Sudduth Coliseum
Encyclopedia
Sudduth Coliseum, in the Lake Charles Civic Center, is a 7,450-seat multi-purpose arena
in Lake Charles, Louisiana
, USA. It is home to the Louisiana Swashbucklers
of the Indoor Football League
. Located on Lakeshore Drive, it is the main arena of the Lake Charles Civic Center. It is a premier venue for hosting special events, including the 2006 Louisiana State Choir festival and Contraband Days. The center is named for former Lake Charles Mayor
James Sudduth.
The center was authorized as the location of an American Basketball Association
team, the Lake Charles Hurricanes. However, lack of funding caused the team to fold without playing a single game.
Perhaps the proudest accomplishment of the center was during Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita
, when it served as a shelter for displaced residents whose homes were devastated by the storms. It also serves as a host for gun shows, dance performances, professional and amateur fights, school field trips, The National Day of Prayer ceremony in Lake Charles, and about anything else a Civic Center would host. Contraband Days
is a large festival held on the grounds.
The center also hosted UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion, as well as UFC 24
. It also holds Rampage in the Cage events. It also used to be the home stadium of Lake Charles' former pro hockey team, the Lake Charles Ice Pirates
who played in the Western Professional Hockey League
.
Its former director, Allen "Puddler" Harris
, is a former member of the bands of Ricky Nelson
, Conway Twitty
, and Jimmie Davis
.
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 Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, USA. It is home to the Louisiana Swashbucklers
Louisiana Swashbucklers
The Louisiana Swashbucklers is a professional indoor football team formed in 2005 as an expansion member of the National Indoor Football League as the Southwest Louisiana Swashbucklers. In 2006, they moved to the Intense Football League and shortened their name to Louisiana Swashbucklers...
of the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
. Located on Lakeshore Drive, it is the main arena of the Lake Charles Civic Center. It is a premier venue for hosting special events, including the 2006 Louisiana State Choir festival and Contraband Days. The center is named for former Lake Charles Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
James Sudduth.
The center was authorized as the location of an American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association (2000–present)
The American Basketball Association, often abbreviated as ABA, is a semi-professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976...
team, the Lake Charles Hurricanes. However, lack of funding caused the team to fold without playing a single game.
Perhaps the proudest accomplishment of the center was during Hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
, when it served as a shelter for displaced residents whose homes were devastated by the storms. It also serves as a host for gun shows, dance performances, professional and amateur fights, school field trips, The National Day of Prayer ceremony in Lake Charles, and about anything else a Civic Center would host. Contraband Days
Contraband Days
Contraband Days is a 12-day festival filled with Cajun food, family fun, and festivities. Occurring annually in Lake Charles, it is among the larger celebrations in Louisiana, with an attendance of over 200,000. The Festival was first held in 1957....
is a large festival held on the grounds.
The center also hosted UFC 22: There Can Be Only One Champion, as well as UFC 24
UFC 24
UFC 24: First Defense was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 10, 2000 at the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.-History:...
. It also holds Rampage in the Cage events. It also used to be the home stadium of Lake Charles' former pro hockey team, the Lake Charles Ice Pirates
Lake Charles Ice Pirates
The Lake Charles Ice Pirates were an American ice hockey team in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They played in the Western Professional Hockey League from 1997-2001.-Season-by-season record:-Records:*Games Billy Lund 277*Goals John Hanson 121...
who played in the Western Professional Hockey League
Western Professional Hockey League
The Western Professional Hockey League is a defunct minor professional ice hockey league.It operated in the United States from 1996 to 2001, with teams in the southern United States, mainly Texas. The league started with six teams in the 1996-1997 season and grew to 18 teams in 1999-2000...
.
Its former director, Allen "Puddler" Harris
Allen "Puddler" Harris
Allen W. "Puddler" Harris is a rock and roll and country musician who played piano in the original Ricky Nelson Band in Hollywood, California, and the last Jimmie Davis band in Louisiana...
, is a former member of the bands of Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
, and Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
.