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Carolina Coliseum
Carolina Coliseum
Carolina Coliseum
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Carolina Coliseum is a 12,401-seat former multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, built in 1968 by the University of South Carolina. 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 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.

Key Information

The Coliseum was also home to the Columbia Inferno hockey team, a franchise in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), 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.[1]

The Coliseum was the host of the NCAA Basketball Tournament East Regional in 1970. Until 2002, when Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena 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. McGuire had been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame a few weeks earlier. That same year, Elvis Presley held a concert at the Coliseum, his last time performing in South Carolina.[2]

In 2002, the Colonial Life Arena replaced the Coliseum. From 2002 to 2014, the Coliseum served as a practice facility and backup arena. 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.[3][4]

References

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Carolina Coliseum

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The Carolina Coliseum is a historic multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the in , originally constructed as the home venue for the university's men's and teams. Opened on November 30, 1968, with an initial capacity of 12,401 seats, it was designed in a style by the Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolff, featuring a distinctive space-frame composed of 44 sections each weighing 45 tons. Named after legendary USC basketball coach Frank McGuire, who led the Gamecocks to notable successes including the program's first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in 1970–71, the coliseum quickly became a central hub for university athletics and entertainment in the Southeast. Constructed at a cost of $7 million (equivalent to approximately $61.2 million in 2023 dollars) through revenue bonds supplemented by city and federal funds, it spanned two city blocks and was built to accommodate growing crowds for basketball games, with its inaugural event being a narrow 51–49 victory over Auburn on opening night. Beyond sports, the arena hosted a wide array of cultural and public events that defined mid-to-late 20th-century Columbia, including high-profile concerts by artists such as in 1977—which inspired the university's iconic "2001: A Space Odyssey" football entrance—and the rock band , as well as graduations, trade shows, and even a brief stint as home to a minor-league hockey team. It played a pivotal role in USC athletics, witnessing the Gamecocks' first (SEC) regular-season basketball championship in 1996–97 and serving as the site of numerous sold-out games during McGuire's tenure and beyond. Following the opening of the larger in 2002, which became the new home for USC with an 18,000-seat capacity, the Carolina Coliseum transitioned from its primary athletic role to a versatile facility supporting university operations and events. As of 2025, it houses administrative offices for programs like the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, and various student services including a community shop and recovery meetings; its expansive 30,000-square-foot is utilized for conferences, receptions, banquets, trade shows, and exhibits accommodating up to hundreds of guests. The basement level includes practice courts, preserving elements of its athletic legacy while adapting to modern academic and event needs.

History

Construction and opening

The construction of the Carolina Coliseum was prompted by the urgent need for a modern arena at the , following the destruction of the Carolina Field House by two devastating fires in March and April 1968, which left the basketball program without a suitable home venue. The older Carolina Gymnasium, built in the early and seating only a few hundred spectators, had long been inadequate for the growing demands of intercollegiate athletics, underscoring the obsolescence of existing facilities. This catastrophe accelerated plans for a new multi-purpose arena to support university sports, academics, and events. Groundbreaking occurred in 1967, with construction progressing rapidly under the design of the Columbia-based architectural firm Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle, and Wolff (LBC&W), known for their works in the region. The project, initially announced in May 1966 with a target completion of March 1969, was fast-tracked to finish by late 1968 due to the Field House fires, involving intensive work schedules and innovative engineering, such as a space-frame roof assembled in 44 prefabricated sections. The total cost reached $7 million (equivalent to about $61.2 million in 2023), funded primarily through university revenue bonds, student tuition fees, seat taxes, a $600,000 contribution from the city of Columbia for the land, and $500,000 in federal funds under the Higher Education Facilities Act. The Coliseum was completed and opened on November 30, 1968, with its inaugural event being a men's game where the Gamecocks defeated Auburn 51-49 before an attendance of 12,088 spectators. Coach Frank McGuire, a key advocate for the project, saw the arena as essential for elevating the program. At the time, the facility stood as the largest arena in the Southeast, immediately establishing the as a prominent host for regional athletics and gatherings.

