Quicken Loans Arena
Encyclopedia
Quicken Loans Arena is a multi-purpose arena
, in downtown
Cleveland, Ohio
, United States.
Until August 2005, it was known as Gund Arena, named for Gordon Gund
, a former owner of the Cavaliers, after he paid for the naming rights
.
It is currently home to the Cleveland Cavaliers
of the NBA
, the Lake Erie Monsters
of the AHL
, the Cleveland Gladiators of the AFL, the Mid-American Conference
Basketball Tournaments, and (beginning in 2011) the Cleveland Crush
of the LFL
.
, which was located between Cleveland and Akron
. Part of the Gateway Project
to revitalize downtown Cleveland, the arena and sibling Progressive Field were paid for with a sin tax
on alcohol
and tobacco
.
"The Q" seats 20,562 for basketball, including 2,000 in the club seats, and 92 luxury suites. It is owned by the Gateway Economic Development Corporation, which leases it to the Cavaliers.
In 2005, Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert (owner of Quicken Loans
) renovated the arena, installing new seats, state of the art scoreboard
s, video systems, sound systems, arena graphics, signage, security, locker rooms, and suite upgrades, all of which were in place for the start of the Cavaliers 2005–2006 season, except for the seats, which were replaced a few sections at a time.
In October 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers
announced that award-winning chef Michael Symon
would contribute menu items to be prepared by foodservice
firm Aramark
at the Q. Two existing restaurants were renamed after Symon's bar-bistros, Bar Symon and The B-Spot, and some of his signature dishes were made available as suite catering
offerings.
's men's basketball tournament since 2000 and the MAC women's basketball tournament
since 2001. "MAC Madness", as it is known, has become a strong draw for the arena. The men's semifinal and championship games routinely draw 10,000-15,000 attendees.
On May 16, 2006, the then-inactive Utah Grizzlies franchise of the AHL announced that it would move to the Quicken Loans Arena. On January 25, 2007, the team name was announced as the Lake Erie Monsters
. It began play in the 2007–2008 season.
On October 16, 2007, the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League announced that they would move to Quicken Loans Arena.
On December 6, 2010, the Lingerie Football League
announced that Quicken Loans Arena would be the home of the Cleveland Crush
for the 2011-12 season.
The arena was the home of the now-defunct Cleveland Lumberjacks
of the IHL, the Cleveland Barons
of the AHL, and the Cleveland Rockers
of the WNBA
.
The arena was opened with a concert by Billy Joel
on October 17, 1994. The Cavaliers played the first game in the arena a few weeks later.
The arena has been the site of several WWF/WWE pay per view events, such as SummerSlam '96
, No Mercy '99
, Invasion (2001)
, Survivor Series '04
, and Unforgiven '08
, as well as numerous episodes of Raw
, Friday Night SmackDown!, ECW on Sci Fi, WWE Superstars
, and NXT
. Most notably, it hosted the historic March 26, 2001 edition of Raw, where Vince McMahon
purchased his rival Ted Turner
's World Championship Wrestling
promotion, which was also simulcast on WCW Monday Nitro
. And most recently, it hosted the September 19, 2011 episode of Raw SuperShow, which featured Hugh Jackman
as a guest star for that night.
Major national events held at the facility include the 1997 NBA All-Star Game
, the 2000 United States Figure Skating Championships
, the 2007 NCAA Women's Final Four
and the 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships
. It also hosted games 3 and 4 of the 2007 NBA Finals
.
The Dixie Chicks
were scheduled to perform during their Top of the World Tour
on June 1, 2003, with Joan Osborne
as their opening act, but the show was cancelled, due to illness of lead vocalist Natalie Maines
.
The arena played host to the politically-motivated Vote for Change
Tour on October 2, 2004, featuring performances by The Bright Eyes, R.E.M.
and Bruce Springsteen
& The E Street Band
(with special guest John Fogerty
).
On October 29, 2008, LeBron James
gathered almost 20,000 people at the arena for a viewing of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama
's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement. It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z
later held a free concert.
