Alumni Coliseum

Alumni Coliseum
Baptist Health Arena
Location	Eastern Kentucky University; 521 Lancaster Avenue; Richmond, Kentucky 40475
Coordinates	37°44′14″N 84°18′5″W / 37.73722°N 84.30139°W
Owner	Eastern Kentucky University
Operator	Eastern Kentucky University
Capacity	6,500
Surface	Wood
Construction
Broke ground	1963
Opened	September 23, 1963
Construction cost	$3,244,623 (1963); ($32.3 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Hartstern, Louis, and Henry
Tenants
	Eastern Kentucky Colonels (NCAA) (1963–present)

Alumni Coliseum is a multi-use sports arena located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.

History[edit]

Built in 1963, the Paul S. McBrayer Arena located inside Alumni Coliseum, now known for sponsorship reasons as Baptist Health Arena, is capable of seating around 6,500 people in both chairback seats and on wooden benches (8,000 for concerts) arranged in a horseshoe shape, facing a wall at the right side of the arena where staging is usually set up for events. The arena's ceiling is made completely of wooden beams and is believed to be the largest of its kind in existence. It was named for the former EKU Men's Basketball Coach Paul McBrayer who compiled a record of 219–144. The floor graphics were updated for the 2005–06 seasons and the banners were redone to be more unified. The building replaced Weaver Gymnasium, which had been home to the Colonels since 1930.

On November 2, 2022, EKU and Baptist Health, a Kentucky health care system which operates Richmond's main hospital, announced a naming rights deal that saw the arena inside Alumni Coliseum renamed Baptist Health Arena. The McBrayer name was transferred to the playing surface, making the full name Paul S. McBrayer Court at Baptist Health Arena. The sponsorship contract was $2.5 million for 11 years.^[2]

Usage[edit]

The arena is home to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's and women's basketball team, and the women's volleyball team. In addition to university sponsored athletics Alumni Coliseum has also played host to a variety of other sporting events, including the All "A" Classic High School basketball tournament, KHSAA Region 5 Swimming and Diving Championships, and continues to host the Special Olympics Kentucky Summer Games.

The arena has also hosted numerous musical performers over the years, more recently including 3 Doors Down, O.A.R. (Of A Revolution), Diamond Rio, They Might be Giants, Nappy Roots and The Black Eyed Peas. It also hosted the Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament in 1979.

The Donald Combs Natatorium, located behind the basketball arena, is the former home of the university's swimming and diving team and is now used predominantly for EKU recreation and the Model Laboratory School Swim team. The natatorium houses a 6 lane 25 yard swimming pool as well as one and three meter diving boards.

The Alumni Coliseum also houses four other basketball courts in an auxiliary gymnasium, an outdoor swimming pool, eight classrooms, the Chad Bratzke Student Academic Athletic Success Center, and 20 additional offices.

References[edit]

^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "EKU, Baptist Health Announce Naming Rights Partnership" (Press release). Eastern Kentucky Colonels. November 2, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2024.

[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[2] "EKU, Baptist Health Announce Naming Rights Partnership" (Press release). Eastern Kentucky Colonels. November 2, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2024.

[1]

[2]

v t e Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball
Venues	Memorial Hall (1920–1922) Red Barn (1923–1931) Weaver Gymnasium (1931–1963) Alumni Coliseum (1963–present)
Culture & lore	The Colonel "Rally Maroon and White"
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24

v t e Eastern Kentucky University
Facilities	Alumni Coliseum Model Laboratory School Roy Kidd Stadium Turkey Hughes Field
Athletics	Eastern Kentucky Colonels Baseball Men's basketball Football Women's basketball

Construction
Baptist Health Arena


Location	Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, Kentucky 40475
Coordinates	37°44′14″N 84°18′5″W / 37.73722°N 84.30139°W / 37.73722; -84.30139
Owner	Eastern Kentucky University
Operator	Eastern Kentucky University
Capacity	6,500
Surface	Wood
Broke ground	1963
Opened	September 23, 1963
Construction cost	$3,244,623 (1963) ($32.3 million in 2023 dollars^[1])
Architect	Hartstern, Louis, and Henry
Tenants
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (NCAA) (1963–present)

Alumni Coliseum

History[edit]

Usage[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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