Allstate Arena

Coordinates: 42°0′19″N 87°53′16″W / 42.00528°N 87.88778°W / 42.00528; -87.88778

Allstate Arena
Former names Rosemont Horizon (1980–1999)
Address 6920 North Mannheim Road
Location Rosemont, Illinois
Owner Village of Rosemont
Capacity Concerts: 18,500
Pro Wrestling: 18,211
Basketball: 17,500
Ice hockey: 16,692
Arena Football: 16,143
Surface Multi-surface
Construction
Broke ground September 12, 1978[1]
Opened May 11, 1980[2]
Construction cost $20 million
($72.7 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect Anthony M. Rossi Architects
General contractor Degen & Rosato Construction Co.[4]
Tenants
Chicago Horizons (MISL) (1980–1981)
DePaul Blue Demons (NCAA) (1980–present)
Chicago Sting (MISL) (1984–1988)
Chicago Bruisers (AFL) (1987–1989)
Chicago Express (WBL) (1988)
Chicago Wolves (AHL) (1994–present)
Chicago Skyliners (ABA) (2000–2002)
Chicago Rush (AFL) (20012013)
Chicago Sky (WNBA) (2010–present)
Website
www.allstatearena.com

Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team from DePaul University, and the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened in 1980 as Rosemont Horizon and seats 18,211 for basketball and 17,500 for ice hockey.

History

The Village of Rosemont issued $19 million in bonds to finance the cost of the arena with exclusive contracts with Araserv, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and MFG International.

On August 13, 1979, the uncompleted roof of the Rosemont Horizon collapsed, killing five construction workers and injuring 16 others.[5] The collapse was featured in the "Engineering Disasters" episode of Modern Marvels, first broadcast by The History Channel on April 20, 2006.

The facility, originally named Rosemont Horizon, was intended to be the home of the Chicago Horizons of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and was home of the 1980-1981 season but the franchise folded in 1982. It was also intended to be the home of the WHA's Chicago Cougars, but the team folded in 1975, three years before construction on the arena started. The first concert held at the Horizon was Fleetwood Mac on May 15, 1980, as they cut a red ribbon on the stage during the opening of the show.

The Rosemont Horizon was featured in many music videos, including the 1985 music video "Big City Nights" by Scorpions.[6]

Insurance company Allstate signed a 10-year contract worth more than $10 million on June 9, 1999, to acquire naming rights to the arena and renovate it.[7]

On December 14, 2003, the floor at the Allstate Arena was named "Ray and Marge Meyer Court" in honor of Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Meyer and his wife. Meyer coached DePaul's men's team for 42 seasons and is the school's all-time winningest coach.[8][9]

Events

Sports

Allstate Arena is primarily known as the home of DePaul University men's basketball since the program's 74–56 win over Gonzaga on December 1, 1980.[10] The Blue Demons previously played on campus at Alumni Hall. That gym has since been replaced with McGrath-Phillips Arena, the home to the women's basketball program. The building hosted the NCAA basketball tournament three times: the 1987 and 1993 Midwest Regional first and second round games, and the 2005 Chicago Regional Finals.

The Arena Football League also has a long history with Allstate Arena. The Horizon hosted an arena football test game in 1987 and the Chicago Bruisers were an original Arena Football League team when the league began in 1987. The Bruisers played from 1987 to 1989, and hosted ArenaBowl II in Rosemont, losing to the Detroit Drive, 24-13. In 2001, Arena Football returned to the arena with the Chicago Rush. The Rush increased its home attendance each year from 2001 to 2008, and from 2004 to 2008 averaged between 14,000 and 16,000 fans per game. The Rush's highest home attendance is 16,391 on June 23, 2007 against the Kansas City Brigade. After the AFL restructured in 2009, the Rush returned to the Arena Football League.[11]

The Allstate Arena is also the standard venue when WWE visits Chicago. It is one of two venues (the other being Madison Square Garden) to host WrestleMania three times: namely the second segment of WrestleMania II in 1986, WrestleMania 13 in 1997, and WrestleMania 22 in 2006. Wrestlemania 22 is also notable for being the last WrestleMania to date to be held in a smaller arena. Due to the events rapid growth in popularity, from WrestleMania 23 at Detroit's Ford Field, the annual PPV has been held in 70,000+ seat football stadiums.

