University of Dayton Arena: A Legacy of Basketball and Community Engagement
The University of Dayton Arena, commonly known as UD Arena, stands as a multi-purpose arena with a seating capacity of 13,409. Located in Dayton, Ohio, it has become an iconic landmark for the University of Dayton and the broader community. More NCAA tournament games have been played at the UD Arena than in any other venue in the United States.
Genesis of an Icon
The construction of the UD Arena was interconnected to the wider history of events taking place on campus at the UD, in the city of Dayton, and the nation as a whole, between roughly 1967-1970. Before the arena's construction, the university's basketball team played in the Fieldhouse, which could only accommodate half of those wanting to see the games.
In 1967, a significant victory by the team changed many minds within the school, demonstrating that a successful basketball program made good business sense for the school. As the 1960s ushered in a period of growing competition for students across the country, attention-grabbing sports programs were becoming important to making the university competitive.
For the city, the proposed Arena was a much-needed economic asset. City officials proposed a downtown multipurpose arena that it hoped would help address underlying economic issues, but the city also faced a number of social problems. The decay of the city’s center was intertwined with the flight of white Daytonians to the city’s suburbs. Trapped by segregationist policies, black Daytonians were the first to suffer from the decline in jobs and spread of urban blight. Under these conditions in 1966-the year before the Flyers’ memorable run-the region’s long history of racial tension bubbled to the surface when the city’s West side exploded in protest against school and housing segregation, neglected public services, insensitively designed urban renewal programs, and the loss of jobs.
City planners proposed the multipurpose arena as a means to address these issues. Archival sources indicate President Roesch and other UD administrators were deeply concerned about these local problems. However, the plan proposed by the city did not entirely fit the interests of the university. Administrators wanted a venue closer to campus that it controlled. Thanks in part to the success of UD teams and growing importance of the college to the city’s economy, in 1967 Athletic Director Frericks saw himself in a position to force the city’s hand.
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A Home for the Flyers
Since opening its doors in 1969, UD Arena has been the home of the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. The playing court is known as Blackburn Court, named after historic UD coach Tom Blackburn.
Dayton men's basketball attendance has been in the NCAA's Top 35 every year the building has been open. The Arena is an iconic community resource with an economic impact of upwards of $10 million annually. The Arena is the cornerstone in every UD students' time as a Flyer - it's the first University building they see as they exit Interstate 75 when they come to campus for the first time.
The Donoher Center
The Donoher Center expansion on the southwest corner of the arena was completed in 1998. Named for former Flyers basketball coach Don Donoher, the Center provides an NBA-caliber facility for conditioning and game preparation.
Renovations and Enhancements
The arena was extensively renovated during the summer of 2002. The additions include concession areas, luxury boxes, disabled access improvements, and a restaurant/bar. In 2010, four new video screens were installed, one in each of the arena's corners.
Following the 2016-17 basketball season, a 3-year renovation project began at UD Arena. The University is wrapping up a three-phase, $75 million transformation of UD Arena just in time for the 50th season of basketball at the Arena. This transformational project was implemented in three phases and completed in the fall of 2019, just in time for the 50th anniversary season. The renovation dramatically enhances the experience of every person that enters, athletes and fans alike.
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Danis continues to work with us during this last season to finish punch lists and to make sure that all systems are running properly and that we fully understand how to operate our transformed arena. Our self-perform capabilities provided Danis with the flexibility to adjust our construction plan to accommodate the Owner’s schedule. While our team had accounted for the basketball schedule into our construction schedule, there were over 50 other events held at the arena. Often, our team was given less than a week to prepare for special events, including new logistics plans and ensuring that utilities were in operation for the areas being used. Our self-perform crews constructed temporary barriers that not only kept the public safe, but were aesthetically pleasing. With the magnitude of this project and the unusual timeline, very few construction companies could have performed this and met every deadline.
A Storied History of Hosting
The UD Arena has a rich history of hosting significant events, particularly in the realm of basketball. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hosted the annual "play-in" game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament (officially the "opening round" game) which featured the teams rated 64th and 65th in the tournament field.
The venue was awarded the 2003 and 2004 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournaments. The arena hosted the Opening Round game through 2010, when it was also a regional venue for the women's tournament. The University of Dayton Arena hosted the Round of 64 and Round of 32 games of the 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2013 NCAA men's basketball tournaments. UD Arena has hosted the First Four games every year since 2011, with the exceptions of 2020 (in which the entire tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States) and 2021 (in which the entire tournament was moved to within the state of Indiana due to logistical concerns amid the pandemic).
UD Arena has hosted the most NCAA Tournament games ever with 125 tournament games. This is 42 more than the original home of the NCAA Tournament, Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium (which is the next closest venue). Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Dayton has hosted the event 24 times.
Beyond Basketball
As the largest indoor arena between Cincinnati and Columbus, UD Arena is a regular stop for concert tours. Elton John, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Rush, Bob Seger, Mötley Crüe, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Usher, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z and others have performed there.
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It has been host to the Winter Guard International color guard, indoor percussion and winds World Championships since 2005. It hosted the Royal Hanneford Circus for most of the 1990s. WWE has hosted matches at the UD Arena since the 1980s. The University of Dayton holds its graduation ceremonies at the arena.
A Community Hub
Since its opening in 1969, over 14 million visitors have attended events at the arena. In addition to Flyers men’s and women’s basketball games, high school tournaments games, and the NCAA First Four, the arena is used for competitions such as the Winter Guard International World Championships, entertainment events, large-scale educational seminars, and as a staging area for community projects. The Flyer Pep Band, UD's basketball pep band, plays at every UD basketball game at the arena.
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