Market Square Arena
Encyclopedia
Market Square Arena was an indoor arena, located in Indianapolis, Indiana
, USA
. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530, for basketball
and 15,993, for ice hockey
.
School of Architecture met with the city of Indianapolis to review and select 20-26 projects for consideration. Students Joseph Mynheir and Terry Pastorino selected downtown Indianapolis as their market and designed what would eventually become Market Square Arena. The design envisioned by Mynheir and Pastorino was later selected and used as a promotional tool by the City of Indianapolis for construction of the stadium. Four architectural firms were selected by the city to complete the arena design with two representatives from each of the four companies. Terry Pastorino, who had worked for Kennedy, Brown & Trueblood, Inc., during the summer of 1970 on the project, later joined the firm working on the arena.
The original student design included a four-story office building covering two city blocks. The Market Square Arena as constructed consisted of a unique space frame design spanning Market Street. The playing floor was elevated over Market Street by parking garages on either side of Market Street. Market Street terminated at Market Square Arena to the east and to the west by the capitol building. The final design eventually took up one city block spanning Market Street.
In 1987, Indianapolis hosted the Pan American Games
and the basketball event
was held at Market Square. The first event held at the arena was a Glen Campbell
concert on September 15, 1974. Led Zeppelin
performed twice at MSA, for the first time on January 25, 1975 and again on April 17, 1977. The arena was also the site of the final concert held by Elvis Presley
on June 26, 1977. Billy Graham
's 1980 Indiana Crusade, featuring a young Bill Gaither
as one of the musical guests, was the most attended event at the arena in its history. Mötley Crüe
filmed the video for "Wild Side" here on July 18th, 1987. KISS
' show on November 28, 1992, was recorded for their live album, Alive III
.
Market Square Arena was best known as the home of the Indiana Pacers
of the American Basketball Association
and National Basketball Association
from 1974–1999. The first Pacers basketball game ever held in the arena was a preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks
; attendance was 16,929. The first regular-season ABA game in the arena was held on October 18, 1974, against the San Antonio Spurs
; the Pacers lost in double overtime, 129–121 in front of 7,473 fans. The first Pacers victory in Market Square Arena came on October 23 with a 122-107 win over the Spirits of St. Louis
. The 1974–75 season ended for the Pacers with the ABA Finals played in Market Square Arena and Freedom Hall
against their archrivals, the Kentucky Colonels
. The Colonels defeated the Pacers in that championship series, winning the ABA title in five games (4 wins to 1). The 1975–76 Pacers won their final home ABA game in Market Square Arena with a 109–95 victory against the Colonels. (Kentucky won the next game by one point to win the series and advance, ending the Pacers' ABA tenure.) The Pacers continued to play in Market Square Arena after they joined the NBA. Michael Jordan
's return to the Chicago Bulls
after his first retirement took place at Market Square Arena in a loss to the Pacers on March 19, 1995. The final Pacers game to be played in Market Square Arena was a pre-season exhibition game against the Utah Jazz
on October 23, 1999.
The arena also hosted the 1980 NCAA men's basketball Final Four
& the Midwestern Collegiate Conference
(now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament from 1986–88 and again in 1993.
The gold-medal match of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis pitted Brazil against the United States. The U.S. team of college players featured two All-Americans in David Robinson
and Danny Manning
, two Final Four MVPs in Pervis Ellison
and Keith Smart
, and several other future NBA players. The U.S. team led 68-54 at halftime, but Oscar Schmidt
led Brazil to a stunning comeback, finishing with 46 points as Brazil won 120–115.
Market Square Arena was also the home of the Indianapolis Racers
of the WHA
from 1974–1979. 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky
starred for the Racers in his first professional action before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers
after a handful of games.
for the 1999–2000 NBA season, and Market Square Arena was demolished on July 8, 2001, in a multi million-dollar implosion.
The site of the former arena is a parking lot as of March 2009. The parking lot holds a memorial to Elvis Presley, who played his final concert there on June 26th, 1977. The memorial was designed and built by Alan Clough.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530, for 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...
and 15,993, for ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
.
History
In the late 1960s, the city of Indianapolis studied several market areas of the city for future development and revitalization. Students from the fourth-year design studio class at Ball State UniversityBall State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
School of Architecture met with the city of Indianapolis to review and select 20-26 projects for consideration. Students Joseph Mynheir and Terry Pastorino selected downtown Indianapolis as their market and designed what would eventually become Market Square Arena. The design envisioned by Mynheir and Pastorino was later selected and used as a promotional tool by the City of Indianapolis for construction of the stadium. Four architectural firms were selected by the city to complete the arena design with two representatives from each of the four companies. Terry Pastorino, who had worked for Kennedy, Brown & Trueblood, Inc., during the summer of 1970 on the project, later joined the firm working on the arena.