The Arena is also known for hosting one of the loudest and passionate crowds in WWE, most notably for Money in the Bank 2011, among others, where the crowd would loudly chant "CM PUNK!" repetitively for Chicago-born wrestler CM Punk. This was also be prevalent whether or not Punk was part of the WWE (as evidenced during a Raw taping in March 2014, two months after Punk quit the WWE). The venue also hosted The Wrestling Classic in 1985, Survivor Series 1989, Backlash (2001), No Mercy 2007, Night of Champions 2010, Money in the Bank 2011, two editions of Judgment Day (1998 and 2009), two editions of Extreme Rules (2012 and 2015) and three editions of Payback (2013, 2014[12] and 2016). The Allstate Arena has yet to host a Royal Rumble.

When it was called Rosemont Horizon, the arena hosted WCW's Spring Stampede 1994. During the mid-1990s, Rosemont Horizon was the standard venue when WCW visited in Chicago; having replaced the UIC Pavilion, it was eventually dropped in favor of the United Center.

On October 25, 2008, the Allstate Arena hosted UFC 90, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event in the state of Illinois.

The Professional Bull Riders brought their Built Ford Tough Series tour for events in 2006, 2008, and 2013.

Allstate Arena is where the racing track style known as "Chicago-Style" (also known as roundy round and chase race) was created for Monster Truck Racing. It is the smallest arena that the track style is used in as well. Monster Jam is currently the only promotion company contracted at the venue for Monster Trucks.

The Chicago Sky of the WNBA announced on August 17, 2009, that the team reached a multi-year contract agreement with the arena.

Loyola University Chicago also played its home games at the Rosemont Horizon in the 1990s, until the on-campus Gentile Arena was built.

During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Allstate Arena was the site of the Champs for Charity Hockey Game where current and former Chicago Blackhawks hosted fellow NHLers in front of 10,000+ fans.

DePaul is scheduled to leave the arena after the 2016-17 season, leaving the arena without a permanent college basketball tenants, although Northwestern announced it will move its men's games to the arena for the 2017-18 season before returning to its on-campus home.

Professional league championships and playoffs

Concerts

References

  1. Christiansen, Richard (July 22, 1979). "New Home for Pop, Sports, Greatest Show on Earth". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  2. Sjostrom, Joseph (May 12, 1980). "Horizon Dwarfs Its Party". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  3. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. Gorman, John; Enstad, Robert (August 14, 1979). "Probe Arena Roof Cave-In". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  5. "Rosemont Horizon Arena Timber Roof Collapse; Chicago". The Materials Digital Library Pathway. The National Science Digital Library. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  6. Scorpions. "Big City Nights". YouTube. 1:37. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  7. Holt, Douglas (June 10, 1999). "Millions Turn Horizon Into Allstate Arena". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. "Meyer remains king of court for DePaul". tribunedigital-chicagotribune.
  9. "DePaul Blue Demons". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  10. "DePaul Welcomes Milwaukee to Rosemont for Monday Night Meeting". DePaul Athletics. December 11, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  11. "Chicago Rush Team History". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  12. "WWE Live Event Results - Allstate Arena,Chicago - 12/26/2014". December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allstate Arena.
Tenants
Preceded by
first arena
Home of Chicago Express
1988
Succeeded by
Prairie Capital Convention Center
Preceded by
Chicago Sting
Home of Chicago Sting
1984 – 1988
Succeeded by
last arena
Preceded by
first arena
Home of Chicago Rush
2001 – present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
UIC Pavilion
Home of Chicago Sky
2010 – present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
first arena
Home of Chicago Skyliners
2000 – 2002
Succeeded by
Las Vegas Sports Center
Preceded by
first arena
Home of Chicago Wolves
1994 – present
Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Alumni Hall
Home of DePaul Blue Demons
1980 - 2017
Succeeded by
McCormick Place Events Center
Events
Preceded by
Pittsburgh Civic Arena
Host of ArenaBowl
1988
Succeeded by
Joe Louis Arena
Preceded by
Madison Square Garden
Host of WrestleMania 2
w/ Nassau Coliseum & L.A. Sports Arena

1986
Succeeded by
Pontiac Silverdome
Preceded by
Arrowhead Pond
Host of WrestleMania 13
1997
Succeeded by
Fleet Center
Preceded by
Staples Center
Host of WrestleMania 22
2006
Succeeded by
Ford Field
Preceded by
Sprint Center
Host of WWE Money in the Bank
2011
Succeeded by
US Airways Center
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