The arena hosted games in the second and third rounds of the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
on March 18 and March 20, 2011. Included in the field were the Ohio State Buckeyes
, which have historically had a large following in NE Ohio.
It was also the site of Canadian rock band Rush
's concert DVD shoot for their 2010–2011 Time Machine Tour
, due to Cleveland being the first U.S. city to give the band radio airplay in the early 70s.
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 downtown
Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Reinvestment in the area in the mid-1990s spurred a rebirth that continues to this day, with over $2 billion in residential and commercial developments slated for the area over the next few years...
Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States.
Until August 2005, it was known as Gund Arena, named for Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund
Gordon Gund is an United States businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks and former principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently a minority owner of the Cavaliers...
, a former owner of the Cavaliers, after he paid for the naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
.
It is currently home to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, the Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, the Cleveland Gladiators of the AFL, the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
Basketball Tournaments, and (beginning in 2011) the Cleveland Crush
Cleveland Crush
The Cleveland Crush is an expansion team in the Lingerie Football League set to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the Crush is scheduled to play their home games at Quicken Loans Arena....
of the LFL
Lingerie Football League
The Lingerie Football League is a women's 7-on-7 tackle American football league, created in 2009, with games played in the fall and winter at NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS arenas and stadiums. The league was founded by Mitch Mortaza...
.
History
The arena is built on the site of the former Central Market, a fruit and vegetable market that dated back to 1856. It replaced the Coliseum at RichfieldColiseum at Richfield
The Coliseum at Richfield was an arena located in Richfield Township in Summit County, Ohio, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron...
, which was located between Cleveland and Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. Part of the Gateway Project
Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex
The Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex is a multipurpose campus located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It comprises two sports facilities, a transitional space known as Gateway Plaza, and two parking garages...
to revitalize downtown Cleveland, the arena and sibling Progressive Field were paid for with a sin tax
Sin tax
A sin tax is a kind of sumptuary tax: a tax specifically levied on certain generally socially proscribed goods and services. These goods are usually alcohol and tobacco, but also include candies, soft drinks, fat foods and coffee, while services range from prostitution to...
on alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
.
Design and operations
In 2005, Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert (owner of Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans Inc., headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is the largest online mortgage lender and the 5th largest retail mortgage lender overall in the USA. The company consists of the QuickenLoans.com online lending site, the Rock Financial brand in southeast Michigan, One Reverse Mortgage, based...
) renovated the arena, installing new seats, state of the art scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
s, video systems, sound systems, arena graphics, signage, security, locker rooms, and suite upgrades, all of which were in place for the start of the Cavaliers 2005–2006 season, except for the seats, which were replaced a few sections at a time.
In October 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
announced that award-winning chef Michael Symon
Michael Symon
Michael D. Symon is a James Beard Foundation Award-winning American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is seen regularly on Food Network on shows such as Iron Chef America, Food Feuds, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, as well as Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel...
would contribute menu items to be prepared by foodservice
Foodservice
Food Service or catering industry defines those businesses, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home...
firm Aramark
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
at the Q. Two existing restaurants were renamed after Symon's bar-bistros, Bar Symon and The B-Spot, and some of his signature dishes were made available as suite catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
offerings.
Team sports
In addition to its professional sports tenants, "The Q" has been home to the Mid-American ConferenceMid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
's men's basketball tournament since 2000 and the MAC women's basketball tournament
Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament
The Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament is the postseason single-elimination tournament for the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference . The winner of the tournament receives the MAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship...
since 2001. "MAC Madness", as it is known, has become a strong draw for the arena. The men's semifinal and championship games routinely draw 10,000-15,000 attendees.
On May 16, 2006, the then-inactive Utah Grizzlies franchise of the AHL announced that it would move to the Quicken Loans Arena. On January 25, 2007, the team name was announced as the Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
. It began play in the 2007–2008 season.
On October 16, 2007, the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League announced that they would move to Quicken Loans Arena.
