Cassell Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Cassell Coliseum is a 9,847-seat multi-purpose arena
in Blacksburg, Virginia
, United States
that opened in 1962. It is home to the Virginia Tech
Hokies
basketball
team
s (men's and women's).
. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.
The first game, however, was on January 3, 1962. The Hokies
played Alabama
. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.
In the early years of the Coliseum, the Hokies frequently saw capacity crowds pack the venue. However, student and alumni interest in basketball decreased in the 1990s due to the Hokies' lack of a stable basketball conference home (the Hokies were in three different conferences in nine seasons) and due to the success of the football team
. Fan support has begun to gain momentum under coach Seth Greenberg
and the school's recent move to the ACC
. A raucous student section, nicknamed the "Cassell Guard," has helped transform the Coliseum into a difficult venue for opposing teams in an athletic conference ripe with intimidating basketball arenas.
On April 17, 2007, a memorial convocation was held there in response to the shootings of 32 students and faculty
on the Virginia Tech campus the previous day.
. In their first meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium
on January 30, the Duke Blue Devils
beat the Hokies by 35 points. Coming into Blacksburg
, the Blue Devils were ranked seventh nationally. By the end of the night, the Blue Devils were handed a 67-65 loss to the Hokies in front of 9,847 fans. It was the first time that Virginia Tech had beaten Duke since 1966.
However, there is one recent game that might challenge for this prominency. On January 13, 2007, Virginia Tech defeated the number one ranked North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 94-88. At one point in the game, the Hokies led by 29 points. They were able to hold off a strong surge by the Tar Heels to seal the victory.
On March 22, 2010, Virginia Tech beat UConn in Cassell on national television in the second round of the NIT tournament. Trailing 63-62, the Hokies' defense pressured Connecticut into a backcourt violation. With 14.1 seconds remaining, the Hokies took the lead with a Dorenzo Hudson jump shot. The Hokies' defense was able to stop Connecticut from scoring for a 65-62 victory.
On February 26, 2011, Duke fell to Virginia Tech by a score of 64-60. At the time Duke was the number one ranked team in the country. It was Virginia Tech's fourth upset of a number one ranked team under Seth Greenberg.
The largest crowd ever at the Cassell was 11,500 for a game against Purdue
on December 3, 1966.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that opened in 1962. It is home to the Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
s (men's and women's).
History
Built as a replacement for the much smaller War Memorial Gymnasium, the Coliseum's construction began in 1961. It was fully completed in December 1964 at a cost of $2.7 million. It was designed by Carneal and Johnston (now Ballou Justice Upton Architects, Richmond, Va) and built by T.C. Brittain and Company of Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.
The first game, however, was on January 3, 1962. The Hokies
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
played Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball
The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,...
. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.
In the early years of the Coliseum, the Hokies frequently saw capacity crowds pack the venue. However, student and alumni interest in basketball decreased in the 1990s due to the Hokies' lack of a stable basketball conference home (the Hokies were in three different conferences in nine seasons) and due to the success of the football team
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
. Fan support has begun to gain momentum under coach Seth Greenberg
Seth Greenberg
Seth Greenberg is an American college basketball coach, and the current head coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team. Greenberg just finished his seventh season as head coach of the Hokies...
and the school's recent move to the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. A raucous student section, nicknamed the "Cassell Guard," has helped transform the Coliseum into a difficult venue for opposing teams in an athletic conference ripe with intimidating basketball arenas.
On April 17, 2007, a memorial convocation was held there in response to the shootings of 32 students and faculty
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
on the Virginia Tech campus the previous day.
Major Games
Arguably the biggest game that took place at Cassell Coliseum occurred on February 17, 2005, during Virginia Tech's first season in the Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. In their first meeting at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is home to the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and the men's wrestling team....
on January 30, the Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
beat the Hokies by 35 points. Coming into Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, the Blue Devils were ranked seventh nationally. By the end of the night, the Blue Devils were handed a 67-65 loss to the Hokies in front of 9,847 fans. It was the first time that Virginia Tech had beaten Duke since 1966.
However, there is one recent game that might challenge for this prominency. On January 13, 2007, Virginia Tech defeated the number one ranked North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 94-88. At one point in the game, the Hokies led by 29 points. They were able to hold off a strong surge by the Tar Heels to seal the victory.
On March 22, 2010, Virginia Tech beat UConn in Cassell on national television in the second round of the NIT tournament. Trailing 63-62, the Hokies' defense pressured Connecticut into a backcourt violation. With 14.1 seconds remaining, the Hokies took the lead with a Dorenzo Hudson jump shot. The Hokies' defense was able to stop Connecticut from scoring for a 65-62 victory.
On February 26, 2011, Duke fell to Virginia Tech by a score of 64-60. At the time Duke was the number one ranked team in the country. It was Virginia Tech's fourth upset of a number one ranked team under Seth Greenberg.
The largest crowd ever at the Cassell was 11,500 for a game against Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
on December 3, 1966.
See also
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
- Virginia Tech campusVirginia Tech campusThe Virginia Tech campus is located in Blacksburg, Virginia; the central campus is roughly bordered by Prices Fork Road to the northwest, Plantation Drive to the west, Main Street to the east, and U.S. Route 460 bypass to the south, although it also has several thousand acres beyond the central...
- Virginia Tech HokiesVirginia Tech HokiesThe Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams officially representing Virginia Tech in college sports. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 19 varsity sports. Virginia Tech's men's sports are football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, soccer,...