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SNHU Arena
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{{Short description|Arena in New Hampshire, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2025}} {{redirect|Verizon Wireless Arena|similarly named buildings|Verizon Center (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox venue | stadium_name = SNHU Arena | fullname = Southern New Hampshire University Arena | nickname = | logo_image = SNHU_Arena_logo.svg | image = SNHU Arena.jpg | caption = The arena in 2016 | image_size = 250px | address = 555 Elm Street | location = [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], U.S. | coordinates = {{Coord|42|59|11|N|71|27|44|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | broke_ground = April 13, 2000<ref>{{cite news |title=American Hockey League Teams From Manchester and Lowell Will Not Face Each Other on the Ice Until at Least the Fall of 2001|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NTGB&p_theme=ntgb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1070DA28F5626CFD&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Nashua)]]|date=May 6, 2000|access-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> | opened = November 15, 2001 | closed = | demolished = | owner = City of Manchester | operator = [[Anschutz Entertainment Group|ASM Global]] | surface = Multi-surface | construction_cost = [[United States dollar|$]]68 million<br />(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|68000000|2000}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) | architect = [[Populous (company)|HOK Sports]]<br />Lavallee Brensinger Architects<ref>{{cite web |title=Verizon Wireless Arena|url=http://lbpa.com/project_detail.php?id=8|publisher=Lavallee Brensinger Architects|access-date=June 8, 2014}}</ref> | project_manager = ScheerGame Sports Development, LLC.<ref>{{cite news |title=ScheerGame Completes N.H. Arena|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2001/11/05/daily48.html|work=Milwaukee Business Journal|date=November 5, 2001|access-date=June 8, 2014}}</ref> | structural engineer = [[LeMessurier Consultants]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Resumes|url=http://www.lemessurier.com/resumes.htm|publisher=LeMessurier Consultants|access-date=September 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301230821/http://www.lemessurier.com/resumes.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2006}}</ref> | services engineer = | general_contractor = [[Gilbane]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Special Report: 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=September 18, 2011}}</ref>/Harvey<ref>{{cite web |title=History|url=http://www.hccnh.com/about-us/history.htm|publisher=Harvey Construction|access-date=June 8, 2014}}</ref> | former_names = Manchester Civic Arena {{small|(planning/construction)}}<br/>Verizon Wireless Arena {{small|(2001–16)}} | tenants = [[Manchester Monarchs (AHL)|Manchester Monarchs]] ([[American Hockey League|AHL]]) (2001–2015)<br />[[Manchester Wolves]] ([[af2]]) (2004–2009)<br />[[Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)|Manchester Monarchs]] ([[ECHL]]) (2015–2019)<br />[[New England Liberty]] ([[Legends Football League|LFL]]) (2016) | seating_capacity = 9,852 (hockey)<ref>{{cite web |title=AHL Set to Kick Off 75th Anniversary Season|url=http://theahl.com/ahl-set-to-kick-off-75th-anniversary-season-p166418|publisher=American Hockey League|date=October 8, 2010|access-date=September 18, 2011}}</ref><br />11,140 (basketball)<br />10,050 (end stage)<br />12,000 (centerstage concerts) | website = {{url|snhuarena.com}} }} The '''SNHU Arena''' ([[Southern New Hampshire University]] Arena) is an indoor events [[arena]] in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], and seats 9,852 for [[ice hockey]], 11,140 for [[basketball]] and up to 11,770 for concerts.<ref name="arenainfo">{{cite web|title=Arena Info |url=http://www.verizonwirelessarena.com/arena_info/default.asp |publisher=Verizon Wireless Arena |access-date=June 8, 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529101017/http://www.verizonwirelessarena.com/arena_info/default.asp |archive-date=May 29, 2014 }}</ref> The facility was originally known during construction as '''Manchester Civic Arena''', and this name still appears on most of the directional signs around town. Its naming rights were sold prior to opening in 2001 and was called '''Verizon Wireless Arena'''. On February 2, 2016, Southern New Hampshire University announced that it had purchased the naming rights from the then [[SMG (property management)|SMG]] property management. The specific amount of money involved was never revealed, but it is known that the deal provides for student internships at the arena, and that the school will be able to use the arena for its own sporting and other events. The partnership between SMG and the university will run for a period of at least ten years after the arena officially changed its name on September 1, 2016.