Petersen Events Center

History

The arena opened in 2002 on part of the former site of Pitt Stadium, which housed the university's football team from 1925–1999. The Pitt men's and women's basketball programs make their home here, previously residing in Fitzgerald Field House. The new building, due to its larger capacity, also meant that Pitt no longer had to play certain games or hold graduation ceremonies at the Civic Arena.

Its first event was a Counting Crows concert. For concerts the Center seats 9,000 for end-stage shows, 14,763 for center-stage shows. The first official women's basketball game at the Pete was 90-51 win over Robert Morris University on November 22, 2002. The first official men's basketball game at the Pete was an 82-67 win over Duquesne University on November 23, 2002. Since its creation through the end of the 2012-13 season, the Pitt men's basketball team has compiled a record of 180–22 (.891) at the Pete, including a 9-1 record against teams ranked in the top five. Pitt broke the 100 win mark on November 22, 2008 with an 86-60 win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the 200 win mark on December 30, 2014 vs Florida Gulf Coast.

In 2006, the Pittsburgh Xplosion, a professional basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association, played its first game at the arena. The team folded just prior to the start of the 2008-09 season.

In October 2011, a new high definition video board was installed in the Petersen Events Center.

Since 2010 Petersen Event Center has been used as the primary alternative to the much larger PPG Paints Arena, which replaced Mellon Arena, and is now the Pittsburgh home of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice.

Amenities

With 430,000 total square feet, the Pete seats 12,508 for basketball and 9,000 for end stage concerts. The arena features 16,000 square feet (1,500 m²) of lobby space with 90-foot (27 m) high ceilings and 42,000 square feet (3,900 m²) of glass with a barely visible coating that allows sunlight through while controlling heat loss and gain. A video score board that had previous hung in Pitt Stadium is installed also in the lobby. The arena also features 18 luxury suites, including five courtside luxury suites (the only college arena with courtside suites) and a 193-seat SuperSuite.

Student section and accolades

The section known as the Oakland Zoo is composed of the sections across from the team benches and next to the court. The name comes from Oakland, the neighborhood where Pitt's campus resides. The students in the Zoo wear gold T-shirts with the words "Oakland Zoo" in some way, shape or form across the front. This layout and unity is a large factor in why the Pete is such a tough place to play for opposing teams. In fact, Pitt has lost only five home non-conference games out of over 120 since the Panthers moved into the Pete in 2002.

In 2006, Sports Illustrated surveyed the Big East Conference's basketball players, and the Pete was named the "Toughest Place to Play," with specific players mentioning the Oakland Zoo and the fans' creativity. In 2013, the facility was also ranked as having the second best game time environment in the nation by USA Today.

The Petersen Events Center also has received accolades for being the sixth loudest college basketball venues according to ESPN the Magazine, the eight best overall college basketball according to ESPN's Jason King, and among the toughest places for opponents to play in college basketball according to multiple Bleacher Report articles. The Pitt men's basketball team has also sold out of season tickets since the venue opened.

In 2007 and 2010, "The Pete" hosted first and second-round games of the NCAA Women's Division I Tournament.

Other uses

The Petersen Events Center serves as more than just the home court of the Panthers basketball teams. Located within the facility is a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) Baierl Student Recreation Center featuring four racquetball courts, two squash courts, Cybex weight machines, a free weight area, aerobics practice room, martial arts room, health assessment area, and aerobic area with treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical and Stairmaster machines and four plasma TVs.

In addition, the McCarl Panthers Hall of Champions, which pays homage to and displays memorabilia from past Pitt athletics achievements, and the official Pittsburgh Panthers Team Store are located in the main lobby of the Pete.

Also included is the Willis Center for Academics for student athletes which includes computer and writing labs, a math and science area, individual tutor rooms, and a career resource area.

The arena was also one of the home courts for the Pittsburgh Xplosion Continental Basketball Association team, the city's only professional basketball squad at the time, before it folded prior to the 2008-09 season.

Also, a food court is located within the Pete and is available to students and others during the weekdays in addition to when events are being hosted within the arena.

The arena also features and auxiliary practice basketball facility, athletic training, office and media facilities.

The Pete also hosts the University's commencement ceremony.

Notable events

Fictional portrayals

Incidents

At a March 30, 2011 concert by the band Furthur, a 19-year-old man ran through a window at the arena and fell four stories. Police say in the moments leading up to the incident, the man got into a football stance, yelled “hike,” and launched himself through the glass. The man was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital with massive head trauma. He was pronounced dead just after 12:20 a.m.