| Cassell Coliseum | |
|---|---|
| Former names | VPI Coliseum (1962–1977) |
| Location | Washington Street & Spring Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 |
| Broke ground | 1961 |
| Opened | January 3, 1962 |
| Owner | Virginia Tech |
| Operator | Virginia Tech |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Construction cost | $2.7 million ($19.6 million in 2012 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Carneal and Johnston |
| General Contractor | T.C. Brittain and Company |
| Capacity | 9,847 |
| Tenants | |
| Virginia Tech Hokies (Men's & Women's Basketball) |
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Cassell Coliseum is a 9,847-seat multi-purpose arena in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States that opened in 1962. It is home to the Virginia Tech Hokies basketball teams (men's and women's).
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Built as a replacement for the much smaller War Memorial Gymnasium, the Coliseum's construction began in 1961. It was fully completed in December 1964 at a cost of $2.7 million[2]. It was designed by Carneal and Johnston (now Ballou Justice Upton Architects, Richmond, Va) and built by T.C. Brittain and Company of Decatur, Georgia. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.
The first game, however, was on January 3, 1962. The Hokies played Alabama. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.
In the early years of the Coliseum, the Hokies frequently saw capacity crowds pack the venue. However, student and alumni interest in basketball decreased in the 1990s due to the Hokies' lack of a stable basketball conference home (the Hokies were in three different conferences in nine seasons) and due to the success of the football team. Fan support has begun to gain momentum under coach Seth Greenberg and the school's recent move to the ACC. A raucous student section, nicknamed the "Cassell Guard," has helped transform the Coliseum into a difficult venue for opposing teams in an athletic conference ripe with intimidating basketball arenas.
On April 17, 2007, a memorial convocation was held there in response to the shootings of 32 students and faculty on the Virginia Tech campus the previous day.
Arguably the biggest game that took place at Cassell Coliseum occurred on February 17, 2005, during Virginia Tech's first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In their first meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 30, the Duke Blue Devils beat the Hokies by 35 points. Coming into Blacksburg, the Blue Devils were ranked seventh nationally. By the end of the night, the Blue Devils were handed a 67-65 loss to the Hokies in front of 9,847 fans. It was the first time that Virginia Tech had beaten Duke since 1966.[3]
However, there is one recent game that might challenge for this prominency. On January 13, 2007, Virginia Tech defeated the number one ranked North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 94-88. At one point in the game, the Hokies led by 29 points. They were able to hold off a strong surge by the Tar Heels to seal the victory.
On March 22, 2010, Virginia Tech beat UConn in Cassell on national television in the second round of the NIT tournament. Trailing 63-62, the Hokies' defense pressured Connecticut into a backcourt violation. With 14.1 seconds remaining, the Hokies took the lead with a Dorenzo Hudson jump shot. The Hokies' defense was able to stop Connecticut from scoring for a 65-62 victory.
On February 26, 2011, Duke fell to Virginia Tech by a score of 64-60. At the time Duke was the number one ranked team in the country. It was Virginia Tech's fourth upset of a number one ranked team under Seth Greenberg.
The largest crowd ever at the Cassell was 11,500 for a game against Purdue on December 3, 1966.
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