<ref name="SNHU Partners with SMG Group for Arena Naming Rights">{{cite web | url=http://www.snhu.edu/about-us/news-and-events/2016/02/partners-with-smg-to-provide-opportunities-for-students-and-connect-with-the-community | title=SNHU Partners with SMG to Provide Opportunities for Students and Connect with the Community | publisher=Southern New Hampshire University | work=Lauren Keane | date=February 2, 2016 | access-date=February 2, 2016}}</ref> In October 2019, SMG property management company merged with [[Anschutz Entertainment Group|AEG Facilities]], creating [[Anschutz Entertainment Group|ASM Global]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=AEG Facilities and SMG Complete Transaction to Create ASM Global {{!}} AEG Worldwide|url=https://www.aegworldwide.com/press-center/press-releases/aeg-facilities-and-smg-complete-transaction-create-asm-global|access-date=July 12, 2021|website=www.aegworldwide.com}}</ref> The arena contains 542 club seats, 34 luxury suites, and five party suites.<ref name="arenainfo"/> ==Design== The SNHU Arena is located in downtown Manchester on Elm Street ([[U.S. Route 3]]) at the corner of Lake Avenue. The arena was built on the site of a former [[Zayre|Zayre's department store]] and is located on an irregular block, surrounded by Elm Street (west), Lake Avenue (north), Chestnut Street (east) and Auburn Street (south), with Cedar (north) and Willow (east) streets taking a corner off the southwestern corner of the block. The arena's exterior includes its notable curved blue roof, which helps heavy New Hampshire snowfall to slide off. The top half of the arena's facade is a steel oval, the western side of which is lit during events and is visible from the west side of the city and from Interstate 293. The lower half of the building is red brick (similar to that found on Manchester's iconic mills). The main entrance on the western side of the arena is entirely glass. The floor of the arena is at ground level in the west side of the building. The Manchester Monarchs Pro Shop was formerly located at the entrance. The main concourse is on the second floor, and wraps around the entire arena: the concessions are all on that concourse aside from a bar on the third floor. There are two levels of seating: loge seats around three sides of the area and a balcony around all four sides. The arena has several luxury boxes, with a second level of boxes on the east and west sides of the interior. The arena has a standard four-sided scoreboard along with several video ribbons, located along the facades of the end zone upper decks. The arena floor level is expandable for larger events by movable seats, and events using an end zone staging area typically use the eastern end zone for the stage. There are only a handful of onsite parking spaces, all of which are reserved for the handicapped: most patrons park on the street or in one of several large parking lots in downtown Manchester. ==Sporting events== ===Minor league ice hockey=== The arena was home to two iterations of the Manchester Monarchs, [[Manchester Monarchs (AHL)|one from 2001 to 2015]] in the [[American Hockey League]] and another [[Manchester Monarchs (ECHL)|from 2015 to 2019]] in the [[ECHL]]. Both the AHL and ECHL Monarchs franchises were [[Los Angeles Kings]] farm teams. After the 2014–2015 season, Manchester and [[Ontario, California]], were two of several markets affected by a "franchise swap" between the ECHL and AHL. The AHL Monarchs franchise moved to Southern California, and the [[Ontario Reign (ECHL)|ECHL's Ontario Reign]] moved to Manchester. The AHL Monarchs and ECHL Reign were both owned by the same company who owned the Kings. A year later, after the 2015–2016 season, the Kings sold the newly relocated ECHL Monarchs to an entity known as PPI Sports LLC. PPI was unable to make the team profitable at the ECHL level, and abruptly closed down the team at the end of the 2019 season after