Early years and renaming

The Carolina Coliseum opened on November 30, , serving immediately as the primary venue for athletics, particularly the men's team under coach Frank McGuire. The facility replaced the fire-damaged Carolina Field House and hosted its inaugural game that day against Auburn, marking the start of a transformative era for the program. In the first few seasons, from to the early 1970s, the Coliseum drew strong crowds, with the opening game selling out at 12,088 attendees and average home attendance reaching 11,818 per game by the 1970-71 season, reflecting its status as one of the top-drawing venues in NCAA men's at the time. This modern, 12,401-seat arena significantly elevated the visibility of USC athletics, attracting recruits and fostering a passionate fan base that turned games into major events, thereby boosting the program's regional prominence. Designed as a multi-purpose facility, the Coliseum integrated academic functions from its , with portions of the building dedicated to classrooms to support university expansion. The School of Journalism and Mass Communications relocated there in 1968 from the overcrowded Legare College building on the Horseshoe, utilizing spaces such as room 3012 for reporting classes and establishing a permanent for the Carolina Reporter. This dual role accommodated growing enrollment and provided students with proximity to athletic events, enhancing the building's utility during its early phase as both an athletic and educational hub. Early operations presented challenges in adapting the space for diverse non-sports events, including university commencements and other gatherings, which required reconfiguring the arena floor and seating for academic ceremonies shortly after opening. Construction delays had forced initial games in the subpar , complicating the transition, while the steep seating design, optimized for 's acoustics, sometimes proved awkward for lectures or large assemblies. Despite these hurdles, the venue hosted successful commencements and began accommodating broader university needs. By 1977, in recognition of McGuire's pivotal role in developing USC —including a 137-28 home record over 12 seasons—and advocating for the Coliseum's construction, the arena floor was renamed Frank McGuire Arena at the end of the 1976-77 season.

Sports Usage

Basketball teams

The Carolina Coliseum served as the primary home venue for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks men's and women's basketball teams from its opening in 1968 until 2002. The men's team, under legendary coach Frank McGuire, played its first game there on November 30, 1968, defeating Auburn 51–49, marking the start of an era that transformed the arena into a fortress known as the "House that Frank Built" for its intense, supportive atmosphere. The women's team began using the Coliseum in 1973 for club-level games before becoming a varsity program and sharing the venue as the primary host. During this 34-year tenure, the Coliseum hosted numerous notable achievements that highlighted the teams' success and the venue's role in fostering crowd energy. Under McGuire, the men's team achieved an undefeated 14-0 regular-season record in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1970, culminating in a No. 2 national ranking, and won the 1971 championship with a dramatic 52-51 victory over in the final played at the Coliseum. The electric home crowds, often filling the 12,401 seats, contributed to a formidable 137-28 home record during McGuire's 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, including three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. Later, the men's team secured a share of the 1997 regular-season championship with key home wins, such as an 80-79 upset over No. 1 at the Coliseum. The women's program also thrived there, building momentum in the 1980s and 1990s amid the growing popularity of . The transition away from the Coliseum began in with the opening of the larger , driven by the need for modern amenities like improved lighting, concessions, and luxury suites, as well as an increased capacity of 18,000 seats to accommodate rising and national profile. The final Gamecocks game at the Coliseum was a 57–64 loss to Mississippi State on March 2, , ending an era of intimate, high-energy play. After 2002, the Coliseum shifted to a secondary role for the basketball programs, primarily as a practice facility and occasional backup venue until its partial conversion in 2014. It hosted limited overflow activities, including a one-game return for the women's team on January 17, 2013, where No. 18 South Carolina defeated LSU 66-59 in a nostalgic nod to its basketball legacy. From 2013 to 2014, amid discussions of the Coliseum's future, it provided supplemental practice space during routine maintenance at the Colonial Life Arena, before being reconfigured into dedicated basketball practice courts and academic facilities.

