SPRINT CENTER

The 'Sprint Center' is a large, multi-use indoor arena being built in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street & Grand Boulevard^[1], on the east side of the Power & Light District, which is also currently under construction.
The Sprint Center is scheduled to be open to the public on October 13, 2007 with a concert by Elton John^[2] and is estimated to seat 18,500 people and have 72 suites. The Sprint Center will effectively replace Kemper Arena, which was built in 1974. Additionally, the College Basketball Experience, which includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame will be connected to and located directly north of the Sprint Center.
It was announced that the Sprint Center will host the 2008 Big 12 Conference men's basketball tournament, in addition to the First and Second Rounds of the 2009 NCAA Men's Tournament and the regional rounds of the 2010 NCAA Women's Tournament. The city has also entered into discussions with the NHL and the NBA regarding possible expansion or relocation of a professional hockey and/or basketball franchise to the arena. Its title sponsor is the telecommunications company Sprint.

Contents

Details

Arena tenants

Concerts

Wrestling

Other Sporting Events

Arena Football League

National Hockey League

National Basketball Association

External links

References

Details

Ground was broken for the arena on June 24, 2005, and construction is well underway. The final design, by the Downtown Arena Design Team (a collaboration of architectural firms 360 Architecture, Ellerbe Becket and HOK Sport), was selected in August 2005.
The Big 12 Conference men's basketball tournament will take place at the Sprint Center in 2008, marking the tournament's return to Kansas City after three years in Dallas and Oklahoma City. Women's basketball will take place at the nearby Municipal Auditorium.
The arena will also house the headquarters of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Which, is located at 1301 Grand Boulevard connected to the Sprint Center.
The outside of the arena is entirely glass. Inside it will have state of the art technology with a 360 degree LCD video screen. This facility should allow Kansas City to draw most concerts touring the United States. There has been speculation of an NBA or NHL team relocating to the Sprint Center upon completion, but as of yet no definitive plans have been announced. The city was given a NHL franchise in 1974, the Kansas City Scouts, but the Scouts moved in 1976 to Colorado, and eventually to New Jersey. It was one of the shortest lifespans for a franchise in NHL history. ^{[3] [4]}.

Arena tenants

Concerts

★ Elton John will serve as the Sprint Center's first act on October 13, 2007. This concert sold out in the first 90 minutes of the tickets being on sale.

★ Rascal Flatts will be performing at the Sprint Center on October 25, 2007.

★ Van Halen will be performing at the Sprint Center on October 26, 2007 as part of their reunion tour with front man David Lee Roth.

★ Hannah Montana will be performing at the Sprint Center on December 3, 2007.

Wrestling

★ WWE Smackdown! and ECW will be held at the Sprint Center on October 23, 2007

Other Sporting Events

★ CBE Classic will be held at the Sprint Center on November 19, 2007 and November 20, 2007.

★ AVP Pro Beach Volleyball will be apart of the Association of Volleyball Professionals Hot Winter Nights Tour held at the Sprint Center on January 12, 2008.

Arena Football League

The Kansas City Brigade announced that it will move from its current home at Kemper Arena to the Sprint Center beginning with the 2008 season. The Sprint Center will be able to hold 17,297 people for Arena Football and will also have 72 sold out suites. ^[5]

