Breslin | |
Location | One Birch Road East Lansing, MI 48824 |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°43′42″N 84°29′33″W / 42.728227°N 84.492396°WCoordinates: 42°43′42″N 84°29′33″W / 42.728227°N 84.492396°W |
Owner | Michigan State University |
Operator | Michigan State University |
Capacity | 14,759 (1989-present) |
Surface | Hardwood |
Construction | |
Broke ground | July 24, 1986 |
Opened | November 9, 1989 |
Construction cost | $45 million ($86.9 million in 2016 dollars) |
Architect |
HNTB Giffels, Hoyem, Basso, Inc. |
General contractor | Gilbane/Christman |
Tenants | |
Michigan State Spartans (Men's & Women's Basketball) MHSAA Basketball Finals |
The Jack Breslin Student Events Center is a multi-purpose arena at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena opened in 1989, and is named for Jack Breslin, MSU alumnus, former athlete and administrator, who first began pushing for the arena in 1969. It is home to the Michigan State Spartans men's and women's basketball teams. Although it nominally contains 16,280 seats, the arena typically holds around 15,000 for most events depending on the floor or stage setup. The Breslin Center superseded Jenison Fieldhouse, which stands nearby.
The arena's basketball court is the same floor where the Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Men's Tournament, which was at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The school purchased the floor from the NCAA and Final Four floor installer Horner Flooring (based in Dollar Bay, Michigan) after the title game, and had a plaque installed on the baseline near the Michigan State tunnel to commemorate the floor's purpose in the school's history.
The building not only serves as the home to MSU sports teams, but as the main large performance arena for the Lansing area. The Michigan State Bar Examination, large concerts, commencements, monster truck rallies, and circuses that travel to Mid Michigan are often held at the Breslin Center. It is Lansing's WWE venue; however, because of its suburban location, it is used primarily for house shows (most WWE television tapings are at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit or Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids).