Carolina Coliseum is a 12,401-seat former multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, built in 1968 by the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

. The Coliseum was the largest arena in South Carolina at the time of its completion. It was the home of the USC men's and women's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

teams from 1968 to 2002, as well as Columbia's main events venue until 2002, when the Colonial Life Arena, opened a block away on Greene Street. The Coliseum was also home to the Columbia Inferno hockey team, a franchise in the East Coast Hockey League (

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

), until poor ticket sales caused the Inferno to fold. The facility was unique at the time, being built to serve not only as an entertainment venue but also as a home to university classrooms with classes held in the lower levels. The high school commencement ceremonies of many high schools in the South Carolina Midlands were held annually in the arena as many school venues are too small for such ceremonies. Many of these have since moved to the Colonial Life Arena. Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the Gamecocks had played in Carolina Fieldhouse from 1927 until it burned in 1968, and the Carolina Gymnasium (now the Longstreet Theater) prior to that. The Coliseum was the host of the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Basketball Tournament East Regional in 1970. Until 2002, when Greenville's

Bon Secours Wellness Arena Bon Secours Wellness Arena (formerly the BI-LO Center; The Well) is a multi-purpose arena in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The arena serves as the home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. History The arena opened as the ...

served as host, it was the only time the tournament was played in South Carolina. The Metro Conference men's basketball tournament was held here in 1989. In 1977, the playing surface was renamed "Frank McGuire Arena" after then head basketball coach

Frank McGuire Frank Joseph McGuire (November 8, 1913 – October 11, 1994) was an American basketball coach. At the collegiate level, he was head coach for three major programs: St. John's, North Carolina, and South Carolina, winning over a hundred games at ...

. McGuire had been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame a few weeks earlier. That same year,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

held a concert at the Coliseum, his last time performing in South Carolina. Officials subsequently announced that no more games will be played in the Coliseum. In the fall of 2014, 3,000 seats were removed and the arena floor was converted into two practice courts for the Gamecock men's and women's teams. The old Coliseum playing surface was auctioned in January for $23,215.

References

{{coord, 33, 59, 37, N, 81, 01, 57, W, type:landmark, display=title Defunct ice hockey venues in the United States College basketball venues in South Carolina Indoor arenas in South Carolina South Carolina Gamecocks basketball venues Ice hockey venues in the United States Defunct college basketball venues in the United States 1968 establishments in South Carolina Sports venues completed in 1968