failing to find another buyer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/monarchs-pull-the-plug-on-professional-hockey-in-manchester/article_d5bf8bea-69a8-5c19-b1b3-24097c0083f6.html |title=Monarchs pull the plug on professional hockey in Manchester |work=[[New Hampshire Union Leader]] |date=May 15, 2019}}</ref> The arena is actively seeking a new tenant. The AHL Monarchs won the [[Calder Cup]] at the end of their last season before moving to [[Ontario Reign (AHL)|Ontario, California]]. The arena has hosted the [[2004–05 AHL season|2005 AHL All-Star Game]]. ===Boxing=== On November 19, 2021, SNHU Arena was the site of [[Demetrius Andrade]] vs [[Jason Quigley]], a fight on [[Matchroom]] Boxing. This was SNHU Arena's first boxing fight. ===Indoor football=== From 2004 to 2009, the arena was the home of the [[Manchester Wolves]] of the now disbanded [[AF2]], the [[Arena Football League]]'s minor league. In 2016, a women's team, the [[New England Liberty]] of the [[Legends Football League]], played their home games at the arena, although the Liberty played only one home game during their existence. The Liberty's LFL schedule was only four games long. After losing their first two games on the road, the Liberty lost their first home game 77–7 to the [[Chicago Bliss]], and subsequently opted to forfeit their second and final regular season home game. ===Basketball=== The [[Boston Celtics]] of the [[NBA]] sometimes play preseason games at the arena. The [[Harlem Globetrotters]] will occasionally go to the arena. ===Collegiate=== The [[University of New Hampshire]] men's hockey team occasionally plays some home games at the arena, annually for several years against [[Dartmouth College]] in the [[New Hampshire–Dartmouth rivalry|Battle for the Riverstone Cup]], and against the [[Maine Black Bears|University of Maine Black Bears]] in the [[New Hampshire–Maine hockey rivalry|Border War]]. UNH has not scheduled any games at the arena since the 2015–2016 season, when UNH beat Maine 7–0 on December 30, 2015. Since 2004, Manchester has been a regular site in the rotation for the Regional tournaments, hosting almost every two years. UNH has been the host institution for the Northeast Regional in [[2004 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2004]], [[2007 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2007]], [[2009 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2009]], [[2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2011]], [[2013 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2013]], [[2015 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2015]], [[2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2017]], [[2019 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2019]], [[2023 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament|2023]], and [[2025 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament|2025]]. UNH played regional tournament games in Manchester every one of those years except 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2025 when the Wildcats failed to qualify for the national championship. Even though the institution's name is on the facility, none of SNHU's athletic programs play any home games at the arena. ===Professional wrestling=== The [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] has held events at the arena almost every year since 2002, including a [[pay per view]] [[Backlash (2005)|WWE Backlash]] show in 2005. The most recent WWE event at the arena was on July 9, 2019, when Manchester hosted the weekly [[WWE Smackdown]] and [[205 Live (WWE brand)|WWE 205]] series. WWE held a live event on June 4, 2023, with Seth "Freakin" Rollins defending the World Heavyweight Championship vs The Miz ===Other=== State high school basketball and hockey championships have been held in the arena. The [[Professional Bull Riders]] Unleashed the Beast tour has made a few stops at the arena since 2020, when [[Jess Lockwood (bull rider)|Jess Lockwood]] won the inaugural event in January 2020. ==Concerts== SNHU Arena is one of New Hampshire's biggest concert venues, after [[Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion]]. SNHU Arena has hosted many concerts concerts by major performers, many of whom have visited the Manchester venue on multiple occasions. Both [[Trans-Siberian Orchestra]], and [[Boston Pops Orchestra]] have performed several times at SHNU Arena, with both groups frequently visiting in December to put on holiday-oriented