Operator SMG Opened May 10, 2008 Phone +1 859-442-2652 | Broke ground May 20, 2006 Capacity 9,400 | |
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Former names The Bank of Kentucky Center (2008–2015) Location 500 Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY 41099 Owner Northern Kentucky University Address 500 Louie B Nunn Dr, Newport, KY 41099, USA Similar Northern Kentucky University, US Bank Arena, Fifth Third Arena, Athletics Center O'rena, Calihan Hall Profiles | ||
BB&T Arena (formerly The Bank of Kentucky Center) is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky that was completed in 2008.
Contents
The arena, on the campus of Northern Kentucky University, was topped off on June 21, 2007 and the first event held there was NKU's graduation ceremony on May 10, 2008. A grand opening ceremony was held on September 22, 2008.
The NKU men's and women's basketball teams are the main tenants, but many outside events are booked at the center. Among the first were country music star Carrie Underwood, comedian Jeff Dunham, and the cast of the reality television show So You Think You Can Dance as well as Cirque du Soleil, and the Walking With Dinosaurs live production. It hosted the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament in 2012. It was again set to host the Division II 2013 Elite Eight, but the NCAA moved the event to Freedom Hall in Louisville as NKU joined Division I (the NCAA would later go further by only holding the Elite Eight and Final Four matchups in Louisville; the Division II championship game was moved to Atlanta, Georgia's Philips Arena with the Division III championship game as part of the celebration of 75 years of the men's Division I tournament, the Final Four of which was held in the Georgia Dome). On May 10, 2011, The Bank of Kentucky Center hosted WWE live. Other artists/performers that have visited the arena include Alan Jackson with Jana Kramer, Barry Manilow, Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy, and Larry The Cable Guy, Blake Shelton, Bob Dylan, Dane Cook, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Jay-Z, REO Speedwagon, and Styx among others.
The first basketball event at the arena saw the NKU men's and women's basketball teams play Louisville on November 8, 2008.
The arena hosted the KHSAA Girls' Sweet Sixteen in high school basketball in 2016 and will do so again in 2017.
Sponsorship
The Bank of Kentucky agreed to cover 10 percent of the cost of the arena, up to $6 million, in exchange for naming rights. It will also get a luxury suite, access to premium tickets and free use of the facility rent free for one special event each year.
In 2015, the name of the arena was changed to the BB&T Arena after BB&T Corp. bought out The Bank of Kentucky.
Tenants
Beginning in spring of 2011, BB&T Arena was home to the Northern Kentucky River Monsters of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. After the season, the River Monsters agreed to part ways with the UIFL. The UIFL still had rights to place a team in the arena, so there will be an expansion team placed there, the Kentucky Monsters.
BB&T Arena also played host to the Black-n-Bluegrass Roller Girls, starting in 2012. The home dates for the league in 2012 were: May 19, June 16, July 21, August 18, September 22, and October 20.
The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team will play at BB&T Arena during the 2017-18 season while Fifth Third Arena undergoes construction.
Name change
According to a report by Clayton Castle of The Northerner, The Bank of Kentucky Center will change its name as early as the 2015-16 school year to reflect the recent buyout of The Bank of Kentucky by BB&T Corporation.