Hockey and other sports

The Carolina Coliseum hosted the Columbia Inferno, a team in the East Coast Hockey League (), from 2001 to 2008 as its primary home venue. To facilitate the measuring 190 feet by 85 feet, the arena required significant adaptations, including the removal of sections of seating and exclusion of end-zone areas, which reduced the effective capacity to 6,321 spectators compared to the full 12,401 seats available in its standard configuration. These modifications highlighted unique challenges for non-basketball sports at the Coliseum, such as the time-intensive process of installing and maintaining the surface, which limited scheduling flexibility and increased operational costs for the . The Inferno suspended operations after the 2007–08 season, citing declining attendance, escalating expenses including facility leases and player salaries, and broader economic pressures from the recession that strained fan support for entertainment. A key factor was the failure to negotiate a continued lease with the , the Coliseum's owner, which left the without a guaranteed venue for the following year. In addition to hockey, the arena occasionally accommodated other combat and minor sports events, including cards like World Wrestling Federation house shows and World Championship Wrestling's Clash of the Champions VIII in 1989. For such events, the Coliseum employed removable seating and modular flooring to reconfigure the space for wrestling rings or similar setups, allowing for efficient transitions from its primary layout while maintaining spectator sightlines. exhibitions were also planned there, such as a proposed 1981 return bout for , though some were ultimately relocated or canceled due to licensing issues.

Events and Performances

Concerts and entertainment

The Carolina Coliseum served as a premier venue for major musical performances in , hosting numerous national and international acts from the late through the early . Iconic concerts included the Jackson Five's appearance in August 1971 during their second national tour, featuring a 13-year-old , which drew massive crowds and highlighted the venue's early role in rock and pop entertainment. The Eagles performed on August 3, 1975, as part of their "" tour, with opening, showcasing the coliseum's growing status for shows. Aerosmith took the stage on December 19, 1976, at the height of their fame following albums like Toys in the Attic and Rocks, energizing fans with high-energy sets. Elvis Presley's February 18, 1977, concert marked his final performance in , attracting a sold-out crowd of approximately 12,000 attendees despite the venue's standard capacity of around 12,400 seats, with tickets scalped from $10 to as high as $100 and drawing notable figures like U.S. Senator . Later highlights included Bruce Springsteen's January 13, 1985, show on the first leg of his "Born in the U.S.A." tour, which solidified the coliseum's appeal for major rock acts in the . Other significant tours from the 1970s to 1990s featured artists like in 1973, and the Allman Brothers Band in 2000, reflecting a diverse range of genres from and to . The venue's multi-purpose design allowed for flexible adaptations to concert needs, including temporary stage setups, enhanced lighting rigs, and advanced sound systems installed for large-scale productions, enabling configurations that maximized audience immersion. For end-stage shows, floor seating could expand effective capacity beyond the baseline 12,401 seats by utilizing the arena floor fully, accommodating up to additional thousands for standing or general admission crowds during peak events. Beyond music, the coliseum hosted broader entertainment such as family-oriented circuses and comedy performances, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus made annual stops starting in February 1969, initiating a beloved local tradition of the "elephant walk" parade from railroad tracks to the venue, complete with performers, animals, and elaborate circus setups that filled the arena with three rings and tiered seating. Comedy events included Bill Cosby's appearance in a November-December 1989 benefit concert for Hurricane Hugo relief, blending humor with philanthropy alongside acts like Barry Manilow and Alabama. These events played a pivotal role in local culture by bringing high-profile national entertainment to Columbia, fostering community excitement and traditions like post-concert fan gatherings inspired by Elvis's 1977 show. Economically, ticket sales from sold-out concerts and family shows provided significant boosts to the area, supporting local businesses through and vendor activity during the venue's operational peak.

Tournaments and competitions

The Carolina Coliseum hosted the East Regional of the 1970 NCAA University Division men's basketball tournament, marking the first time the event was held in . The semifinals on March 12 featured St. Bonaventure defeating NC State 80–68 and Villanova beating Niagara 98–73, with the regional final on March 14 seeing St. Bonaventure advance to the by defeating Villanova 97–74. These games drew significant crowds to the venue's 12,401 capacity, contributing to the overall tournament attendance of 146,794 and showcasing the Coliseum's suitability for major events. In 1989, the Coliseum served as the site for the men's basketball tournament from March 9–11, a single-elimination event featuring the conference's top teams in a bracket format. Louisville emerged as champions with an 87–80 victory over Florida State in the final, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament; the Cardinals, led by players like , finished the season 27–8 overall. For the , hosting the tournament highlighted the venue's role in regional college athletics, though the Gamecocks ended their season at 19–10 after a semifinal loss. Beyond collegiate events, the Coliseum was a frequent host for high school competitions, including (SCHSL) state basketball championships throughout the 1970s and 1990s, where it served as the primary venue for finals until the early 2000s. It also accommodated wrestling tournaments, such as Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling events in the 1970s and 1980s, drawing local and regional competitors for invitational and championship formats. These gatherings emphasized the arena's versatility for youth and , often filling the facility with community audiences. The legacy of these tournaments elevated the Carolina Coliseum's national profile, particularly through the 1970 NCAA Regional, which introduced elite to fans and solidified the venue's reputation as a key Southeastern sports destination. Such events fostered lasting local enthusiasm for , influencing youth participation and community engagement in the sport for decades.

