Association holds autocross competitions in the parking lot each month.

History

Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, a multi-purpose facility with a configuration that allowed half the floor space to be used for basketball. Although the Alamodome was still relatively new (opening in 1993), it had become clear over the years that the Spurs were using it for most of the year, making it difficult to schedule contiguous dates for conventions or even a regular-season football schedule. The Alamodome's seating capacity could be expanded to over 30,000 for popular regular-season opponents, and attracted nearly 40,000 for a 1999 NBA Finals game. However, the Spurs and their fans grew increasingly dissatisfied with the facility because of its poor sight lines for basketball and the cavernous nature of the arena configuration. Being primarily a football stadium differentiated the Alamodome from most other NBA facilities, including the Spurs' previous home, HemisFair Arena.

Additionally, since the Alamodome opened, there had been a plethora of new arena construction including facilities such as Conseco Fieldhouse, which, in addition to offering an intimate atmosphere, offered teams several new revenue generating opportunities, including suites located on the lower levels and large club level seating areas.

The Spurs campaigned for several years for a new facility. The Spurs and the city had come to an agreement to build a new facility adjacent to the Alamodome, but in a last-minute reversal, the team partnered with Bexar County to construct a new arena adjacent to the Freeman Coliseum. As a part of the agreement the facility would be home to the Spurs, a new hockey team, and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Association's annual, multi-day event (the latter requiring the Spurs to engage in an extended road trip every February).

The facility would be funded through an increase of hotel and car rental taxes, and Bexar County voters approved the plan in November 1999. Coincidentally, the election was held on the same day the Spurs received their NBA Championship rings for their first NBA championship.

Rick Pych is the Chief Development Officer of the AT&T Center and led the Spurs franchise through its development, construction and opening in 2002.

Construction

After the arena referendum passed, planning quickly began for construction on the new facility. Naming rights were obtained in July 2000 when an agreement was reached with San Antonio-based SBC Communications to name the new arena the SBC Center. The agreement was reported to be for a total of $41 million over 20 years.

Ground was officially broken on the facility in August 2000. The arena's basic design was similar to many of the other newer arenas in the NBA, in no small part to the choice of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Ellerbe Becket as the primary architects. A nationally recognized, local architecture firm, Lake/Flato, was teamed with Ellerbe Becket to work on the design of the structure. Lake/Flato is responsible for introducing a South Texas vernacular to the overall look of the arena. Ellerbe Becket was responsible for Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse design as well as Washington D.C.'s Verizon Center.

Events

Sports

• The Spurs began playing at the AT&T Center during the 2002–03 NBA season, a season which saw the team win their second NBA Championship, defeating the New Jersey Nets in six games.
• Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals, the first Finals Game 7 in the NBA since 1994, was played at the AT&T Center, where the Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons 81–74 to win their second title in three years.
• The Undertaker won his first WWE Royal Rumble match of his historic career, last eliminating San Antonio's own Shawn Michaels, which was held at the AT&T Center on January 28, 2007.
• The 2008 WWE Draft was held on June 23, 2008 at the AT&T Center
• On December 13, 2009, WWE held their 1st ever TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Pay-Per-View from the AT&T Center.
• On October 23, 2011, WWE held the 2011 Vengeance event from the arena.

