Editing Colonial Life Arena (section)

{{Short description|Multi-purpose arena in South Carolina}}
{{Infobox Stadium
| stadium_name        = Colonial Life Arena
| nickname            =
| logo_image          =
| image               = University of South Carolina Colonial Life Arena.jpg
| image_size          = 250
| caption             = The arena in 2011
| image_map           = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=15|type=point}}
| coordinates         = {{Coord|33|59|42|N|81|02|14|W|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:US-SC}}
| address             = 801 Lincoln Street
| location            = [[Columbia, South Carolina]], U.S.
| broke_ground        = April 25, 2001<ref>{{cite news |title=Crowd Revels in Future Arena|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CS&s_site=thestate&p_multi=CS&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EBF1D3C96B8D9BA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|newspaper=[[The State (newspaper)|The State]]|location=Columbia, SC|date=April 26, 2001|access-date=February 4, 2012|page=B1}}</ref>
| built               = 
| publictransit = {{bus icon}} '''[[The Comet (transit)|The Comet]]:''' <br> Routes 28, 52X, 63, 101, 201, 301, 401, 601 <br> {{rint|US|rail}} {{rint|US|Amtrak}} Amtrak ''[[Silver Star (Amtrak)|Silver Star]]'' at [[Columbia station (South Carolina)|Columbia]]
| opened              = November 21, 2002
| closed              =
| demolished          =
| owner               = [[University of South Carolina]]
| operator            = [[Comcast Spectacor#Spectra|Spectra]]
| surface             = Multi-surface
| construction_cost   = $65 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|65000000|2002}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect           = [[Rosser International|Rosser International Inc.]]<br>JHS Architects<ref>{{cite web |title=Book of 2005 Lists|url=http://www.centralmidlands.org/pdf/2005/2005bol.pdf|work=Columbia Business Journal|date=July 11, 2005|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref>
| structural engineer = [[Geiger Engineers]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Paul A. Gossen, P.E.|url=http://www.geigerengineers.com/paul-gossen|publisher=Geiger Engineers|access-date=January 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919205928/http://www.geigerengineers.com/paul-gossen|archive-date=2016-09-19|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| general_contractor  = [[Skanska|Beers Construction]]<ref>{{cite web |title=What's on Deck?|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2001/07/20010730/Special-Report/Whats-On-Deck.aspx|work=SportsBusiness Journal|date=July 30, 2001|access-date=February 4, 2012}}</ref>
| former_names        = Carolina Center (2002–2003)<br>Colonial Center (2003–2008)
| tenants             = [[South Carolina Gamecocks]] ([[NCAA]]) (2002–present)<br>[[Columbia Stingers]] ([[National Indoor Football League|NIFL]]) (2007)
| seating_capacity    = 18,000 (Basketball)<br>19,000 (Concerts)
| website             = {{URL|coloniallifearena.com}}
}}

The '''Colonial Life Arena''' is a multi-purpose [[arena]] in [[Columbia, South Carolina]], primarily home to the [[University of South Carolina]] [[South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball|men's]] and [[South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball|women's]] [[college basketball|basketball]] teams. Opened as a replacement for the [[Carolina Coliseum]] with the name '''Carolina Center''' in 2002, the 18,000-seat arena is also host to various events, including [[business conference|conferences]], [[concert]]s, and [[graduation]] ceremonies. It is the largest arena in the state of [[South Carolina]] and the eighth largest campus [[:Category:College sports venues in the United States|college arena]].

The naming rights were acquired in 2003 by [[Unum]], a [[Portland, Maine]]–based insurance company, and it was renamed to the '''Colonial Center''' after the [[Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company]], a Unum subsidiary headquartered in Columbia. On July 22, 2008, the USC board approved renaming the building to the Colonial Life Arena as part of the rebranding by Unum (which by then had moved to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]]) of Colonial Life & Accident as Colonial Life.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colonial Center Name Change Approved|url=http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/072208aaa.html|publisher=South Carolina Athletics|date=July 22, 2008|access-date=November 12, 2013|archive-date=March 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329000000/http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/072208aaa.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>