Blackham Coliseum: Difference between revisions

Blackham Coliseum
Former names	N/A
Location	444 Cajundome Boulevard; (at Johnston Street); Lafayette, Louisiana 70506
Owner	University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Operator	University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Capacity	Official: 5,500; Concerts: 9,800
Surface	Concrete
Construction
Opened	1950
Closed	Open
Demolished	N/A
Tenants
	Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball (NCAA) (1950–1984); Acadiana Mudbugs (SIFL) (2008); Louisiana IceGators (SPHL) (2009–2010)

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Revision as of 18:23, 16 September 2014

Blackham Coliseum is a multipurpose arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was built on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus in 1949 as the home to the then-named SLI Bulldogs, now called the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball teams. The arena was named for Stafford Morgan Blackham, former dean of the Department of Animal Husbandry at SLI, and as such it was built to host livestock exhibitions as well as athletics (in a similar manner to the usage of LSU's Parker Coliseum).^[1] It replaced the 1,500-seat Earl K. Long Gymnasium as home to the athletics teams. It remained the home for the men's team until the Cajundome was completed in 1984. The women still play the majority of their games at Blackham Coliseum. It hosted the Southland Conference men's basketball tournament in 1982.

In the 1960s, it became popular as a venue for pop concerts where acts like The Supremes, James Brown and Jackie Wilson. The Supremes played to soldout audiences on their "Symphony Tour 1965".

Today it is still in use, seating 5,500 for basketball and up to 9,800 for concerts. It also features 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) of space at the main arena with two barns adding an additional 46,500 square feet (4,300 m²) of space. Altogether, the three buildings can also be used for trade shows, rodeos and conventions. It was home to the Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League for their 2009 season, and in fall 2009, the revived Louisiana IceGators began play there as a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League.^[2]

In April 2009, the venue held its first heavy metal concert, the 2009 No Fear Music Tour featuring Lamb Of God, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, God Forbid and Municipal Waste.

The venue serves as home to the Grammy-styled, annual Le Cajun Music Awards Festival held every August by the Cajun French Music Association, an association of Cajun music enthusiasts for the preservation of the Cajun music, language, heritage and culture.[1]

Future

UL Lafayette President Dr. E Joseph Savoie has confirmed that negotiations are underway for a long-term lease to turn the stadium into a film studio. This would help attract even more film companies to Lafayette, and would help create educational opportunities for students who major in UL Lafayette's moving image arts program, the only such program in the state of Louisiana.^[3]

References

^ UL Lafayette: About Us: University History: Buildings
^ Foote, Kevin (May 15, 2009). "IceGators to skate again; join the discussion". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Retrieved May 15, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
^ Johnson, William (February 2, 2011). "Blackham Coliseum may become film studio". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Retrieved February 3, 2011.

30°12′38″N 92°01′59″W / 30.210554°N 92.033122°W / 30.210554; -92.033122

External links

Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission - Blackham Coliseum

[1] UL Lafayette: About Us: University History: Buildings

[2] Foote, Kevin (May 15, 2009). "IceGators to skate again; join the discussion". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Retrieved May 15, 2009. ^{[dead link]}

[3] Johnson, William (February 2, 2011). "Blackham Coliseum may become film studio". Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Retrieved February 3, 2011.

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  seating_capacity = Official: 5,500<br>Concerts: 9,800|
 }}'''Blackham Coliseum''' is a multipurpose arena in [[Lafayette, Louisiana]].  It was built on the [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette]] campus in 1949 as the home to the then-named [[University of Louisiana at Lafayette|SLI]] Bulldogs, now called the [[Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball]] teams. The arena was named for Stafford Morgan Blackham, former dean of the Department of Animal Husbandry at SLI, and as such it was built to host livestock exhibitions as well as athletics (in a similar manner to the usage of LSU's [[John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum|Parker Coliseum]]).<ref>[http://www.louisiana.edu/AboutUs/History/Buildings.shtml#blackham UL Lafayette: About Us: University History: Buildings]</ref>  It replaced the 1,500-seat [[Earl K. Long Gymnasium]] as home to the athletics teams.  It remained the home for the men's team until the [[Cajundome]] was completed in 1984. The women still play the majority of their games at Blackham Coliseum.  It hosted the [[Southland Conference]] men's basketball tournament in 1982.
+In the 1960s, it became popular as a venue for pop concerts where acts like [[The Supremes]], [[James Brown]] and [[Jackie Wilson]]. [[The Supremes]] played to soldout audiences on their "Symphony Tour 1965".
 Today it is still in use, seating 5,500 for basketball and up to 9,800 for [[concerts]].  It also features 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) of space at the main arena with two barns adding an additional 46,500 square feet (4,300 m²) of space.  Altogether, the three buildings can also be used for trade shows, rodeos and conventions.  It was home to the [[Lafayette Wildcatters]] of the [[Southern Indoor Football League]] for their 2009 season, and in fall 2009, the revived [[Louisiana IceGators]] began play there as a member of the [[Southern Professional Hockey League]].<ref>{{cite web  | last = Foote | first = Kevin | title = IceGators to skate again; join the discussion | publisher = Lafayette Daily Advertiser | date = May 15, 2009 | url = http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090515/NEWS01/905150326 | accessdate = May 15, 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

v t e Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball
Venues	Earl K. Long Gymnasium (1939–1950) Blackham Coliseum (1950–1985) Cajundome (1985–present)
Culture & lore	Cayenne "Ragin' Cajuns Fight Song" NCAA sanctions
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 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 2024–25

v t e SPHL
Teams	Birmingham Bulls Evansville Thunderbolts Fayetteville Marksmen Huntsville Havoc Knoxville Ice Bears Macon Mayhem Pensacola Ice Flyers Peoria Rivermen Quad City Storm Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
Arenas	Berglund Center (Rail Yard Dawgs) Carver Arena (Rivermen) Crown Coliseum (Marksmen) Ford Center (Thunderbolts) Macon Coliseum (Mayhem) James White Civic Coliseum (Ice Bears) Pelham Civic Center (Bulls) Pensacola Bay Center (Ice Flyers) Vibrant Arena at The MARK (Storm) Von Braun Center (Havoc)
Seasons	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
President's Cup William B. Coffey Trophy Other professional hockey leagues