Tad Smith Coliseum

C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum
Construction
"The Tad Pad"

Former names	Rebel Coliseum (1966–1972)
Location	Confederate Drive University, MS 38677
Coordinates	34°21′43.91″N 89°32′21.49″W / 34.3621972°N 89.5393028°W / 34.3621972; -89.5393028Coordinates: 34°21′43.91″N 89°32′21.49″W / 34.3621972°N 89.5393028°W / 34.3621972; -89.5393028
Owner	University of Mississippi
Operator	University of Mississippi
Capacity	8,867 (2013–present) 9,061 (2008–2013) 8,700 (2001–2008) 8,135 (1988–2001) 8,500 (1966–1988)
Surface	Hardwood
Broke ground	1964
Opened	February 21, 1966
Construction cost	$1.8 million ($13.1 million in 2015 dollars^[1])
Tenants
Ole Miss Rebels (Men's and women's basketball)

Inside the Coliseum

C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum is an 8,867-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Mississippi. It is home to the University of Mississippi Rebels and Lady Rebels basketball teams. It has also hosted many concerts, one of which was The Allman Brothers with Gov't Mule in November 1995.

The circular building, similar to many arenas constructed at the time, has a 272-foot-diameter white steel-framed, Neoprene-covered roof which tops out at 89 feet above the court. From its exterior, it looks like a giant hub cap. The floor, 130' from end to end with its Rebel red and blue trim, is located twelve feet below the surrounding ground level. The seats were replaced in 2001 with navy blue upholstered seats. The center-court scoreboard includes four new Pro Star video boards and a state-of-the-art sound system. The outside of the building includes red Mississippi brick and blue vinyl-covered steel siding. It is located to the southwest of the center of campus, west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and across the street from the Robert C. Khayat Law Center. A Confederate cemetery lies behind the building.

The building opened during 1965–1966 as Rebel Coliseum. It was renamed on March 25, 1972, to honor C. M. "Tad" Smith, former three-sport letterman, coach and athletic director at the university.

The largest crowd ever at the building was on February 10, 2007, when 9,452 fans watched the Rebels defeat the No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the team played in Old Gym (now the Martindale Student Services Center), a 2,500-seat gym built in 1929.^[2]

In July 2014 Ole Miss broke ground on a new arena named The Pavilion at Ole Miss.^[3] This arena is currently under construction.

References

↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
↑ "New Student Services Building Named for Larry and Susan Martindale" from the UM Foundation Newsletter 3.3
↑ http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/umaaf/spec-rel/073114aab.html

External links

The University of Mississippi

Academics

People	Daniel Jones (chancellor) University of Mississippi Academics

Divisions	Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College University of Mississippi School of Law University of Mississippi School of Engineering University of Mississippi School of Business Administration Croft Institute for International Studies National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law Center for the Study of Southern Culture

Athletics

Teams	Ole Miss Rebels Football Basketball Baseball Tennis The Pride of the South (marching band)

Football rivalries	Egg Bowl (w/ MSU) Magnolia Bowl (w/ LSU) Arkansas–Ole Miss rivalry Alabama–Ole Miss rivalry

Post-season bowl records	Bowl history

Facilities	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Tad Smith Coliseum Swayze Field Ole Miss Soccer Stadium Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center Ole Miss Track & Field Complex Ole Miss Softball Complex Gillom Sports Center University Golf Course

Staff	Pete Boone Hugh Freeze Andy Kennedy Mike Bianco

Notables	Archie Manning Eli Manning Deuce McAllister Johnny Vaught David Dellucci Devin Britton

Campus

Main	University, Mississippi Lyceum-The Circle Historic District Martindale Student Services Center University of Mississippi Museum Rowan Oak Barnard Observatory Kennon Observatory The Grove

Other	University of Mississippi Field Station University of Mississippi Medical Center University of Mississippi School of Medicine

Student life

Traditions

Outreach

Mississippi Teacher Corps

Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball

Venues	Old Gym (1929–1966) Tad Smith Coliseum (1966–present)

Culture & lore	Colonel Reb Rebel Black Bear "Forward Rebels" Ole Miss Pep Band "The Shot"

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15

Basketball arenas of the Southeastern Conference

Coleman Coliseum (Alabama, men's)
Foster Auditorium (Alabama, women's)
Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas)
Auburn Arena (Auburn)
O'Connell Center (Florida)
Stegeman Coliseum (Georgia)
Rupp Arena (Kentucky, men's)
Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky, women's)
Maravich Assembly Center (LSU)
Humphrey Coliseum (Mississippi State)
Mizzou Arena (Missouri)
Tad Smith Coliseum (Ole Miss)
Colonial Life Arena (South Carolina)
Carolina Coliseum (South Carolina, alternate university-managed venue)
Thompson–Boling Arena (Tennessee)
Reed Arena (Texas A&M)
Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt)