Arena-Auditorium

Arena-Auditorium
"Pimple on the Prairie", "Dome of Doom", "Double A"
	Interior view of the Arena-Auditorium, 2011
	Arena-Auditorium Location in Wyoming Arena-Auditorium Location in the United States
Location	1000 East University Avenue; Laramie, WY 82071
Coordinates	41°18′48.04″N105°34′9.91″W / 41.3133444°N 105.5694194°W
Owner	University of Wyoming
Operator	University of Wyoming
Capacity	15,028 (1982-2014); 11,612 (2014-present)
Construction
Opened	February 20, 1982
Construction cost	$15 million
Architect	Arena Associates (Corbett Associates of Jackson & Dehnert, Richardson, & Bensman of Lander)
Tenants
	Wyoming Cowboys

Last updated April 10, 2024

Arena-Auditorium is a 11,612-seat multi-purpose arena in Laramie, Wyoming. The arena opened in 1982 and has since been the home of the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team, as well as home to the Cowgirls basketball team since 2003.^[1] It replaced the previous home of Cowboys basketball, War Memorial Fieldhouse.^{[ citation needed ]}

Nicknamed the "Pimple on the Prairie", "Dome of Doom", and the "Double A," the Arena-Auditorium is the highest NCAA Division I college basketball court in the nation, built at an elevation of 7,220 ft (2,201 m). The facility hosted the 1986 and 1991 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournaments.^[1] It also hosted the West Regional of the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Tournament.^[2] The largest crowd to watch a basketball game at the Arena-Auditorium was on March 2, 2002 when Wyoming played Utah in men's basketball. Wyoming won that game by a final score of 57–56 in front of 16,089 people.^[3]

In 2007 the Cowgirls hosted 5 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) games at the Double A, plus the March 31st WNIT championship game in which Wyoming beat the Wisconsin Badgers 72–56.^[4] For the title game against Wisconsin, the women's basketball team sold out the Double A in less than 14 hours following their semi-final victory against Kansas State.^{[ citation needed ]} The 15,462 in attendance was largest crowd ever for a women's basketball game played at the University of Wyoming, as well as the second biggest crowd ever at the Double A^[5] and second biggest in WNIT tournament history.^[6]

Then-Senator Barack Obama spoke to a capacity crowd at the Double A on March 7, 2008. The speech was as a part of the future President's campaign to win the Wyoming Democratic Party caucus, which he did win the following day.

Related Research Articles

James H. Hilton Coliseum, commonly Hilton Coliseum, is a 14,267-seat multi-purpose arena located in Ames, Iowa. The arena opened in 1971. It is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones men's and women's basketball teams, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's National Invitation Tournament</span> Postseason womens college basketball tournament

The Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) is a women's national college basketball tournament with a preseason and postseason version played every year. It is operated in a similar fashion to the men's college National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and NIT Season Tip-Off. Unlike the NIT, the women's tournament is not run by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), but is an independent tournament. Triple Crown Sports, a company based in Fort Collins, Colorado that specializes in the promotion of amateur sporting events, created the WNIT in 1994 as a preseason counterpart to the then-current National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT). After the NWIT folded in 1996, Triple Crown Sports resurrected the postseason version in 1998 under the NWIT name, but changed the following season to the current name.

The Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls are the athletic teams that represent the University of Wyoming, located in Laramie. Wyoming is a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 17 NCAA-sanctioned sports. Two Wyoming teams compete in other conferences in sports that the MW does not sponsor. The men's swimming and diving team competes in the Western Athletic Conference, and the wrestling team competes in the Big 12 Conference.

The 2007 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 48 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Cindy Ann Fisher is the head women's basketball coach at the University of San Diego.

The Auburn Tigers women's basketball program is the intercollegiate women's basketball team that represents Auburn University. The school competes in the Southeastern Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers play their homes games at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Alabama on the university campus. The program began in 1971.

The 2009 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 48 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2009 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It was won by South Florida. The 41st annual tournament was played from March 18, 2009 to April 4, 2009, entirely on campus sites. The highest ranked team in each conference that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the WNIT Selection Committee.

The 1986–87 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, then a member of the Western Athletic Conference, played their home games at the Arena-Auditorium.

The 2008–09 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Cowgirls were coached by, as the Cowgirls will play their home games at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming. The Cowgirls are a member of the Mountain West Conference and participated in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

The Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team is a women's college basketball team at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. Competing in the Mountain West Conference, the organization has a tradition dating back to 1973.

The 2012 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 64 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The tournament were played entirely on campus sites. The highest ranked team in each conference that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the WNIT Selection Committee. The Oklahoma State Cowgirls won their first WNIT title, defeating the James Madison Dukes in the championship game, 75–68. Toni Young of Oklahoma State was named tournament MVP.

The 2013 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 64 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2013 Women's NCAA tournament. The annual tournament began on March 20 and ends on April 6. All games were played on the campus sites of participating schools. It was won by the Drexel Dragons.

The Ball State Cardinals women's basketball team represents the Ball State University in women's basketball. The school competes in the Mid-American Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Cardinals play home basketball games at Worthen Arena on the Ball State campus in Muncie, Indiana.

