FedExForum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| FedExForum | |
|---|---|
  |
|
| Location | 191 Beale Street Memphis, Tennessee 38103 |
| Opened | September 2004 |
| Owner | City of Memphis |
| Operator | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Construction cost | $250 million |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket |
| Tenants | |
| Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) (2004-present) Memphis Tigers (NCAA) (2004-present) |
|
| Capacity | |
| 18,165 (basketball) 12,633 (hockey) |
|
FedExForum is a sports venue officially opened in September of 2004. It is in the southern part of downtown Memphis, Tennessee at 191 Beale Street and Third Street. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association and the men's basketball program of the University of Memphis (the Tigers). They both previously played home games at the Pyramid Arena. The arena was built at a cost of $250 million and is owned by the City of Memphis; naming rights were purchased by Memphis' most well-known business, FedEx. FedExforum was paid for using $250 million dollars of public bonds, which where issued by the Memphis Public building Authority (PBA) The venue also has the capability of hosting ice hockey games, concerts, and family shows.
FedExForum was designed by architectural firm Ellerbe Becket. The arena is 805,850 ft² (75,000 m²) in size covering 14 acres (57,000 m²). It is capable of seating 19,000 people and has 1,000 premiere courtside seats. There are 27 courtside suites, 32 club suites, 4 party suites, and 80 club boxes.
FedExForum was the first arena to utilize new "see-through" shot clocks which allow spectators seated behind the basket to see the action from the game without having the shot clock units interfere with their view. The idea came when an NBA fan in New Jersey who sits behind the basket at Continental Airlines Arena sent an e-mail to NBA Commissioner David Stern, asking for technology to improve his view, and Daktronics obliged with the experiment at FedExForum in 2004.
The NBA approved the unit a year later for full use, and has seen the new units installed at the Wachovia Center, Charlotte Bobcats Arena, and TD Banknorth Garden after the approval.
The facility has hosted the Conference USA men's basketball tournament since 2005. It will be the site of the one of the four Regional finals in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, and one of the four Regional finals in the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. FedExForum will host WWE Unforgiven in 2007.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Pyramid Arena 1991?–2004 |
Home of the Memphis Tigers 2004–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Pyramid Arena 2001–2004 |
Home of the Memphis Grizzlies 2004–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Current Basketball Arenas in Conference USA |
|---|
| Autry Court (Rice) • Avron B. Fogelman Arena (Tulane) • Bartow Arena (UAB) • Cam Henderson Center (Marshall) • Don Haskins Center (UTEP) • FedExForum (Memphis) • Hofheinz Pavilion (Houston) • Moody Coliseum (SMU) • Reed Green Coliseum (Southern Miss) • Reynolds Center (Tulsa) • UCF Arena (UCF) • Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (East Carolina) |
Categories: Conference USA | Indoor arenas in the United States | National Basketball Association venues | College basketball venues | Basketball venues in the United States | 2004 establishments | Sports in Memphis, Tennessee | Memphis, Tennessee | Sports venues in Tennessee | University of Memphis basketball | Memphis Grizzlies | C-USA Men's Basketball Tournament Venues
