View source for Bryce Jordan Center

{{Short description|Arena in State College, Pennsylvania}}
{{Redirect|Jordan Center|the community in Wisconsin|Jordan Center, Wisconsin|the concept in graph theory by Camille Jordan|graph center}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2009}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Bryce Jordan Center
| logo_image = Bryce Jordan Center logo.svg
| image = Bryce Jordan Center.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption    = Bryce Jordan Center in May 2006
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=15|type=point}}
| location = 127 Bryce Jordan Center<br>[[State College, Pennsylvania]] 16802
| coordinates = {{coord|40|48|32|N|77|51|21|W|type:landmark|display=it}}
| broke_ground = April 7, 1993
| built = 
| opened = {{Start date|1996|01|06}}
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = [[Pennsylvania State University]]
| operator = Pennsylvania State University
| surface = Multi-surface
| construction_cost = $52.762 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|52762000|1996}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = [[Rosser International|Rosser International Inc.]]
| general_contractor = [[Gilbane|Gilbane Building Company]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Bryce Jordan Center on Track for Nov. 28 Opening|first=Hope|last=Caldwell|url=http://www.collegian.psu.edu:8080/archive/1995/08/08-29-95tdc/08-29-95dsports-2.asp|newspaper=[[The Daily Collegian (Penn State)]]|date=August 29, 1995|access-date=January 22, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722120443/http://www.collegian.psu.edu:8080/archive/1995/08/08-29-95tdc/08-29-95dsports-2.asp|archive-date=July 22, 2012}}</ref>
| former_names = 
| tenants = [[Penn State Nittany Lions]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]])<br>[[Penn State Nittany Lions basketball|Men's basketball]] (1996–present)<br>[[Penn State Lady Lions basketball|Women's basketball]] (1996–present)
| seating_capacity = Basketball: 15,261<br>Concerts: 16,000+
}}

The '''Bryce Jordan Center''' is a 15,261-seat multi-purpose arena in [[College Township, Pennsylvania]], on the [[Penn State University Park|University Park]] campus of the [[Pennsylvania State University]]. The arena opened on January 6, 1996, and is the largest such indoor venue in [[Pennsylvania]] outside of those in [[Philadelphia]] and [[Pittsburgh]]. The arena replaced [[Rec Hall]] as the home to the [[Penn State Nittany Lions basketball|Nittany Lions men's]] and [[Penn State Lady Lions basketball|women's basketball]] and the Pride of the Lions Pep Band and its student section, known as [[Legion of Blue]]. The arena also periodically host concerts, circuses, and commencement ceremonies for the arena university. 

The arena is named after [[Bryce Jordan]], Penn State University's president from 1983 until 1990 who was instrumental in acquiring funding needed to build it. The arena is associated with the Arena Network, a marketing and scheduling group of 38 arenas.<ref>{{cite news |title=Backstage at the BJC|first=Reid|last=Coploff|url=http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2004/04/04-23-04tdc/04-23-04dnews-09.asp|newspaper=[[The Daily Collegian (Penn State)]]|date=April 23, 2004|access-date=November 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040517161525/http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2004/04/04-23-04tdc/04-23-04dnews-09.asp|archive-date=May 17, 2004}}</ref>

==Location and layout==
[[File:Bryce Jordan Center Wrestling.jpg|thumb|Bryce Jordan Center during a [[Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling|Penn State]] [[Collegiate wrestling|wrestling]] match against [[Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling|Ohio State]] in February 2020]]
The arena is located across the street from [[Beaver Stadium]] on Curtin Road, on the eastern part of the campus. This part of campus is home to many of the school's athletic facilities, including the recently built [[Medlar Field at Lubrano Park]] baseball facility, [[Pegula Ice Arena]],  and Jeffrey Field soccer stadium. There is a large electronic display outside the arena which provides advertisements for future events. The university also recently contracted with [[ANC Sports]] to install over {{convert|900|ft}} of LED ribbon board signage to be used for sponsor advertisements and game prompts.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Message Ribbons at Beav, Jordan Center|first=David|last=Jones|url=http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2008/07/new_message_ribbons_at_beav_jo.html|newspaper=[[The Patriot-News]]|location=Harrisburg|date=July 23, 2008|access-date=July 24, 2008}}</ref>

==Operations==
The Jordan Center is owned by Penn State University and operated through its Auxiliary & Business Services Unit.

