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United Spirit Arena

Location	1701 Indiana Ave Lubbock, TX 79409
Broke ground	March 27, 1997[1]
Opened	November 20, 1999[1]
Owner	Texas Tech University
Operator	Texas Tech University
Surface	Hardwood
Construction cost	$62 million USD[2]
Architect	Rosser International, Atlanta
Capacity	15,020
Tenants
Texas Tech Red Raiders (NCAA) (1999-Present)

United Spirit Arena at night

United Spirit Arena is a 15,020-seat multi-purpose arena in Lubbock, Texas. The arena opened in 1999. It is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball teams and volleyball team. United Supermarkets, a Lubbock based supermarket chain with numerous stores in West Texas, was a major contributor. Thus, it was granted naming rights. Prior to the building of the arena, the teams played in the nearby City Bank Coliseum.

Notable events

• The first basketball game was played in the arena on November 19, 1999. Texas Tech lost 68-60 to Indiana,^[3] whose legendary coach Bob Knight would later become the head coach of Texas Tech's men's basketball team.
• Elton John's performance on February 8, 2000 was the first concert to be held at United Spirit Arena.
• In the summer of 2002, Britney Spears brought her Dream Within a Dream Tour to the arena. After the second song, "(You Drive Me) Crazy", a power outage occurred and the rest of the concert had to be canceled. Spears, along with her tour manager, came onstage to explain the situation to the sold out crowd. Due to Spears being overbooked for the entire tour, there was no time to reschedule the concert.^[4]
• United Spirit Arena hosted WWE RAW (the first RAW ever to be hosted in Lubbock) in May 2006.
• On January 1, 2007, a 70-68 defeat of New Mexico by Texas Tech marked the 880th total win for Bob Knight, making him the winningest coach in men's college basketball history.
• On May 4, 2007, the Houston Comets with former Lady Raiders Sheryl Swoopes and Erin Grant played a WNBA exhibition game against the Detroit Shock with Plenette Pierson, also a former Lady Raider.^[5]

References

External links

• Official Website
• Pictures Website

Texas Tech Red Raiders Athletics Sports Football • Men's basketball (Seasons) • Baseball Facilities City Bank Coliseum • Dan Law Field • Jones AT&T Stadium • The Rawls Course • R. P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field • United Spirit Arena Current Coaches Dan Spencer (baseball) • Pat Knight (men's basketball) • Kristy Curry (women's basketball) • Jon Murray (cross country) • Tommy Tuberville (football) • James Willis (football) • Greg Sands (men's golf) • Stacey Totman (women's golf) • Tom Stone (soccer) • Tim Siegel (men's tennis) • Todd Petty (women's tennis) • Wes Kittley (track and field) • Trish Kissiar-Knight (volleyball) Football Seasons & Bowl Games 1925–1998 seasons • 1993 season • 1995 season • 1996 Alamo Bowl • 1999 season • 2000–2005 seasons • 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl • 2001 Alamo Bowl • 2002 Tangerine Bowl • 2004 Holiday Bowl • 2006 season • 2006 Insight Bowl • 2007 season • 2008 Gator Bowl • 2008 season • 2009 Cotton Bowl Classic • 2009 season Current Athletes Brandon Carter (football) • Sally Kipyego (cross country / track and field) • Taylor Potts (football) • Matt Williams (football) Traditions & Miscellany Traditions • Goin' Band from Raiderland • Guns Up • Knight School • The Masked Rider • Raider Red

Texas Tech University Academics College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources • College of Architecture • College of Arts & Sciences • Rawls College of Business • College of Education • Whitacre College of Engineering • Graduate School • Honors College • College of Human Sciences • School of Law • College of Mass Communications • College of Outreach and Distance Education • College of Visual & Performing Arts Athletics Football • Men's basketball • Baseball • City Bank Coliseum • Dan Law Field • Jones AT&T Stadium • The Rawls Course • R. P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field • United Spirit Arena Places Administration Building • Agricultural Pavilion • Museum of Texas Tech University • List of Texas Tech University buildings • Lubbock Lake Landmark • National Ranching Heritage Center • Texas Technological College Dairy Barn • Texas Technological College Historic District • Wind Science and Engineering Research Center Student Life List of Notable People • List of Texas Tech Presidents •The Daily Toreador • Goin' Band from Raiderland • KOHM radio • KTXT radio • KTXT television • La Ventana • Sabre Flight Drill Team • Society of Engineering Technologists • Texas Tech Alumni Association Traditions History of Texas Tech University • Guns Up • The Masked Rider • Raider Red • Double T

Coordinates: 33°34′52.54″N 101°53′11.89″W / 33.5812611°N 101.8866361°W / 33.5812611; -101.8866361