The Whitt | |
Location | Durham, New Hampshire, United States |
---|---|
Owner | University of New Hampshire |
Operator | University of New Hampshire |
Capacity | 6,501 (hockey and basketball) 5,550 (End-stage concerts) |
Surface | 200 x 100 ft (hockey) |
Construction | |
Opened | November 1995 |
Construction cost | $30 million |
Tenants | |
UNH Men's Hockey UNH Women's Hockey Oyster River High School Hockey 2002, 2005 and 2016 NCAA Women's Frozen Four |
Coordinates: 43°08′21″N 70°56′02″W / 43.13917°N 70.93389°W Whittemore Center Arena or Whitt is a multi-purpose arena in Durham, New Hampshire, United States, on the campus of the University of New Hampshire. It was built for $30 million and opened in November 1995. It was dedicated to Frederick B. Whittemore and his family on May 5, 1996. It is adjacent to its predecessor, the Snively Arena, which is still standing and is used as a recreation facility. It is also adjacent to Durham's Amtrak station, and it is across the street from Wildcat Stadium.
The arena is home to the University of New Hampshire Wildcats men's and women's ice hockey teams. The hockey rink has a full Olympic-sized sheet of ice. In 2002, 2005 and 2016, UNH and the Whittemore Center hosted the NCAA Women's Frozen Four. The arena can seat 6,501 for hockey and basketball games, and 7,200 for concerts and similar events. The lobby is decorated with heroic portraits of past men's and women's All-American hockey players. Through the end of the 2006-2007 academic year, the arena was managed by Global Spectrum, but UNH Campus Recreation took over management before the 2007 academic year.
The basketball teams (which currently draw roughly 1,000 fans per game on average) normally play across the street at Lundholm Gymnasium, which is attached to Cowell Stadium. A few home basketball games have been held at the Whittemore Center. The arena is also a venue for many concerts, trade shows, and events. The arena was New Hampshire's largest until the Verizon Wireless Arena (now the SNHU Arena) opened in Manchester in 2001.