Cajundome
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| Location | 444 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 |
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| Owner | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| Operator | Cajundome Commission |
| Capacity | Basketball: 11,550 Ice Hockey: 11,433 Concerts: 13,500 Pro Wrestling: 12,121 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 27, 1982 |
| Opened | November 10, 1985 |
| Construction cost | $60 million ($134 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Neil Nehrbass |
| Structural engineer | J.B. Mouton & Sons |
| General contractor | Blunt Brothers Corp. |
| Tenants | |
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Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (NCAA) (1985–Present) Louisiana IceGators (ECHL) (1995–2005) Lafayette SwampCats (EISL) (1997–1998) Lafayette Roughnecks (af2) (2001) Louisiana IceGators (SPHL) (2010–2016) Lafayette Wildcatters (SIFL) (2010) |
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The Cajundome is a 13,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is home to the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball (as well as the Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball program when the men and women play doubleheaders), and the Louisiana high school basketball state championship.
The arena also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven-day state fair that attracts over 175,000. The facility is a recognizable Lafayette landmark that was built by the State of Louisiana, funded by the City of Lafayette, and is owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and managed by the Cajundome Commission.
From the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s it was home to the ECHL's now-defunct Louisiana IceGators. During that time, the arena earned the nickname 'The Frozen Swamp'. The Cajundome has been home to the Lafayette SwampCats of the EISL and the Lafayette Roughnecks of the af2. It also hosted the 1998, 1999, and 2007 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournaments. The arena also hosts the annual Beta Club Louisiana state conventions.
The stadium was first proposed in 1978 by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, then headed by journalist Ron Gomez, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1989. The project was authorized during the administration of Governor David C. Treen and completed in 1985, during the administration of Mayor William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr., at a cost of $64 million.
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