Facilities and Renovations

Original design and capacity

The Carolina Coliseum is located at 701 Assembly Street in , and has been owned by the since its construction. Designed as a multi-purpose facility, it integrated academic and athletic spaces, including classrooms and administrative offices, to serve both university functions and public events on a two-block site adjacent to the main campus. The arena's original seating capacity was 12,401 for games, expandable to 13,500 for concerts and other performances, reflecting its adaptable layout. The facility encompassed 410,000 gross square feet across three levels, with a total height of 110 feet. Architecturally, the coliseum featured a innovative 322-foot by 322-foot space frame roof supported by 44 exterior columns, creating a column-free interior with an 80-foot clear height under an 185-foot by 100-foot arena floor. The roof structure consisted of 121 pyramidal pods—each 29 feet 4 inches square—made from 2,150 tons of A36 and A440 , fastened with 40 tons of A490 bolts and clad in decking fascia for a monumental, pyramid-like appearance. This design, by architects Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolff, emphasized durability and versatility for diverse uses. Original amenities included refreshment areas and concessions on the promenade level, air conditioning throughout, electrical heating systems, and restrooms distributed across the facility, accessible via 120 exterior doors. Parking was provided in the adjacent two-block area surrounding the site. The arena was equipped with basic overhead lighting and a central for sporting events, supporting its role as a premier venue upon opening.

Conversion and current use

Following the opening of the in November 2002, which served as the new primary venue for athletics and events with a capacity of 18,000 seats, the Carolina Coliseum's role significantly diminished. The Coliseum transitioned to a secondary facility, primarily used for team practices and occasional storage, while hosting limited events due to the modern arena's dominance in the region. During the 2012–2013 academic year, the Coliseum briefly resumed a backup role for USC basketball games when scheduling conflicts arose at the , including a notable women's team matchup against LSU on January 17, 2013—the only such instance in over a . This temporary utilization highlighted the facility's ongoing viability despite its aging infrastructure, but it underscored the need for a dedicated to align with evolving athletic demands. In July 2014, USC announced a major conversion of the Coliseum into an exclusive basketball practice facility, with renovations commencing that fall to remove approximately 3,000 lower-level seats and reconfigure the floor into two full regulation courts for the men's and women's teams. The original hardwood court was auctioned off in January 2014, fetching $23,215 to support university initiatives, while surplus seats were sold in sections of three for $60 each, including certificates of authenticity, allowing fans to preserve pieces of the venue's history. These changes, completed by the 2014–2015 season, transformed the arena into a specialized training space while retaining upper-level capacities for other functions. In 2017, additional renovations included a $825,000 roof repair project completed that summer to address leaks over the practice courts, and a $4 million upgrade to basketball facilities such as locker rooms. Discussions that year explored broader repurposing for student union or academic spaces, including potential public-private partnerships, though no major structural changes beyond athletic and maintenance updates were implemented by late 2025. As of November 2025, the Carolina Coliseum serves multiple university purposes: the basement level features two basketball practice courts for men's and women's teams, supporting daily workouts under ; upper levels house administrative offices for the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management (until 2019), the Department of , and including the Gamecock Community Shop in Suite 4000, which provides food, clothing, and basic needs assistance and remains active. The 30,000-square-foot concourse is utilized for conferences, receptions, banquets, trade shows, and exhibits accommodating up to hundreds of guests, with additional spaces like The Cockpit for smaller events.

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