BancorpSouth Arena
 | |
| Former names |
Tupelo Coliseum (1993–2001) BancorpSouth Center (2001–2006) |
|---|---|
| Location | 375 East Main Street, Tupelo, MS 38804 |
| Coordinates | 34°15′34″N 88°41′59″W / 34.259539°N 88.69964°WCoordinates: 34°15′34″N 88°41′59″W / 34.259539°N 88.69964°W |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Field size |
32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2) without ice[1]
|
| Opened | January 18, 1962 |
| Tenants | |
|
Mississippi Hound Dogs (UIFL) (2012) Mississippi MudCats (AIFA) (2007-2008) Tupelo FireAnts (NIFL/UIF) (2001-2005) Tupelo T-Rex (WPHL) (1998-2001) Tupelo T-Rex (AWHL) (2001-2003) | |
BancorpSouth Arena, formerly Tupelo Coliseum, and BancorpSouth Center, until December 2006,[2] is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, near downtown Tupelo, Mississippi, named for the locally based BancorpSouth, a large multi-state commercial banking company.
It was the home of the Tupelo FireAnts and Mississippi MudCats arena football and the Tupelo T-Rex ice hockey teams. It was also the home of the Mississippi Hound Dogs of the Ultimate Indoor Football League.
The $16 million, 32,000 square foot (3,000 m²) facility was built in 1993, and is one of the more modern arenas, serving a small market in the Mid-south. Its lot was previously occupied by a shopping mall called Downtown Mall. When the mall closed in 1990 the arena was retrofitted from the old building.[3][4]
The arena also seats 8,000 for sports events, ranging from basketball to rodeos to wrestling — serving as a venue for WCW Uncensored in 1995 and 1996, as well as for WCW Spring Stampede 1997. Also one taping of WWE Smackdown!, and numerous house shows hosted by WWE.
From 2001 to 2005, the arena hosted the Gulf South Conference Basketball Tournament.
The arena has also hosted the Harlem Globetrotters on several occasions.
One Memphis Pharaohs (Arena Football League) home game was held there in 1996.
The arena can be scaled down to 4,500 for theater-style concerts. The arena is also used for trade shows and conventions (33,800 square feet (3,140 m²) of exhibit space plus 5,000 square feet (500 m²) of meeting space.).
On November 14, 2008, the arena hosted the Mississippi State Bulldogs club hockey team in a game against the Loyola University New Orleans club in the arena's first venture into ice hockey since the T-Rex left in 2003.
On November 21, 2010, the BancorpSouth Arena hosted a college basketball game featuring the Memphis Tigers and the LSU Tigers.
References
External links
| Preceded by Pyramid Arena |
Home of the Memphis Pharaohs 1996 (One game) |
Succeeded by Rose Garden Arena |