Prather Coliseum

Prather Coliseum
Location 220 S. Jefferson St., Natchitoches, LA 71457
Coordinates 31°44′38.5″N 93°05′42.6″W / 31.744028°N 93.095167°W / 31.744028; -93.095167Coordinates: 31°44′38.5″N 93°05′42.6″W / 31.744028°N 93.095167°W / 31.744028; -93.095167
Owner Northwestern State University
Operator Northwestern State University
Capacity 3,900
Surface Multi-surface
Opened 1964
Tenants
Northwestern State Demons basketball
Northwestern State Lady Demons basketball
Northwestern State Lady Demons volleyball

Prather Coliseum is a 3,900-seat multi-purpose arena in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It opened in 1964 and is home to the Northwestern State University Demons basketball team.[1] The arena also holds concerts and events. Prather Coliseum was named in honor of the school's most successful basketball and football coach, H. Lee Prather, who served from the 1910s through the 1940s before becoming NSU President in 1951.

History

The coliseum is among projects credited to the late State Senator Sylvan Friedman of Natchitoches Parish. It opened two years before Friedman's retirement.[2]

Prather Coliseum is also known as the venue for the final concert performed by rock star Jim Croce on Thursday, September 20, 1973. Shortly after the concert, Croce's plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Natchitoches airport, killing Croce and all others aboard the plane.[3]

The arena hosted the Southland Conference men's basketball tournament in 2005–06.[4] Loyola University New Orleans women's basketball player Keiva Council set the single-game scoring record in the building with 48 points in an 84–80 Wolfpack victory over Northwestern State on November 25, 2011.

See also

References

  1. Prather Coliseum at nsudemons.com, URL accessed November 17, 2009. Archived 11/17/09
  2. Friedman Student Union at facilityuse.nsula.edu, URL accessed November 17, 2009. Archived 11/17/09
  3. Jim Croce at vegasvalleycomputers.biz, URL accessed November 17, 2009. Archived 11/17/09
  4. Northwestern State Wins Men's O'Reilly Auto Parts/SLC Tournament Title at southland.org, URL accessed November 17, 2009. Archived 11/17/2009
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