Concerts

• George Strait & The Ace in the Hole – November 2, 2002 and May 27, 2006, with Tracy Lawrence and Miranda Lambert
• The Rolling Stones – November 23, 2002
• Cher – November 25, 2002, with Cyndi Lauper
• Shakira – January 23, 2003, September 22, 2006 and October 2, 2010
• The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Concerts – February 1-16, 2003, February 6-22, 2004, February 4-20, 2005, February 3-19, 2006, February 2-18, 2007, February 1-16, 2008, February 6-21, 2009, February 5-20, 2010 and February 4-19, 2011
• Elton John and Billy Joel – February 26, 2003 and March 21, 2009
• The Eagles – June 9, 2003 and September 8, 2008
• Matchbox 20 – June 19, 2003
• Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake – June 28, 2003
• The Dixie Chicks – July 29, 2003, with Michelle Branch
• Fleetwood Mac – October 5, 2003
• Maná – October 26, 2003, August 31, 2007 and June 29, 2011
• Luis Miguel – November 2, 2003, October 13, 2005, October 14, 2008 and June 10, 2011
• Shania Twain – November 22, 2003
• The Trans-Siberian Orchestra – December 12, 2003, December 12, 2004, December 16, 2005, December 23, 2006 (2 shows), December 23, 2007 (2 shows), January 2 (2 shows) and December 26 (2 shows), 2009, December 4, 2010 (2 shows) and December 22, 2011 (2 shows)
• Beyoncé Knowles – March 17, 2004, with Alicia Keys, Missy Elliot and Tamia and July 15, 2007
• Prince & The New Power Generation – June 9, 2004
• Jessica Simpson – July 16, 2004
• Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine – August 6, 2004
• Incubus – September 13, 2004, with The Walkmen
• Van Halen – September 28, 2004 and January 24, 2008, with Ky-Mani Marley
• Avril Lavigne – October 26, 2004
• Scorpions – November 13, 2004 and July 23, 2010, with Ratt
• Bette Midler – November 14, 2004
• Sarah Brightman – November 17, 2004
• Metallica – November 20, 2004, with Godsmack and September 28, 2009, with Gojira and Lamb of God
• Josh Groban – March 5, 2005, March 22, 2007 and May 18, 2011, with Eric Lewis
• Mötley Crüe – April 15, 2005 and June 9, 2011, with Poison and The New York Dolls
• System of a Down – August 12, 2005, with The Mars Volta
• American Idol Live! – August 14, 2005 and July 16, 2007
• Destiny's Child – August 19, 2005
• Green Day – August 21, 2005, with Jimmy Eat World and August 9, 2009, with Franz Ferdinand
• Santana – October 6, 2005, with The Salvador Santana Band and September 11, 2011, with Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Nine Inch Nails – October 16, 2005, with Queens of the Stone Age and Death from Above 1979 and October 23, 2008
• Depeche Mode – November 9, 2005, with The Bravery
• Aerosmith – January 25, 2006, with Lenny Kravitz
• Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – July 23, 2006
• Tool – September 12, 2006, with Isis, May 21, 2007 and July 24, 2009
• The Cheetah Girls – October 5, 2006, with Hannah Montana and Jordan Pruitt, January 7, 2007, with Everlife and October 21, 2008, with Clique Girlz
• Brad Paisley – November 16, 2006, with Carrie Underwood and January 7, 2010, with Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore
• Eric Clapton – March 3, 2007, with The Robert Cray Band
• The Taste of Chaos Tour – March 4, 2007
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers – March 6, 2007, with Gnarls Barkley
• The Who – March 20, 2007, with Rose Hill Drive
• My Chemical Romance – April 16, 2007, with Muse
• Rod Stewart – April 17, 2007
• Chayanne – June 2, 2007
• John Mayer – June 24, 2007, with Ben Folds and The Suburbs
• The Rascal Flatts – July 28, 2007, with Jason Aldean and March 11, 2010, with Darius Rucker
• Saosin – August 3, 2007
• RBD – October 5, 2007
• Juan Gabriel – October 14, 2007
• Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus – November 12, 2007, with The Jonas Brothers and October 15, 2009, with Metro Station
• Clay Walker – November 15, 2007
• The Police – November 20, 2007, with Fiction Plane
• The Blue Man Group – December 3, 2007
• Phil Wickham – March 28, 2008
• Juanes – May 8, 2008
• Enrique Iglesias – June 9 and September 6, 2008, with Aventura and October 13, 2011, with Pitbull and Prince Royce
• The Stone Temple Pilots – June 27, 2008
• Whitesnake – August 21, 2008, with Ruben V
• Los Horóscopos de Durango – October 4, 2008
• Neil Diamond – October 12, 2008
• New Kids on the Block – October 17, 2008, with Tami Chynn and June 28, 2011, with The Backstreet Boys, Jordin Sparks and Ashlyne Huff
• Celtic Thunder – November 22, 2008
• AC/DC – December 12, 2008, with The Answer
• Celine Dion – January 7, 2009
• Lil Wayne – March 23, 2009, with Gorilla Zoe and Young Money
• Nickelback – April 14, 2009, with Seether and Saving Abel
• Kenny Chesney – May 1, 2009, with Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert
• Coldplay – June 10, 2009, with Snow Patrol
• Il Divo – June 20, 2009
• The Vans Warped Tour – July 2, 2009, July 1, 2010 and June 26, 2011
• Judas Priest – July 25, 2009, with Whitesnake and Pop Evil and October 12, 2011, with Thin Lizzy and The Black Label Society
• The Jonas Brothers – August 13, 2009, with Honor Society, Jordin Sparks and Wonder Girls and September 10, 2010, with Demi Lovato
• The Mayhem Festival – August 14, 2009
• Ricardo Arjona – August 16, 2009
• Creed – September 24, 2009, with Staind
• Vicente Fernández – October 3, 2009, October 22-23, 2010, with Natalie Grant and September 30, 2011
• Two Tons of Steel – January 16, 2010
• The Roger Creager Band – April 9, 2010
• Iron Maiden – June 12, 2010, with Dream Theater
• Aventura – July 2, 2010
• Michael Bublé – July 17, 2010, with Naturally 7 (his largest audience to date)
• Rihanna – July 25, 2010, with Ke$ha and Travie McCoy
• The Deftones – August 21, 2010 and June 3, 2011, with The Dillinger Escape Plan and Le Butcherettes
• KISS – September 19, 2010, with The Academy Is...
• Rush – September 23, 2010
• Slayer – September 25, 2010, with Megadeth and Anthrax
• Carrie Underwood – October 7, 2010, with Sons of Sylvia and Billy Currington
• Flyleaf – October 26, 2010, with The Story of the Year
• The Barenaked Ladies – November 4, 2010, with Jukebox the Ghost
• Justin Bieber – November 5, 2010, with Sean Kingston and Jasmine Villegas
• Ozzy Osbourne – January 24, 2011, with Slash
• Styx – February 15, 2011
• Lady Gaga – March 15, 2011, with The Scissor Sisters
• Bon Jovi – March 17, 2011
• Jack Ingram – March 19, 2011
• Plácido Domingo – June 1, 2011
• Wisin & Yandel – June 18, 2011
• Marco Antonio Solís – August 13, 2011, with Ana Gabriel
• Brantley Gilbert – August 19, 2011
• The Jars of Clay – September 3, 2011
• Katy Perry – September 7, 2011, with Janelle Monáe and DJ Skeet Skeet
• Journey – September 21, 2011, with Foreigner and Night Ranger
• Def Leppard – September 24, 2011, with Heart
• Taylor Swift – October 25, 2011, with Needtobreathe and David Nail

References

Further reading

• Transforming San Antonio. Nelson W. Wolff (Trinity University Press, 2008).

External links

• AT&T Center Home Page
• San Antonio Sports Car Association Home Page