The 2015 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 64 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2015 Women's NCAA tournament. The annual tournament began on March 18 and ended on April 4, with the championship game televised on CBS Sports Network. All games were played on the campus sites of participating schools. The Tournament was won by the UCLA Bruins who defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers, 62–60, in the final before a crowd of 8,658 at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 4. It was UCLA's first WNIT title. UCLA's Jordin Canada was named the tournament's most valuable player.

The 2015–16 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team represented the University of Wyoming during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Larry Shyatt in his sixth and final year, including his first tenure in 1998. Shyatt resigned at the end of the year to take a job in the NBA. They played their home games at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming. The Cowboys were a member of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 14–18, 7–11 in Mountain West play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They lost in the first round of the Mountain West tournament to Utah State.

The 2016–17 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team represented the University of Wyoming during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Allen Edwards in his first year. They played their home games at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 23–15, 8–10 in Mountain West play to finish in seventh place. They lost in the first round of the Mountain West tournament to Air Force. They were invited to the College Basketball Invitational where they defeated Eastern Washington, UMKC and Utah Valley to advance to the best-of-three finals series against Coastal Carolina. They defeated Coastal Carolina 2 games to 1 to become CBI champions. They become the second consecutive Mountain West team to win the CBI after Nevada in 2016.

The 2019–20 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team will represent the University of Wyoming in the 2019–20 college basketball season. The Cowgirls are led by first-year head coach Gerald Mattinson, hired following the retirement of longtime coach Joe Legerski. The Cowgirls will play their home games at the Arena-Auditorium and are members of the Mountain West Conference.

The 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament was a tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The tournament committee announced the 32-team field on March 15, 2021, following the selection of the NCAA Tournament field. The tournament began on March 19, 2021, with the championship game on March 28, 2021. Rice won its first WNIT championship. All games were streamed on FloSports.

The 2022–23 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in the 2022–23 college basketball season. The Cowgirls were led by head coach Heather Ezell, in her first season. The Cowgirls played their home games at the Arena-Auditorium, and were members of the Mountain West Conference. The Cowgirls finished 2nd in the Mountain West Conference, and lost in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball tournament to UNLV 71–60. The Cowgirls were invited to the WNIT, and lost in the 2nd round to Kansas State 71–55.

The 2023–24 Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cowgirls were led by head coach Heather Ezell, in her second season. The Cowgirls played their home games at the Arena-Auditorium, and were members of the Mountain West Conference.

References

1 2 Arena-Auditoriumat wyomingathletics.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09
↑ UNI Nabs Four No. 1 Seeds for NCAA West Regionalat unipanthers.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09
↑ Link textat utahutes.cstv.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09
↑ 2007 Postseasonat womensnit.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09
↑ Cowgirls are WNIT Champions!at wyomingathletics.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09
↑ Postseason WNIT Attendance Recordsat womensnit.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[facil-1] 1 2 Arena-Auditoriumat wyomingathletics.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[uni-2] UNI Nabs Four No. 1 Seeds for NCAA West Regionalat unipanthers.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[utah-3] Link textat utahutes.cstv.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[wnit-4] 2007 Postseasonat womensnit.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[champs-5] Cowgirls are WNIT Champions!at wyomingathletics.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[nitatt-6] Postseason WNIT Attendance Recordsat womensnit.com, URL accessed November 7, 2009. 11/7/09

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e University of Wyoming
Located in: Laramie, Wyoming
Colleges	Law
Athletics	Baseball Basketball men women Football Soccer men women
Facilities	American Heritage Center Arena-Auditorium Half Acre Gym Old Main Red Buttes Observatory War Memorial Fieldhouse War Memorial Stadium Wyoming Infrared Observatory Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site
Media	Owen Wister Review K231BW K278CM K298CH
Founded: 1886 Endowment: 455.1 million Students: 13,992

v t e Wyoming Cowboys basketball
Venues	Little Red Gym (1904–1924) Half Acre Gym (1924–1951) War Memorial Fieldhouse (1951–1982) Arena-Auditorium (1982–present)
Rivalries	Colorado State
Culture & lore	"Ragtime Cowboy Joe"
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Helms and NCAA national championships in bold

v t e Wyoming Cowgirls basketball
Venues	War Memorial Fieldhouse (1973–1984) Multi-Purpose Gymnasium (1984–2003) Arena-Auditorium (2003–present)
Rivalries	Colorado State
Culture & lore	History
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24

Construction
"Pimple on the Prairie", "Dome of Doom", "Double A"
Interior view of the Arena-Auditorium, 2011
Arena-Auditorium Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Arena-Auditorium Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1000 East University Avenue Laramie, WY 82071
Coordinates	41°18′48.04″N105°34′9.91″W / 41.3133444°N 105.5694194°W / 41.3133444; -105.5694194
Owner	University of Wyoming
Operator	University of Wyoming
Capacity	15,028 (1982-2014) 11,612 (2014-present)
Opened	February 20, 1982
Construction cost	$15 million
Architect	Arena Associates (Corbett Associates of Jackson & Dehnert, Richardson, & Bensman of Lander)
Tenants
Wyoming Cowboys

Arena-Auditorium

See also

Related Research Articles

References