Fifth Third Arena
| The Shoe | |
 |
|
| Former names | Myrl H. Shoemaker Center (1989-2005) |
|---|---|
| Location | Scioto Street Cincinnati, OH 45221 USA |
| Owner | University of Cincinnati |
| Operator | University of Cincinnati |
| Capacity |
1989-2016 13,176 2016–2017 13,477 |
| Surface | All-Star Plus (basketball floor) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1987 |
| Opened | September 12, 1989 |
| Construction cost | US$32 million ($61.8 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Glaser Associates |
| General contractor | Turner Construction |
| Tenants | |
|
Cincinnati Bearcats (basketball) |
|
1989-2016 13,176
Fifth Third Arena is a 13,477-seat multipurpose arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The arena opened in 1989 and is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. It primarily serves as the home venue for the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams and hosts other events. It is located in the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, which was also the name of the arena until 2005, when it was named for Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank. It is still popularly known as "The Shoe".
The facility hosted the 1994 Great Midwest Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments, the 1998 Conference USA men's basketball & volleyball tournaments, the 1999 NCAA Mideast Women's Basketball Regional, the 2003 NCAA West Women's Basketball Subregional, and the 2006 Big East volleyball championship.
As of January 22, 2015, the Bearcats are 349-74 (.825) all-time at Fifth Third Arena, including a 42-game win streak from 1997 to 2000. In the 1999-2000 season, every Bearcat home game was sold out. During the Bob Huggins era, it was known as one of the most hostile arenas in the nation due to the high decibel levels typical of his tenure.
A new basketball court was installed for the 2003-2004 season. It is a similar floor to ones used in the NBA. Like its predecessor, it is named Ed Jucker court, in honor of the coach who led the Bearcats to their two national championships.
The building housing the arena is named for Myrl H. Shoemaker, the former Lieutenant Governor of the state of Ohio. Prior to the building of The Shoe, the Bearcats played off-campus at Riverfront Coliseum (now U.S. Bank Arena) and the Cincinnati Gardens. Their previous on-campus arena, Armory Fieldhouse, has been renovated for recreational use, and is located adjacent to the arena to the north.
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