Tad Smith Coliseum
Encyclopedia
C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum is an 9,061-seat multi-purpose arena
on the campus of the University of Mississippi. It is home to the University of Mississippi
Rebels
and Lady Rebels basketball
teams. It has also hosted many concerts, one of which was The Allman Brothers w/ Gov't Mule
in November 1995.
The circular building, similar to many arenas constructed at the time, has a 272'-diameter white steel-framed, Neoprene-covered roof which tops out at 89' above the court. From its exterior, it looks like a giant hub cap. The floor, 130' from end to end with its Rebel red and blue trim, is located twelve feet below the surrounding ground level. The seats were replaced in 2001 with navy blue upholstered seats. The center-court scoreboard includes four new Pro Star video boards and a state-of-the-art sound system. The outside of the building includes red Mississippi brick and blue vinyl-covered steel siding. It is located to the southwest of the center of campus, west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
. A Confederate
cemetery lies behind the building.
The building opened during the 1965-1966 as Rebel Coliseum. It was renamed on March 25, 1972 to honor C.M. "Tad" Smith, former three-sport letterman, coach and athletic director at the university.
The largest crowd ever at the building was on February 10, 2007, when 9,452 fans watched the Rebels defeat the No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the team played in Old Gym (now the Martindale Student Services Center), a 2,500-seat gym built in 1929. It is worth noting, however, that the arena never once hosted a game against Kentucky in the building, not even scheduling a "home" contest until 1949. They elected to play at neutral sites, including Owensboro, Kentucky
(Memorial Auditorium
); Memphis, Tennessee
(the old Ellis Auditorium
); and Jackson, Mississippi
(Jackson Municipal Auditorium), the site of the last three off-campus games against the Wildcats.
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...
on the campus of the University of Mississippi. It is home to the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
and Lady Rebels 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...
teams. It has also hosted many concerts, one of which was The Allman Brothers w/ Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule
Gov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
in November 1995.
The circular building, similar to many arenas constructed at the time, has a 272'-diameter white steel-framed, Neoprene-covered roof which tops out at 89' above the court. From its exterior, it looks like a giant hub cap. The floor, 130' from end to end with its Rebel red and blue trim, is located twelve feet below the surrounding ground level. The seats were replaced in 2001 with navy blue upholstered seats. The center-court scoreboard includes four new Pro Star video boards and a state-of-the-art sound system. The outside of the building includes red Mississippi brick and blue vinyl-covered steel siding. It is located to the southwest of the center of campus, west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field is an outdoor athletic stadium located in Oxford, Mississippi. The stadium serves as the home for the University of Mississippi Rebels college football team...
. A Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cemetery lies behind the building.
The building opened during the 1965-1966 as Rebel Coliseum. It was renamed on March 25, 1972 to honor C.M. "Tad" Smith, former three-sport letterman, coach and athletic director at the university.
The largest crowd ever at the building was on February 10, 2007, when 9,452 fans watched the Rebels defeat the No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the team played in Old Gym (now the Martindale Student Services Center), a 2,500-seat gym built in 1929. It is worth noting, however, that the arena never once hosted a game against Kentucky in the building, not even scheduling a "home" contest until 1949. They elected to play at neutral sites, including Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
(Memorial Auditorium
Owensboro Sports Center
The Owensboro Sportscenter is a 5,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Owensboro, Kentucky. It is the home of the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers basketball and volleyball teams, and since fall of 2008 home to the Kentucky Bisons of the ABA's current incarnation....
); Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
(the old Ellis Auditorium
Ellis Auditorium
The Ellis Auditorium was a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. It hosted local sporting events and concerts. It was demolished in 1997....
); and Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
(Jackson Municipal Auditorium), the site of the last three off-campus games against the Wildcats.