Kansas Coliseum

Britt Brown Arena
"The Big Brown Barn"
Location Valley Center, Kansas
Opened 1977
Renovated 2006
Closed 2010
Owner Sedgwick County
Operator SMG
Surface Ice
Construction cost $10.3 Million
Architect Thomas, Harris, Ash and Mason
General Contractor Dondlinger & Sons Construction Co. INC
Capacity 12,200 Max: 9,686 (Ice Hockey)
Field dimensions 36,500 sq.ft. (146’ x 250’)
Tenants
Former: Wichita Wind (CHL) (1980-1983)
Wichita Wings (MISL) (1979-1992) (NPSL) (1992-2001)
Wichita Stealth (AF2) (2001-2004)
Wichita Wild (UIF) (2007-2008)
Wichita Thunder (CHL) (1993-2010)

Kansas Coliseum was a complex, in the Wichita suburb, of Valley Center, Kansas, that hosted sporting events, concerts and shows.

It consists of four pavilions, one RV park and the 9,686-seat Britt Brown Arena, named for Harry Britton (Britt) Brown Jr., of Wichita, the former owner of The Wichita Eagle newspaper. Arena capacity can be configured for up to 12,200 people.[1]

It was opened in 1977. Two brass plaques (one located on the lower level, by the box office windows and the other up on the main concourse) read: "Dedicated September 1978, for the promotion of agricultural educational and cultural benefits, in behalf of the people of the world, by the citizens of Sedgwick County, the board of the county commissioners, the Kansas state park and resources authority, the economic development administration and the ozark regional commission of the United States Department of Commerce and the Kansas Coliseum Corporation."

It hosted NCAA Men's Basketball tournament first and second round games in 1981 and 1994. The Wichita State University basketball teams played the 2002-03 season there while the Shockers' on-campus home, Charles Koch Arena, was undergoing major renovations.

It was the home of the now-defunct Wichita Wings indoor soccer team, who played in the MISL and NPSL between 1979 and 2001. It also was home to the Wichita Thunder ice hockey team that played in the Coliseum from 1992-2010. The Wichita Thunder now plays in the INTRUST Bank Arena in downtown Wichita, Kansas.

As of February 22, 2010, The Britt Brown Arena closed its doors. The neighboring Kansas Pavilions will remain open until at least 2016, but the arena will no longer host events. Power will remain to the building, but water has been shut off and the pipes drained. The future of the entire complex remains uncertain.

Events

Wrestling

Concerts

Other events

References

  1. ^ http://www.360wichita.com/Attractions/KansasColiseum.html

External links