==Notable events==
*The arena hosts numerous concerts and [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] events, including ''[[WWE Raw|RAW]]''.
*In 1998, parts of [[Aerosmith]]'s live album, ''[[A Little South of Sanity]]'', were recorded at the Jordan Center. Lead singer [[Steven Tyler]] can be heard yelling "[[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]]" out to the audience during "[[Love in an Elevator]]".
*In 2000, the music video for [[Backstreet Boys]]' song [[The One (Backstreet Boys song)|"The One"]] was filmed at the arena
*In 2001, [[Britney Spears]] played at the arena as part of her [[Dream Within a Dream Tour]]. Some performances were taped with a new technology, at the time, called [[First-person shooter engine]] and were released as bonus videos in her video game "Britney's Dance Beat", for [[PlayStation 2]].
*On October 1, 2004, during the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential campaign]], the arena hosted the politically motivated [[Vote for Change]] Tour, featuring performances by [[My Morning Jacket]], [[Jurassic 5]], [[Ben Harper]] & The Innocent Criminals, and [[Dave Matthews Band]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2004 Setlists|url=http://www.backstreets.com/setlists2004.html|work=[[Backstreets Magazine]]|date=July 17, 2004|access-date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>
*In March 2006, the arena hosted first and second rounds of the [[NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship]]. The arena also hosts the [[Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association]] (PIAA) Basketball Championships annually.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Awarded 2007 & 2008 PIAA Basketball Championships|url=http://www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=10335|publisher=Penn State Athletics|date=May 26, 2006|access-date=May 27, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629215906/http://www.gopsusports.com/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?anncid=10335|archive-date=June 29, 2006}}</ref>
*In 2007, the [[Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon]], commonly known as THON, was moved to the Jordan Center.<ref>
– {{cite news|title=BJC to See First THON|first=Mollie|last=Pritchett|url=http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/02/02-16-07tdc/02-16-07dnews-12.asp|newspaper=[[The Daily Collegian (Penn State)]]|date=February 16, 2007|access-date=February 22, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220034539/http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/02/02-16-07tdc/02-16-07dnews-12.asp|archive-date=February 20, 2007}}</ref> The event, designed to raise money to fight [[Cancer#Childhood cancers|pediatric cancer]], raises millions of dollars every year.
*On October 13, 2008, it hosted Change Rocks: A Concert to Benefit Obama, featuring [[The Allman Brothers Band]] and four living members of [[Grateful Dead]], [[Bob Weir]], [[Phil Lesh]], [[Mickey Hart]], and [[Bill Kreutzmann]].
*On October 20, 2018, a [[Metallica]] concert set the attendance record for the arena with 15,588 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://onwardstate.com/2018/10/22/metallica-shreds-at-the-bryce-jordan-center-in-front-of-a-record-crowd/|title = Metallica Shreds at the Bryce Jordan Center in Front of a Record Crowd|date = October 22, 2018}}</ref>
*On January 27, 2023, the arena hosted 15,998 fans for the [[Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling]] match against [[Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling|Iowa]], tying the record for the third-largest dual meet crowd in [[collegiate wrestling]] history and exceeding attendance for the Metallica concert in 2018, setting an all-time attendance record for the arena.

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.bjc.psu.edu}}
* [http://www.gopsusports.com/facilities/bryce-jordan-center.html Bryce Jordan Center at GoPSUSports.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110125701/http://www.gopsusports.com/facilities/bryce-jordan-center.html |date=January 10, 2012 }}

{{The Pennsylvania State University|show=yes}}
{{Penn State Nittany Lions basketball navbox}}
{{Penn State Lady Lions basketball navbox}}
{{Big Ten Conference basketball venue navbox}}
{{Music venues of Pennsylvania}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1996 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Music venues in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Penn State Nittany Lions and Lady Lions basketball venues]]
[[Category:Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1996]]