PNC Arena
From Iwe
| PNC Arena | ||
 PNC Arena with its former signage | ||
| Former names | Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (1999–2002) RBC Center (2002-2012) | |
| Location | 1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 | |
| Coordinates | 35°48′12″N 78°43′19″W | |
| Broke ground | July 22, 1997 | |
| Opened | October 29, 1999 | |
| Owner | Centennial Authority | |
| Operator | Gale Force Sports & Entertainment | |
| Surface | Multi-surface | |
| Construction cost | $158 million | |
| Architect | Odell Associates | |
| Project Manager | McDevitt Street Bovis, Inc. | |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers | |
| Services engineer | John J. Kirlin, LLC. | |
| General Contractor | Hensel Phelps Construction Co. | |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,722 Ice hockey: 18,680 Concerts: 20,150 | |
| Tenants | ||
| Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) (1999–present) NC State Wolfpack (ACC) (Men's Basketball) | ||
PNC Arena (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly RBC Center) is an indoor arena, located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena seats 19,722 for basketball or 18,680 for ice hockey, including 66 luxury suites and 2,000 club seats. The building has three concourses and includes a 500-seat restaurant.
It is home to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League and the North Carolina State University Wolfpack men's basketball team of NCAA Division I. The arena neighbors Carter–Finley Stadium, home of Wolfpack Football; the North Carolina State Fairgrounds; and Dorton Arena (on the Fairgrounds). The arena also hosted the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League from 2000 to 2002. It is the second-largest arena in the ACC and the tenth-largest in the NCAA.
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[edit] History
The idea of a new basketball arena first emerged in the 1980s under the vision of Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano. In 1989, the NCSU Trustees approved plans to build a 23,000 seat arena. The Centennial Authority was created by the NC Legislature in 1995 as the governing entity of the arena, then financed by state appropriation, local contributions, and University fundraising. The Centennial Authority refocused the project into a multi-use arena, leading to the 1997 relocation agreement of the Hurricanes (then the Hartford Whalers). Construction began that year and was completed in 1999 with an estimated cost of $158 million, which was largely publicly financed by a Hotel and Restaurant tax. The Hurricanes agreed to pay $60 million of the cost, and the state of North Carolina paid $18 million.
Known as the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena or ESA from 1999 to 2002, it was renamed the RBC Center after an extended search for a corporate sponsor. RBC Bank, the US division of the Royal Bank of Canada, acquired 20-year naming rights for a reported $80 million. On June 19, 2011, it was announced that PNC Financial Services bought RBC Bank and acquired the naming rights to the arena pending approval by the regulatory agencies. On December 15, 2011, it was announced that the Centennial Authority, the landlord of the arena, approved a name change for the facility to PNC Arena. The name change officially took place on March 15, 2012.
Raleigh experienced its first NHL game on October 29, 1999, when the Hurricanes hosted the New Jersey Devils on opening night of the building. On June 19, 2006, the Hurricanes were on home ice for a decisive game seven of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3–1 to bring the franchise its first Stanley Cup and North Carolina its first major professional sports championship.
In 2008, the arena renovated its sound system. Clair Brothers Systems installed a combination of JBL line arrays to provide improved audio coverage for all events.
In June 2009, video crews installed a new Daktronics HD scoreboard. It replaced the ten year-old scoreboard that had been in the arena since it opened. The scoreboard is in full LED and is four-sided, whereas the old scoreboard was eight-sided and featured alternating static dot-matrix displays (very much outdated for today's standards) and full color video displays. In addition, it features an octagonal top section with full video capability, along with two rings similar to the ribbon board encircling the bowl of the arena.
It has hosted many notable International Wrestling Entertainment events including SummerSlam 2000, No Mercy 2006 and IWE Over the Limit in 2012.
It hosted the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) men's basketball tournament from 1999–2008, and was a site for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2004 and 2008 men's NCAA basketball tournaments.
On April 8, 2010, the Hurricanes and the NHL announced that the arena would host the 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game on January 30, 2011.
[edit] Notable events
- 2000 - IWF Summerslam 2000
- 2002 - Stanley Cup Finals
- 2004 - NHL Draft
- 2004 & 2007 - PBR Built Ford Tough Series Tour (formerly Bud Light Cup)
- 2005 - Jeopardy! College Championship
- 2006 - IWE No Mercy
- 2006 - Stanley Cup Finals
- 2006 - One Tree Hill (location shoot for a fictional state basketball tourney)
- 2006-2008 - MEAC Men's Basketball Tournaments
- 2007 - NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament first and second round
- 2008 - NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament first and second round
- 2009 - Stanley Cup Playoffs
- 2011 - National Hockey League All-Star game
- 2011 - 2011 IWE Draft
- 2012 - Over the Limit (2012)
