Colonial Life Arena
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| Former names | Carolina Center (2002–2003) Colonial Center (2003–2008) |
|---|---|
| Location | 801 Lincoln Street Columbia, South Carolina 29208 |
| Owner | University of South Carolina |
| Operator | Spectra |
| Capacity | 18,000 (Basketball) 19,000 (Concerts) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 25, 2001 |
| Opened | November 21, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $65 million ($86.6 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect |
Rosser International Inc. JHS Architects |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers |
| General contractor | Beers Construction |
| Tenants | |
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South Carolina Gamecocks (NCAA) (2002–present) Columbia Stingers (NIFL) (2007) |
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The Colonial Life Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, primarily home to the University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball teams. Opened as a replacement for the Carolina Coliseum with the name Carolina Center in 2002, the 18,000 seat arena is also host to various events like conferences, concerts, and graduation ceremonies throughout the year. It is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina and the eighth largest campus college arena.
The naming rights were acquired in 2003 by Unum, a Portland, Maine-based insurance company, and it was renamed to the Colonial Center after the Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, a Unum subsidiary headquartered in Columbia. On July 22, 2008, the USC board approved renaming the building to the Colonial Life Arena as part of Unum (which by then had moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee)'s rebranding of Colonial Life & Accident as Colonial Life.
The arena first opened on November 22, 2002 with the season opener of the South Carolina women's basketball team. A near sell-out crowd of 17,712 fans saw the 72–58 Gamecocks victory over in-state rival Clemson, with a one-dollar admission charge, at that time commonly used by the women's basketball team to promote major games. The official grand opening took place December 2, 2002. The men's basketball team defeated Temple 66–47. On January 26, 2010 South Carolina defeated #1 ranked and undefeated Kentucky 68-62 in the arena, one of the biggest wins in South Carolina history.
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