Blue Arena

Blue Arena
	Exterior of venue (c.2008)
	Blue Arena Location within Colorado Blue Arena Location within the United States
Former names	Budweiser Events Center (2003–2023)
Address	5290 Arena Circle
Location	Loveland, Colorado, U.S.
Owner	Larimer County
Operator	OVG360
Capacity	7,500; Sports capacity Basketball: 6,000; Hockey: 5,300;
Construction
Broke ground	August 26, 2002
Opened	September 20, 2003
Construction cost	$28 million; ($47.4 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	PBK Architects; Bullock Smith & Partners; Kenney & Associates Inc.;
Structural engineer	KL&A, Inc.
Services engineer	US Engineering; Nolte Associates;
General contractor	Neenan Construction
Main contractors	Delta Construction
Tenants
	Colorado Eagles (CHL/ECHL/AHL) (2003–present); Colorado Chill (NWBL) (2004–2006); Colorado Lightning (PASL) (2008–2009); Colorado Ice/Crush (IFL) (2009–2017); Denver Dream/Denver Rush (LFL/X League) (2017–2019, 2022–present); Colorado Spartans (NAL) (2024–present)
Website
	Venue Website

The Blue Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Loveland, Colorado,^[5] 55 mi (89 km) northeast of Denver. It has 24 luxury suites, 777 club seats and^[1] 6,800 general admission seats. The arena is located on The Ranch Events Complex (formerly the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex) and is owned by Larimer County, Colorado. The facility and ticket sales are managed by OVG360^[5] (a division of Oak View Group). It is home to the AHL Colorado Eagles ice hockey team and is the former home of the Colorado Lightning indoor soccer team, the Colorado Chill women's basketball team, and the Denver Dream women's football team. It was also home to the Colorado Ice/Crush indoor football team from 2007 until 2017 and will serve as home of the Colorado Spartans starting in 2024.

History

Construction was completed and doors opened for the first event on September 20, 2003, with a sold-out exhibition hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers.

The Colorado Eagles established a new record for minor league professional hockey^{[citation needed]} with their 145th consecutive regular-season sellout, set on January 12, 2008, in a victory vs. rival Rocky Mountain Rage. Including playoff games, the Eagles had sold out 181 consecutive games total – every single game during their first 4½ years of operation.^{[citation needed]}

Blue Arena was previously named the Budweiser Events Center, but changed after Budweiser's contract expired in October, 2023 after which Blue Federal Credit Union was awarded the contract. ^[6]

Notable events

The Colorado Eagles hosted the 2009 Central Hockey League All-Star Game and the 2013 ECHL All-Star Game at the Blue Arena.

The Events Center has played host to: musicians Widespread Panic, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Yes, and ZZ Top; comedians Bill Cosby, Ron White, Carlos Mencia, Gabriel Iglesias & Larry the Cable Guy; as well as Cirque Du Soleil, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, The Wiggles, Sesame Street Live, and The Harlem Globetrotters.

The Events Center will serve as a host for the 2026 NCAA Hockey Frozen Four Regional ^[7] round and previously hosted the 2022 Frozen Four Regional.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Puckett, Alisha (November 24, 2003). "Loveland, Colo., gets arena that it 'has been dying for'". Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ Rebchook, John (August 27, 2002). "Work begins on Larimer fairgrounds, events complex". Rocky Mountain News. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on August 29, 2002. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Public, Government and Institutional Buildings". KL&A, Inc. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Budweiser Events Center". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
^ "Budweiser Events Center to Change its name". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
^ "Frozen Four: Future dates and sites". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved Aug 20, 2024.

External links

Budweiser Events Center Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
Loveland Chamber of Commerce

40°26′38″N 104°59′22″W / 40.44389°N 104.98944°W / 40.44389; -104.98944

[SBJ-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Puckett, Alisha (November 24, 2003). "Loveland, Colo., gets arena that it 'has been dying for'". Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2021.

[2] Rebchook, John (August 27, 2002). "Work begins on Larimer fairgrounds, events complex". Rocky Mountain News. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on August 29, 2002. Retrieved May 17, 2012.

[inflation-US-3] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[KL&A-4] "Public, Government and Institutional Buildings". KL&A, Inc. January 7, 2009. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2021.

[Center-5] "Budweiser Events Center". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved 2023-04-18.

[6] "Budweiser Events Center to Change its name". The Ranch Complex. The Ranch, Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Complex. Retrieved May 10, 2023.

[7] "Frozen Four: Future dates and sites". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved Aug 20, 2024.

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