Watsco Center

The Watsco Center (originally named the University of Miami Convocation Center) is an 8,000 seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, including all University of Miami men's and women's basketball games.

Watsco Center
Full nameWatsco Center at the University of Miami
Former namesRyder Center (construction/planning)
UM Convocation Center (2003–05)
BankUnited Center (2005–16)
Address1245 Dauer Dr
Coral Gables, FL 33146-2504
LocationGreater Miami Area
Coordinates25°42′54″N 80°16′45″W
Public transit University
56, 500
OwnerUniversity of Miami
OperatorOak View Group Facilities
Capacity7,972[1]
Field sizeArena size: 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2)
Construction
Broke groundApril 4, 2001[2]
OpenedJanuary 4, 2003
Construction cost$48 million
($62.1 million in 2019 dollars[3])
Architect
General contractorTurner Construction[4]
Tenants
Miami Hurricanes (NCAA) (2003–present)
Miami Vice Squad (NIFL) (2007)
Miami Inferno (UIFL) (2014)
Website
http://watscocenter.com/

Founding

The arena opened in 2003 as the University of Miami Convocation Center, and is home to the Miami Hurricanes Men's and Women's basketball teams. Events held in the Watsco Center include concerts, sporting events, lectures, award shows, high school graduations, and Men's and Women's basketball games. It is the largest arena ever built on campus.

In 2005, it was renamed the BankUnited Center, after Miami Lakes-based BankUnited. In 2016, Miami-based air conditioning company Watsco acquired the naming rights.

Prior to the opening of the Watsco Center, the school played its games at the Miami Arena since its opening in 1988.

Ranking

The 2007 issue of Venues Today, one of the entertainment industry's leading publications, reports that the Watsco Center outperformed all but one other venue in Florida in its size category for number of concerts and touring events held in 2006.[5]

See also

References
  1. "About Us". watscocenter.com. Watsco Center. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  2. Palm Beach Post Wire Services (April 5, 2001). "Finally! Work to Start on UM Basketball Arena". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  3. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  4. "What's on Deck?". Sports Business Journal. Advance Publications. July 30, 2001. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  5. Palmer, Heidi M. (April 4, 2007). "University of Miami's BankUnited Center Ranks Second Among Florida Venues By National Magazine". University of Miami News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
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