National Hockey League

On January 3, 2007, Mario Lemieux and other executives of the Pittsburgh Penguins visited Kansas City to meet with Sprint Center representatives so they can make their pitch on possibly moving the Penguins there. [2] The following day with the team exploring the possibility of relocating the Pittsburgh Penguins, owner Mario Lemieux received a serious offer from officials in Kansas City on Thursday. Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, operator of the Sprint Center, had offered the Penguins a chance to play rent free and be equal managing partners in the new arena if Lemieux moved the club to the Missouri city. On March 5, 2007, the Penguins declared an impasse in negotiations for a new arena in Pittsburgh, adding that they would aggressively pursue all relocation options. The Penguins blamed the local government officials, arguing they agreed to pay $120 million over 30 years to help build a $290 million arena and cover construction cost overruns, but a deal was unable to be reached at that time. [3]
On Tuesday, March 13, 2007, Pittsburgh Penguins Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl joined Pittsburgh Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle Tuesday in announcing a deal for a new multi-purpose arena that will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh for at least the next 30 years.
William "Boots" Del Biaggio, Jr. made an offer to purchase the Nashville Predators with the intention of bringing the team to the Sprint Center.^[6] However, on May 24, 2007, Predators owner Craig Leipold reached a tentative agreement to sell the team to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie,^[7] who has since begun making preparations to relocate the team to Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.^[8] While the sale to Balsillie has not yet been finalized, Del Biaggio has indicated he is no longer interested in buying the Predators and may instead pursue an expansion team for Kansas City.^[9]

National Basketball Association

On January 10, 2007, three NBA teams were reported to have taken an interest in relocating: the Los Angeles Clippers, and two as-yet-unnamed franchises. ^[10] The Seattle SuperSonics could possibly be one of the teams mentioned.
On May 22, 2007, Clay Bennett, current owner of the Seattle SuperSonics, said in an article for the ''Kansas City Star'' that he is tired of "Seattle’s inability to come up with a plan for a new arena." He said he is interested in moving the team to Kansas City because the Sprint Center, a 276 Million dollar facility, would generate more revenue than Oklahoma City which has a 90 million dollar facility. Leiweke talks about Bennett's comments, “You have a commissioner who is on the record supporting a move,” Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which will manage the new downtown Sprint Center, said. “I believe that team is in play for Kansas City, and I believe Clay is going to keep the ownership." ^[11]
On May 30, Clay Bennett said he has begun preliminary discussions with Oklahoma City and Kansas City about possible relocation. ^[12] "My expectation and my belief is that if we leave Seattle, we're quite likely headed to Oklahoma City," Bennett said. "But that decision has to be made with appropriate due diligence. We have to do that work. Just can't proclaim we're moving here."
On July 19, Clay Bennet's spokesman announced that if Bennett moves the Sonics, he will move them to Oklahoma City, ending speculation that the team could end up at the Sprint Center. ^[13]

External links

★ Sprint Center official website

★ Anschutz Entertainment Group

★ Sprint Center construction webcam

★ Power And Light District construction Webcam

References

★ Kansas City in the Mix for Sonics - May 22, 2007 - Source: Kansas City Star

★ Lemieux Meets With Kansas City Officials - January 3, 2007 - Source: TSN.ca

★ Kansas City offers Penguins free rent, ownership stake - January 4, 2007 - Source: ESPN.com

★ Penguins to aggressively explore relocation - March 5, 2007 - Source: ESPN.com

★ Kansas City offers Penguins free rent - Source CBC
1. [1]
2. Elton John to open Sprint Center ''Kansas City Star'', 26 July 2007.
3. Covitz, Randy. Penguins owner says team will ‘explore relocation options’ ''Kansas City Star'', 21 December 2006.
4. Conte, Andrew. Kansas City woos Penguins ''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'', 15 December 2006.
5. Brigade plans move to Sprint Center ''Kansas City Star'', 22 May 2007.
6. Duhatschek, Eric. Balsillie shouldn't overplay his hand ''Globe and Mail'', 13 June 2007
7. Associated Press, Balsillie has agreement to buy Predators ''CBC Sports'', 24 May 2007
8. Brown, Josh. Balsillie Gets Hamilton's OK ''The Record'', 14 June 2007
9. Glennon, John. Team wants a binding agreement on sale offer ''The Tennessean'', 23 June 2007
10. Other Teams Express Interest In Sprint Center KMBC Channel 9 Kansas City, 10 January 2007.
11. Covitz, Randy. KC in mix for Sonics ''Kansas City Star'', 22 May 2007.
12. Associated Press. Owner: Hopes fading to keep Sonics in Seattle ''Sports Illustrated'', 30 May 2007.
13. Booth, Tim.Owner:KC out as home for Sonics''The Examiner'', 20 July 2007.