Compuware Sports Arena
Encyclopedia
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 Plymouth Township, Michigan
Plymouth Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Plymouth is a charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 27,524 at the 2010 census...
. Originally known as the "Compuware Sports Arena," its name was officially shortened on September 11, 2007, to better market the venue for non-sporting events it hosted.
History
Peter Karmanos, the President of CompuwareCompuware
Compuware Corporation is a software company with products aimed at the information technology departments of large businesses. The company's services also include testing, development, professional services automation, project and portfolio management, cloud-based collaboration and performance...
and owner of the Detroit Whalers
Detroit Whalers
The Detroit Whalers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons from 1995 to 1997. The Whalers were based in the greater Detroit, Michigan area.-History:...
, arranged to build the Whalers a new home as soon as the 1995-96 season ended after playing that season at two temporary venues, the tiny Oak Park Ice Arena
Oak Park Ice Arena
Oak Park Ice Arena is an indoor arena located in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. It was built in 1971 and was a temporary home for the Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1996....
and the massive The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
. The Compuware Sports Arena was constructed in 6 months time, ready for the 1996-97 season. The team remained the Detroit Whalers after moving to Plymouth Township and then were renamed the Plymouth Whalers
Plymouth Whalers
The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:...
in 1997-98.
The complex features two arenas: the main arena, in which the Whalers play their home games, is standard NHL-size and has seating for roughly four thousand people; it also has a larger (in terms of ice area) Olympic-size ice surface, which has much more limited seating on only one side of the ice. The latter is the home ice of Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School is a private, Catholic, all-male, college preparatory high school in Novi, Michigan. Founded in 1928 in Detroit, Michigan by the Archdiocese of Detroit, the school is operated by the Congregation of St. Basil...
, although they occasionally play games in the main arena when strong attendance is anticipated. The two arenas share concession stands, both of which have openings for both arenas simultaneously, allowing one set of staff to serve both arenas simultaneously. Attached to the complex is "CJ's Brewery Tap Room". The arena is home to the Detroit Ignition
Detroit Ignition
The Detroit Ignition is a dormant American indoor soccer team that has played three seasons, most recently 2008-09.In April 2006, Greg Bibb, president of Hantz Group Sports and Entertainment, introduced the teams as a new Major Indoor Soccer League expansion team. They played at the Compuware...
, a Major Indoor Soccer League / XSL
Xtreme Soccer League
The Xtreme Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that began play in December 2008. Four teams from the former Major Indoor Soccer League participated in the first XSL season--- the Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, and New Jersey Ironmen...
team, as well as the Compuware Ambassadors minor hockey program. Previously, the arena hosted the now defunct Detroit Rockers
Detroit Rockers
The Detroit Rockers were an indoor soccer team in the National Professional Soccer League from 1990 to 2001. They played in Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit, Michigan as well as The Palace of Auburn Hills and Compuware Sports Arena in the suburbs...
of the National Professional Soccer League during its last season in 2000-2001
The arena also hosts the annual MHSAA
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
high school state championships for boys ice hockey. On October 22, 2006, TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
hosted Bound for Glory (2006) at the arena.
During the summer months, the Arenas parking lot is home to a drive-in movie theatre that features double feature first run movies on three giant screens.
Compuware also hosts the commencement ceremonies for Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Livonia, Michigan)
Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Livonia, Michigan)
Adlai E. Stevenson High School is a public high school in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb west of Detroit.-History:Adlai E. Stevenson High School was built in 1965 to accommodate the rising population in Livonia due to the increased migration of people from the nearby city of Detroit to the suburbs...
, Northville High School
Northville High School
Northville High School is the public high school of Northville Public Schools that serves the city of Northville, Michigan, the larger Northville Township, Novi Township and the southern part of the city of Novi. As the school district population has grown throughout the years, so has the high...
, as well as for other high schools.
The Compuware Sports Arena works closely with The Crofoot
The Crofoot
The Crofoot is a mixed-use independent entertainment complex made up of 4 unique buildings . The complex contains 5 rooms for live music, each with a private entrance...
and AEG Live
AEG Live
Anschutz Entertainment Group Live is a live entertainment promotion subsidiary of Anschutz Entertainment Group. It is the world's second largest live show promoter....
to produce concerts of all types.
Notable music performances
- Gucci ManeGucci ManeRadric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
, October 26, 2007 - Andrew BaileyAndrew BaileyAndrew John Bailey is a British banker, who was the Executive Director Banking and Chief Cashier at the Bank of England from January 2004 until April 2011. He is a member of the Governor's Executive Team, which is the bank's senior management group...
, August 13, 2008 - JourneyJourney (band)Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, November 2, 2008 - Girl Talk (musician)Girl Talk (musician)Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
, March 3, 2011 - Hollywood Undead , Asking AlexandriaAsking AlexandriaAsking Alexandria are a British metalcore band from York, North Yorkshire. Founded in 2008 when Ben Bruce contacted his old companions upon returning to the UK after residing in Dubai...
, BorgoreBorgoreAsaf Borger , known professionally as Borgore, is an Israeli dubstep producer and disc jockey . He is the founder of Buygore Records and former drummer of Israeli death metal band Shabira. Known as Gorestep, his music incorporates triplet drum patterns with heavy metal influences. Some songs have...
, Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, We Came as RomansWe Came as RomansWe Came as Romans is an American rock band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band signed to Equal Vision Records in April 2009 and have released two EPs, Demonstrations and Dreams , and two full-length albums, To Plant a Seed and Understanding What We've Grown to Be...
, November 9, 2011
External links
- Compuware Arena Official web site
- Compuware Ambassadors Official web site
- Compuware Arena The OHL Arena & Travel Guide