Thompson–Boling Arena
Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers (men) and Lady Vols (women) basketball teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team.[6] It is named after B. Ray Thompson and former university president Edward J. Boling. The basketball court is named "The Summitt" after the late Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt. It replaced the Stokely Athletic Center. The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the Tennessee River, and just southwest of Neyland Stadium. As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop Ayres Hall, the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white checkerboard pattern.
"The Summitt" | |
Location | 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way Knoxville, Tennessee 37916 |
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Coordinates | 35°57′4.2″N 83°55′30.1″W |
Owner | University of Tennessee |
Operator | University of Tennessee |
Capacity | 21,678 (2007–present) 24,535 (1987–2007) |
Surface | Wooden Court |
Construction | |
Broke ground | November 2, 1983[1] |
Opened | December 3, 1987[1] |
Renovated | 2007 |
Construction cost | $40 million ($107 million in 2023 dollars[2]) |
Architect | GSCD, Inc. Architects[3] Cideco Architecture & Planning Inc.[4] |
Structural engineer | Ross H. Bryan Engineers Inc.[5] |
General contractor | Ray Bell & Associates Construction[3] |
Tenants | |
Tennessee Volunteers (men's basketball) (NCAA) (1987-present) Tennessee Lady Vols (women's basketball) (NCAA) (1987-present) Tennessee Lady Vols (women's volleyball) (NCAA) (2008-present) |