Cassell Coliseum
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| Former names | VPI Coliseum (1962–1977) |
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| Location | Washington Street & Beamer Way Blacksburg, VA 24060 |
| Owner | Virginia Tech |
| Operator | Virginia Tech |
| Capacity | 10,052 (1995-present) 9,971 (1988-1995) 10,000 (1962-1988) |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1961 |
| Opened | January 3, 1962 |
| Construction cost | $2.7 million ($21.4 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Carneal and Johnston |
| General contractor | T.C. Brittain and Company |
| Tenants | |
| Virginia Tech Hokies (Men's & Women's Basketball, Volleyball, & Wrestling) |
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Cassell Coliseum is a 10,052-seat multi-purpose arena in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States that opened in 1962. It is home to the Virginia Tech Hokies men's and women's basketball teams.
Built as a replacement for the much smaller War Memorial Gymnasium, the Coliseum's construction began in 1961. It was fully completed in December 1964 at a cost of $2.7 million. It was designed by Carneal and Johnston (now Ballou Justice Upton Architects, Richmond, Va) and built by T.C. Brittain and Company of Decatur, Georgia. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.
The first game was on January 3, 1962 when the Hokies played Alabama. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.
In the early years of the Coliseum, the Hokies frequently saw capacity crowds pack the venue. However, student and alumni interest in basketball decreased in the 1990s due to the Hokies' lack of a stable basketball conference home (the Hokies were in three different conferences in nine seasons) and due to the success of the football team. Fan support has begun to gain momentum under coach Seth Greenberg and the school's recent move to the ACC. A raucous student section, nicknamed the "Cassell Guard," has helped transform the Coliseum into a difficult venue for opposing teams in an athletic conference ripe with intimidating basketball arenas.
On June 27, 1996, a construction worker fell 90 feet to his death on the coliseum floor. Dewey Wayne Duncan of Pulaski, VA, who was working outside the coliseum on the roof, stepped on a section of the roof that was covered only by a ceiling tile. The tile collapsed, and Duncan fell through the roof.
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