The original student design included a four-story office building covering two city blocks. The Market Square Arena as constructed consisted of a unique space frame design spanning Market Street. The playing floor was elevated over Market Street by parking garages on either side of Market Street. Market Street terminated at Market Square Arena to the east and to the west by the capitol building. The final design eventually took up one city block spanning Market Street.
In 1987, Indianapolis hosted the Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
and the basketball event
Basketball at the 1987 Pan American Games
The Men's Basketball Tournament at the 1987 Pan American Games was held from August 9 to August 23, 1987 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, United States.-Participating nations:-Final ranking:-References:**...
was held at Market Square. The first event held at the arena was a Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
concert on September 15, 1974. Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
performed twice at MSA, for the first time on January 25, 1975 and again on April 17, 1977. The arena was also the site of the final concert held by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
on June 26, 1977. Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
's 1980 Indiana Crusade, featuring a young Bill Gaither
Bill Gaither
William J. Gaither is an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. Besides having written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife, Gloria, he is also known for performing as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, and the Gaither Vocal Band...
as one of the musical guests, was the most attended event at the arena in its history. Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
filmed the video for "Wild Side" here on July 18th, 1987. KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
' show on November 28, 1992, was recorded for their live album, Alive III
Alive III
"Take It Off" originally was a bonus track on the Japanese, European and South American CD releases and the US vinyl release only, being placed between "Forever" and "I Love It Loud"...
.
Market Square Arena was best known as the home of the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
and National Basketball Association
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...
from 1974–1999. The first Pacers basketball game ever held in the arena was a preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
; attendance was 16,929. The first regular-season ABA game in the arena was held on October 18, 1974, against the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
; the Pacers lost in double overtime, 129–121 in front of 7,473 fans. The first Pacers victory in Market Square Arena came on October 23 with a 122-107 win over the Spirits of St. Louis
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
. The 1974–75 season ended for the Pacers with the ABA Finals played in Market Square Arena and Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
against their archrivals, the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
. The Colonels defeated the Pacers in that championship series, winning the ABA title in five games (4 wins to 1). The 1975–76 Pacers won their final home ABA game in Market Square Arena with a 109–95 victory against the Colonels. (Kentucky won the next game by one point to win the series and advance, ending the Pacers' ABA tenure.) The Pacers continued to play in Market Square Arena after they joined the NBA. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
's return to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
after his first retirement took place at Market Square Arena in a loss to the Pacers on March 19, 1995. The final Pacers game to be played in Market Square Arena was a pre-season exhibition game against the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on October 23, 1999.
The arena also hosted the 1980 NCAA men's basketball Final Four
1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 6, 1980, and ended with the championship game on March 24 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
& the Midwestern Collegiate Conference
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
(now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament from 1986–88 and again in 1993.
The gold-medal match of the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis pitted Brazil against the United States. The U.S. team of college players featured two All-Americans in David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
and Danny Manning
Danny Manning
Daniel Ricardo "Danny" Manning is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Manning won the National Championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and...
, two Final Four MVPs in Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison is a former college and professional NBA basketball player.Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6 ft 9 in and 242 lb, he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum...
and Keith Smart
Keith Smart
Jonathan Keith Smart is a retired American basketball player and current assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He is best remembered for hitting the game-winning shot in the 1987 NCAA championship game. The shot gave the Indiana Hoosiers a 74–73 victory over the Syracuse Orangemen...
, and several other future NBA players. The U.S. team led 68-54 at halftime, but Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Schmidt
Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt is a retired Brazilian basketball player. He is also known as Oscar Schmidt Bezerra in Spain, where he played for Fórum Valladolid for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, and simply Oscar or Mão Santa in his homeland. At his peak, he was 2.05 m tall and weighed...
led Brazil to a stunning comeback, finishing with 46 points as Brazil won 120–115.
Market Square Arena was also the home of the Indianapolis Racers
Indianapolis Racers
The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978. They competed in five seasons, folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena...
of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
from 1974–1979. 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
starred for the Racers in his first professional action before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
after a handful of games.
Demolition
The Pacers moved to the new Conseco FieldhouseConseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...
for the 1999–2000 NBA season, and Market Square Arena was demolished on July 8, 2001, in a multi million-dollar implosion.
The site of the former arena is a parking lot as of March 2009. The parking lot holds a memorial to Elvis Presley, who played his final concert there on June 26th, 1977. The memorial was designed and built by Alan Clough.
External links
- Video of MSA's demolition - Video Collection of the demolition by The Indianapolis StarThe Indianapolis StarThe Indianapolis Star is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting twice, in 1975 and 1991. It is currently owned by the Gannett Company.-History:...
- Lost Indiana profile of Market Square Arena