performances. On October 26, 2010, the Vermont-based jam band [[Phish]] played an absolute ripper of a show at this venue, which was subsequently released as part of their ''Live Phish'' series. ==Other events== {{Unreferenced section|date=April 2014}} [[Hillary Clinton]] appeared at the arena in June 2007, to speak at the [[Manchester Central High School]] graduation. In December 2007, then-[[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Barack Obama]] (D-IL) and TV icon [[Oprah Winfrey]] appeared at a campaign rally at the arena, drawing over 8,000 people. Obama also appeared at the arena in May 2007 to speak at the [[Southern New Hampshire University]] commencement. [[Adam Sandler]], a Manchester native, has given three graduation speeches at the arena: in both 2003 and 2010 he addressed the graduates of his alma mater [[Manchester Central High School]], and he also spoke at the 2008 [[Manchester Memorial High School]] graduation. 2012 Republican presidential nominee Gov. [[Mitt Romney]] delivered his final speech before election day at the arena on November 5, 2012. The event drew nearly 18,000 people and was the largest political event in New Hampshire's history. Overflow supporters were forced to watch the speech on large outdoor televisions because the arena ran out of space. The event included a concert performed by [[Kid Rock]] in support of Gov. Romney. The night before the [[2016 New Hampshire Republican primary|2016 New Hampshire Presidential Primary]], on February 8, 2016, presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]] closed out his New Hampshire campaign with an evening rally at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The night before the [[2016 United States Presidential Election|general election]], on November 7, 2016, Republican presidential nominee Trump returned to the newly renamed SNHU Arena to address a raucous overflow crowd, beginning his speech by saying "there are thousands of people outside trying to get in." Trump rallies for the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 election]] were held at the arena on August 15, 2019, and on February 10, 2020. Both drew large crowds.<ref name="Rally2019MSN">{{cite web |url= https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-touts-economy-lewandowski-during-new-hampshire-rally/ar-AAFR9UB?li=BBnb4R5 |title= Donald Trump touts economy, Lewandowski during New Hampshire rally |author= John Fritze, Joey Garrison and David Jackson |date= August 15, 2019 |work= [[MSN]] |access-date= August 16, 2019 }}</ref> The [[New Hampshire Democratic Party]] held its annual convention at the arena in the 2015 and plans to do so again in September 2019. {{update inline|date=March 2024}} The [[FIRST Robotics Competition]] holds its regional competition, the [[BAE Systems]] Granite State Regional, in the arena every year. [[JoJo Siwa]]'s [[D.R.E.A.M. The Tour|D.R.E.A.M. tour]] made a stop at SNHU Arena on February 22, 2022. On March 6, 2022, SNHU Arena hosted [[Journey (band)|Journey]], with special guest [[Toto (band)|Toto]]. On September 21 and 22, 2024, It became a secondary location for the Granite State ComicCon. Amongst various vendors and artists, it played host to several actors involved in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise for its 40th anniversary. ==Photo gallery== <gallery> File:Manchestertn.jpg|[[USHRA]] [[Thunder Nationals]] pre-show "pit party" in the arena File:VWA-IceHockey1.JPG|Pregame warmup at a [[Manchester Monarchs (AHL)|Manchester Monarchs]] [[American Hockey League|AHL]] game versus the [[Hartford Wolf Pack]] File:VWA-EndView.JPG|End zone view of the ice surface at the arena File:Verizon Wireless Arena inside.jpg|A stitched panoramic image of the inside of the arena before a Manchester Monarchs AHL game versus the [[Providence Bruins]] </gallery> ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * {{Official website|http://snhuarena.com/home/}} {{Manchester Monarchs}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:2001 establishments in New Hampshire]] [[Category:College basketball venues in New Hampshire]] [[Category:Sports venues in Manchester, New Hampshire]] [[Category:Ice hockey venues in New Hampshire]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Manchester, New Hampshire]] [[Category:Southern New Hampshire University]] [[Category:Sports venues completed in 2001]] [[Category:Wrestling venues in the United States]]
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