On December 6, 2010, the Lingerie Football League
Lingerie Football League
The Lingerie Football League is a women's 7-on-7 tackle American football league, created in 2009, with games played in the fall and winter at NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS arenas and stadiums. The league was founded by Mitch Mortaza...
announced that Quicken Loans Arena would be the home of the Cleveland Crush
Cleveland Crush
The Cleveland Crush is an expansion team in the Lingerie Football League set to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the Crush is scheduled to play their home games at Quicken Loans Arena....
for the 2011-12 season.
The arena was the home of the now-defunct Cleveland Lumberjacks
Cleveland Lumberjacks
The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:...
of the IHL, the Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (2001-2006)
The Cleveland Barons was a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, USA at the Gund Arena between 2001 and 2006....
of the AHL, and the Cleveland Rockers
Cleveland Rockers
This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...
of the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
.
Notable events
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
on October 17, 1994. The Cavaliers played the first game in the arena a few weeks later.
The arena has been the site of several WWF/WWE pay per view events, such as SummerSlam '96
SummerSlam (1996)
SummerSlam was the ninth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 18, 1996 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.-Event:...
, No Mercy '99
No Mercy (1999)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 17, 1999 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio....
, Invasion (2001)
WWF InVasion
Invasion was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on July 22, 2001 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
, Survivor Series '04
Survivor Series (2004)
Survivor Series was the eighteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, and Unforgiven '08
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
, as well as numerous episodes of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Friday Night SmackDown!, ECW on Sci Fi, WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
, and NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
. Most notably, it hosted the historic March 26, 2001 edition of Raw, where Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
purchased his rival Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
's World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
promotion, which was also simulcast on WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
. And most recently, it hosted the September 19, 2011 episode of Raw SuperShow, which featured Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
as a guest star for that night.
Major national events held at the facility include the 1997 NBA All-Star Game
1997 NBA All-Star Game
The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was the 47th edition of the All-Star Game and commemorated the 50th anniversary of NBA. The game was played on February 9, 1997, at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, United States...
, the 2000 United States Figure Skating Championships
2000 United States Figure Skating Championships
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition organzied by the United States Figure Skating Association. In addition to determining the national champions, the event was used to determine the U.S. teams for the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships, 2000 World...
, the 2007 NCAA Women's Final Four
2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 17, 2007 and concluded on April 3 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Final Four consisted of Tennessee, LSU, Rutgers, and North Carolina, with Tennessee defeating Rutgers 59-46 for their seventh National Title...
and the 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships
2009 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships were the United States Figure Skating Championships of the 2008-2009 figure skating season. They were a national championship to determine the national champions of the United States. In addition to determining the national champions, the event...
. It also hosted games 3 and 4 of the 2007 NBA Finals
2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland...
.
The Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
were scheduled to perform during their Top of the World Tour
Top of the World Tour
Top of the World Tour was the 2003 concert tour by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was in support of their album Home, and named after the song "Top of the World" on that album.-History:...
on June 1, 2003, with Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
as their opening act, but the show was cancelled, due to illness of lead vocalist Natalie Maines
Natalie Maines
Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks...
.
The arena played host to the politically-motivated Vote for Change
Vote for Change
The Vote for Change tour was a politically-motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote...
Tour on October 2, 2004, featuring performances by The Bright Eyes, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
& The E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
(with special guest John Fogerty
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
).
On October 29, 2008, LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
gathered almost 20,000 people at the arena for a viewing of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement. It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
later held a free concert.
The arena hosted games in the second and third rounds of the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
on March 18 and March 20, 2011. Included in the field were the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
, which have historically had a large following in NE Ohio.
It was also the site of Canadian rock band Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
's concert DVD shoot for their 2010–2011 Time Machine Tour
Time Machine Tour
The Time Machine Tour was a concert tour by the Canadian rock band Rush that began on June 29, 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and ended July 2, 2011 at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington...
, due to Cleveland being the first U.S. city to give the band radio airplay in the early 70s.