Fifth Third Arena
Encyclopedia
Fifth Third Arena is a 13,176-seat multi-purpose arena
in Cincinnati, Ohio
, United States
, named
for Fifth Third Bank
. The arena opened in 1989. It is home to the University of Cincinnati
Bearcats basketball
team
. It is located in the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, which was the name of the arena as well until 2005. 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.
Cincinnati has compiled a 205-27 record and a hefty .884 winning percentage since its opening in 1989-90, and an 99-9 ledger over the past seven years. 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 painfully 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 was previously 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.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, named
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
for Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank is a U.S. regional banking corporation, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the principal subsidiary of holding company Fifth Third Bancorp ....
. The arena opened in 1989. It is home to the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
Bearcats basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
. It is located in the Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, which was the name of the arena as well until 2005. It is still popularly known as "The Shoe."
The facility hosted the 1994 Great Midwest Conference
Great Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
men's and women's basketball tournaments, the 1998 Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
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.
Cincinnati has compiled a 205-27 record and a hefty .884 winning percentage since its opening in 1989-90, and an 99-9 ledger over the past seven years. In the 1999-2000 season, every Bearcat home game was sold out. During the Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins, nicknamed "Huggy Bear", is the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University...
era, it was known as one of the most hostile arenas in the nation due to the painfully 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
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Like its predecessor, it is named Ed Jucker
Ed Jucker
Edwin Louis "Ed" Jucker was an American college basketball player and coach. He was the former head basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati in the 1960s. Jucker also attended Cincinnati as an undergraduate student and played on the school's basketball teams during the 1938, 1939, and 1940...
court, in honor of the coach who led the Bearcats to their two national championships.
The building was previously named for Myrl H. Shoemaker
Myrl Shoemaker
Myrl Howard Shoemaker was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as the 57th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.Shoemaker served for 24 years in the Ohio House of Representatives...
, the former Lieutenant Governor of the state of Ohio. Prior to the building of The Shoe, the Bearcats played off-campus at Riverfront Coliseum
U.S. Bank Arena
U.S. Bank Arena is an indoor arena, located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River, next to the Great American Ball Park. Completed in September 1975, the arena seats 17,556 people...
(now U.S. Bank Arena
U.S. Bank Arena
U.S. Bank Arena is an indoor arena, located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River, next to the Great American Ball Park. Completed in September 1975, the arena seats 17,556 people...
) and the Cincinnati Gardens
Cincinnati Gardens
The Cincinnati Gardens is an indoor sports and entertainment arena located in Cincinnati, Ohio, that opened in 1949. The 25,000 square foot brick and limestone building, whose entrance is decorated with six three-dimensional carved athletic figures, was modeled after Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto,...
. Their previous on-campus arena, Armory Fieldhouse
Armory Fieldhouse
Armory Fieldhouse is an on-campus facility located at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was built in 1954 to replace the old Schmidlapp Gymnasium, and originally was used as the home for the Bearcats men's basketball team, who opened the building with a 97-65 win over Indiana on...
, has been renovated for recreational use, and is located adjacent to the arena to the north.
See also
- Fifth Third Field (Toledo)Fifth Third Field (Toledo)Fifth Third Field is the name of a minor league baseball stadium in Toledo, Ohio. The Ohio-based Fifth Third Bank purchased the naming rights to the stadium. It is not to be confused with another stadium in Ohio with the same name, Fifth Third Field in Dayton...
- Fifth Third Field (Dayton)Fifth Third Field (Dayton)Fifth Third Field is a minor league baseball stadium in Dayton, Ohio in the United States. As in the case of another stadium in Toledo, the Ohio-based Fifth Third Bank purchased the naming rights to the facility...
- Fifth Third BallparkFifth Third BallparkFifth Third Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in Comstock Park, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. Fifth Third Ballpark is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team, and class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Fifth Third Ballpark was originally built...