| Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum | |
|---|---|
| "The Joel" | |
| Location | 2825 University Parkway Winston-Salem, NC 27105 |
| Broke ground | April 23, 1987 |
| Opened | August 19, 1989 |
| Owner | City of Winston-Salem |
| Operator | City of Winston-Salem |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction cost | $20.1 million ($35.6 million in 2012 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket[2] |
| General Contractor | P.J. Dick Contracting[2] |
| Capacity | 14,665 (basketball) 14,407 (multi-purpose) |
| Tenants | |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Men's & Women's Basketball) |
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The Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (a.k.a. LJVM Coliseum, Joel Coliseum or simply The Joel) is a 14,407-seat multi-purpose arena, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Construction on the arena began on April 23, 1987 and it opened on August 28, 1989. It was named after Lawrence Joel, an Army medic from Winston-Salem who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1967 for action in Vietnam on November 8, 1965. The memorial was designed by James Ford in New York, and includes the poem "The Fallen" engraved on an interior wall. It is home to the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons men's basketball and women's basketball teams, and is adjacent to the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. The arena replaced the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum, which was torn down for the LJVM Coliseum's construction.
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The LJVM is home to the Wake Forest University Men's and Women's basketball teams,but other basketball games are held there, such as the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic basketball tournament, an annual event for high school basketball teams in the area. Since 2003, the LJVM has hosted the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Western Regional Basketball Tournaments. The NCHSAA state individual wrestling championships are also contested in the LJVM.
The LJVM was the site of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball tournament from 1994-1999. Also, the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship have been held at the coliseum four times (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2007). It has also hosted the MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament since 2009.
In a memorable NCAA second-round game at the coliseum on March 15, 1997, North Carolina gave head coach Dean Smith victory number 877, surpassing Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp as the winningest college basketball coach in history.
The Harlem Globetrotters have even played there.
By 1993, the LJVM had replaced the Greensboro Coliseum as the arena for visits from World Championship Wrestling in the area. It hosted the annual Fall Brawl pay-per-view event from 1996 to 1999 which featured the WarGames matches .
The arena has hosted concerts by many famous artists, spanning many different genres. The LJVM's amply large size makes it an ideal location for performers who wish to perform at smaller venues. The main arena can also be curtained off to create a theater-like setting.[1]
The LJVM has played host to large-scale events such as the quarterfinals of the 2007 Davis Cup, but has also hosted racing, bull riding, circus, religious conferences, conventions and other events.
In addition to its main arena, the LJVM also has an Annex; it seats about 4,000, and is used primarily for hockey, but also for basketball, concerts, trade shows, and other events. The Winston-Salem State University Rams play basketball in the annex. There is also an Education Building available for additional floor space; both buildings are technically located on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds. Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park, a baseball stadium, is also considered part of the complex. Bowman Gray Stadium, though not in the vicinity, is technically part of the complex as well. All these buildings combined make up the Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex, which, with the exception of Bowman Gray Stadium is bordered by University Parkway, 27th Street, Deacon Boulevard, and Shorefair Drive. BB&T Ballpark has replaced Gene Hooks Field in downtown at the intersection of Business 40 and North Carolina Highway 150.
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