View source for Thompson–Boling Arena

{{Short description|Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox venue
|stadium_name        = Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center 
|nickname            = "The [[Pat Summitt|Summitt]]"
|logo_image=Food City Center Logo.png
|image               = Thompson-Boling-Arena.jpg
|caption             = The arena in August 2021
|image_map           = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=275|zoom=15|type=point}}
|location            = 1600 [[Phillip Fulmer]] Way<br />[[Knoxville, Tennessee]]<br />37916
|coordinates         = {{coord|35|57|4.2|N|83|55|30.1|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|broke_ground        = November 2, 1983<ref name="dates=">{{cite news |title=Important dates for Thompson-Boling Arena|first1=Mike|last1=Strange|first2=Mark|last2=Burgess|url=http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/02/important-dates-thompson-boling-arena/|newspaper=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]|date=November 2, 2007|access-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref>
|opened              = December 3, 1987<ref name="dates="/>
|renovated           = 2007
|closed              =
|demolished          =
|owner               = University of Tennessee
|operator            = University of Tennessee
|surface             = Wooden Court
|architect           = GSCD, Inc. Architects<ref name="construction">{{cite web |title=University of Tennessee, Thompson-Boling Sports Arena|url=http://www.balp.com/divisions/entertainment/thompson/|publisher=Bell and Associates Construction|access-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref><br>Cideco Architecture & Planning Inc.<ref>{{cite web |title=PAST PROJECTS {{Pipe}} CIDECO Dev|url=https://cideco.com/past-projects/|publisher=Cideco Architecture and Planning|access-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref>
|structural engineer = Ross H. Bryan Engineers Inc.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bigger Isn't Better Until It's Finished|first=Tom|last=Eblen|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19851001&id=6DYdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sKUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6562,89191|newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|date=October 1, 1985|access-date=November 12, 2013|page=21}}</ref>
|general_contractor  = Ray Bell & Associates Construction<ref name="construction"/>
|tenants=[[Tennessee Volunteers basketball|Tennessee Volunteers]] (men's basketball) ([[NCAA]]) (1987-present)<br>[[Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball|Tennessee Lady Vols]] (women's basketball) ([[NCAA]]) (1987-present)<br>[[Tennessee Lady Volunteers volleyball|Tennessee Lady Vols]] (women's volleyball) ([[NCAA]]) (2008-present)
|construction_cost   = $40 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|40000000|1987}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
|seating_capacity    = 21,678 (2007–present)<br>24,535 (1987–2007)
}}
'''Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center''' is a multi-purpose [[arena]] on the campus of the [[University of Tennessee]] in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], United States. The arena opened in 1987. It is home to the [[Tennessee Volunteers basketball|Tennessee Volunteers]] (men) and [[Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball|Lady Vols]] (women) [[basketball]] teams. Since 2008, it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thompson-Boling Arena|url=http://www.utsports.com/facilities/thompson-boling_volley.html|publisher=University of Tennessee Athletic Department|access-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref> It is named after [[B. Ray Thompson]] and former university president [[Edward J. Boling]]. The basketball court is named "The Summitt" after the late Lady Vols basketball coach [[Pat Summitt]].  It replaced the [[Stokely Athletic Center]]. The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the [[Tennessee River]], and just southwest of [[Neyland Stadium]]. As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop [[Ayres Hall]], the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white [[checkerboard]] pattern.

==History==
[[File:Thompson-Boling entrance.png|275px|thumb|left|The entrance in 2011.]]
In terms of [[seating capacity]], Thompson-Boling was at one time the largest facility ever built specifically for basketball in the United States with a [[seating capacity]] of 24,535 until its 2007 renovation. The current capacity is 21,678. The men's record crowd was 25,610 for a game against Kentucky on January 21, 1989, which is also the SEC record for a regular-season game. The Lady Vols' record crowd of 24,653, set at their win over [[UConn–Tennessee rivalry|archrival]] [[University of Connecticut|UConn]] on January 7, 2006, is also the all-time record for an NCAA regular-season women's game.

The facility hosted the 1989 [[Southeastern Conference]] men's basketball tournament. It hosted games of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 1990 (first and second rounds), 1994 (regional), and 1999 (regional), and the 1990 NCAA Women's Final Four.

Since 2001, it has played host to Knoxville's [[Singing Christmas Tree|Living Christmas Tree]].

In August 2006, ground was broken for the Pratt Pavilion, a basketball practice facility to be located adjacent to the arena. It was ready for use in early November, but not all exterior construction were finished.

On November 30, 2006, plans were announced at utsports.com to add new renovations to Thompson–Boling Arena. Renovations included black seats, a center hung scoreboard, and concourse refurbishments, such as graphics and other amenities. Also added were luxury suites and loge seating. Construction began in March 2007. Phase I was finished in late October 2007 with an opening game against the [[Temple Owls]] of the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]].

Phase II is scheduled to include a new lighting system, new ticket kiosks, and new food courts.

The outer volume of Thompson–Boling Arena is approximately {{convert|17|Mcuft|m3}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thompson-Boling Assembly Center & Arena|url=http://www.utsports.com/facilities/page.aspx?id=9732|publisher=University of Tennessee Athletic Department|access-date=November 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026005818/http://www.utsports.com/facilities/page.aspx?id=9732|archive-date=October 26, 2007}}</ref>

During the 2006–2007 and the 2007–2008 year, the University of Tennessee Men's Basketball team went 16–0 in Thompson–Boling Arena. As of November 18, 2008, [[Bruce Pearl]]'s home record at Thompson–Boling Arena was 47–2, a home winning percentage at Tennessee of 96%.

On February 5, 2009, history was made at Thompson–Boling Arena, as the Tennessee Lady Vols defeated the [[University of Georgia|Georgia Bulldogs]] 73–43, to give head coach [[Pat Summitt]] her 1,000th win.<ref>{{cite web | title=15 years ago today: Pat Summitt reaches 1000 wins | website=WBIR.com | date=2024-02-05 | url=https://www.wbir.com/article/life/people/pat-summitt/pat-summitt-knoxville-basketball/51-b7f3f03a-ef4d-4d76-946b-51881534c329 | access-date=2025-06-28}}</ref>

It is also a concert venue, holding up to 25,000 people. It has been Tennessee's largest arena since it was opened. Only [[Greensboro Coliseum Complex]] has had a larger capacity among other arenas in the Southeast.

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.foodcitycenter.com/ Official Website]
*[http://utsports.com/facilities/?id=7 UT Sports Official Site]

{{University of Tennessee, Knoxville}}
{{Tennessee Volunteers basketball navbox}}
{{Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference basketball venue navbox}}
{{Knoxville, Tennessee sports venues}}
{{Music venues of Tennessee}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson-Boling Arena}}
[[Category:College basketball venues in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers basketball]]
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers sports venues]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1987]]
[[Category:College volleyball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in Tennessee]]