GSU Sports Arena
Encyclopedia
The Georgia State University Sports Arena is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia
, United States
. It is the home of the basketball
teams of Georgia State University
and hosted the badminton
competition of the 1996 Summer Olympics
. Georgia State's women's volleyball team uses the facility as well.
athletics department is located on the first floor of the building. Also in the building is a Student-Athlete Learning Lab.
The main court (named the Charles "Lefty" Driesell Court for the former Panthers mens basketball coach) has a four sided scoreboard hanging from the ceiling as well as a "JumboTron
" style video signage board on the south end wall.
In October 2011, plans for significant upgrades to the GSU Sports Arena were released in the 2011-12 Annual Report. These upgrades include turning the court 90 degrees, adding seating to a total of 5,000, installing luxury box suites, and new video signage boards. The new configuration would include bowl style seating, stretching around the entire court.
On December 12, 2003, the main court was named the Charles "Lefty" Driesell Court after the former men's basketball coach. A ceremony was held during the halftime of an 88-57 victory over the University of South Alabama
.
Renovations in 2004 replaced the playing floor of the main court as well as painting the walls. During the 2002-03 season, a four sided score board was added hanging from the ceiling as well as a "jumbotron
" style screen on the south wall. More recently, a 225 Student-Athlete Learning Lab was opened on the first floor providing athlete advisement, study halls, tutorials, and computer labs.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the home of the 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...
teams of Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
and hosted the badminton
Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics included the four events held at the previous Games as well as a fifth event: mixed doubles. An additional change to the tournament was the playoff game for the bronze medal rather than the awarding of two bronzes.The tournament was single-elimination...
competition of the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. Georgia State's women's volleyball team uses the facility as well.
Description
The Georgia State Sports Arena consists of four stories. The gymnasium floor is on the third level and is the home court for men and womens basketball and womens volleyball. Basketball seating is available on the third and fourth floors. Locker rooms are located on the second floor. The Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
athletics department is located on the first floor of the building. Also in the building is a Student-Athlete Learning Lab.
The main court (named the Charles "Lefty" Driesell Court for the former Panthers mens basketball coach) has a four sided scoreboard hanging from the ceiling as well as a "JumboTron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
" style video signage board on the south end wall.
In October 2011, plans for significant upgrades to the GSU Sports Arena were released in the 2011-12 Annual Report. These upgrades include turning the court 90 degrees, adding seating to a total of 5,000, installing luxury box suites, and new video signage boards. The new configuration would include bowl style seating, stretching around the entire court.
History
Construction of the arena began in 1972 as class space for physical education classes and as a recreation center for students. Mens basketball began using it as its home court in 1973.On December 12, 2003, the main court was named the Charles "Lefty" Driesell Court after the former men's basketball coach. A ceremony was held during the halftime of an 88-57 victory over the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
.
Renovations in 2004 replaced the playing floor of the main court as well as painting the walls. During the 2002-03 season, a four sided score board was added hanging from the ceiling as well as a "jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
" style screen on the south wall. More recently, a 225 Student-Athlete Learning Lab was opened on the first floor providing athlete advisement, study halls, tutorials, and computer labs.
Events
- The GSU Sports Arena was used during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta to host the badminton competition.
- In 2002 and 2007, the arena hosted ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's College Slam Dunk and 3-point Championships during the 2002 and 2007 Final FourFinal fourFinal Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
competition.
- The pop band *NSYNC held a charity basketball game in 2000 before the Georgia DomeGeorgia DomeThe Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
hosted Super Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
.
- Various graduations both for Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
students and highschool students are held annually at the arena.
- Various performances have been held by different entertainers, including Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Dana CarveyDana CarveyDana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
, Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, The Spinners, the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
.
- The arena hosted the 2001 and 2003 Atlantic Sun ConferenceAtlantic Sun ConferenceThe Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
men's basketball tournaments.