Ford Idaho Center
 | |
| Former names | Idaho Center |
|---|---|
| Location |
16200 Idaho Center Blvd. Nampa, Idaho, U.S. |
| Owner | City of Nampa |
| Operator | Comcast Spectacor |
| Capacity |
9,700-12,657 (end stage) 2,500-6,000 (theater) 13,067 (Center-stage) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 23, 1996 [1] |
| Opened | February 1997 |
| Tenants | |
|
Idaho Stampede (CBA) (1997-2005) Idaho Stallions (IPFL) (1999) | |
The Ford Idaho Center is a complex of sports and entertainment venues in Nampa, Idaho, approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Boise.
Venues include an indoor arena opened in 1997 with a seating capacity of 12,279 and 31,200 square feet (2,900 m2) of floor space and a 10,500-seat outdoor amphitheater opened in 1998 with a 60-by-40-foot stage. Additionally, the Ford Idaho Horse Park is used for horse shows and the Ford Sports Center is utilized for indoor track and field events, including the home meets of the Boise State University Broncos track teams. It features a 200-meter indoor track and hosted the 2012 NCAA Indoor Track Championships.
The Ford Idaho Center Arena is best known for rodeo. It annually hosts the Snake River Stampede, considered one of the nation's top rodeos, during the third week in July. The Stampede moved indoors to the Ford Arena in 1997; it was formerly held in an outdoor stadium (now demolished) near Lakeview Park.[2] Since 1999, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) has hosted a Built Ford Tough Series (originally Bud Light Cup) event at the Ford Idaho Center in what has been a major stop of the tour.
Ford Arena is used for concerts, trade shows, sporting events, and other events. It is the former home of the Idaho Stampede, then of the Continental Basketball Association from 1997-2005 and the Idaho Stallions of the now defunct Indoor Professional Football League in their inaugural season of 1999. Ford Arena is the former home of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. Upon its completion, the tournament moved to the Ford Idaho Center in 1998 from its former home on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. The tournament moved in 2000 when NNU left the NAIA to join the NCAA in Division II.
In March 2004, the Idaho Center arena was the home court for the Boise State men's basketball team for a second round matchup in the NIT against the UWM Panthers. The game was moved to the Ford Idaho Center due to a prior scheduled Metallica concert at Boise State's Taco Bell Arena. The game 10,153, the largest for a basketball game in the arena's history. BSU and Idaho played a non-conference basketball game at the arena on December 31, 2011; the Broncos won 76-73 before 7,540 spectators.[3]
The Ford Amphitheater has played host to music festivals, including The Vans Warped Tour, The Gigantour, The Lilith Fair, and The Mayhem Festival.
Pearl Jam performed during their Binaural Tour on November 3, 2000, with Supergrass as their opening act. The show was filmed and later released as a live album, titled 11/3/00 – Boise, Idaho.
The Rolling Stones played their first concert in the state of Idaho at the arena during their A Bigger Bang Tour on Tuesday, November 14, 2006.[4]
The Ford Idaho Center has been the Treasure Valley stop for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice and Champions on Ice since it opened.
On January 14, 2014, the City of Nampa announced Ford as the new title sponsor for the Idaho Center. As part of the deal, Ford will pay the City of Nampa $1 million over five years.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ Deseret News - Basketball Briefs - 1996-08-24
- ↑ Snake River Stampede.com - history - accessed 2011-10-27
- ↑ ESPN Northwest - Turnovers cost Vandals in loss to Boise - 2011-12-31
- ↑ io0rr.org/tour05/boise - accessed 2011-10-27
- ↑ Ford to become title sponsor for Idaho Center - accessed 2014-01-14
External links
Coordinates: 43°36′29″N 116°30′29″W / 43.608106°N 116.508175°W