Magness Arena is a multi-purpose collegiate sports arena in Denver, Colorado. It was built from 1997 to 1999 as part of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center, the sports complex at the University of Denver. It is home to the Denver Pioneers ice hockey team and secondary home to the basketball teams. It replaces the former University of Denver Arena which was razed in 1997 to make way for the Ritchie Center. Magness Arena opened September 1999, one month before the Pepsi Center. The arena was voted, "Best New Sports Venue" by Westword in 2000.[1]

Magness Arena
NW view of the arena bowl (c.2016)
Map
Former namesUniversity of Denver Auditorium (planning/construction)
Address2240 Buchtell Blvd
LocationDenver, Colorado
Coordinates39°40′55.58″N 104°57′41.73″W / 39.6821056°N 104.9615917°W / 39.6821056; -104.9615917
Public transitUniversity of Denver
RTD Light Rail
OwnerUniversity of Denver
Capacity6,315 (Hockey)
7,200 (Basketball)
6,500-8,000 (Concert)
Construction
Broke groundApril 1997
OpenedSeptember 15, 1999 (1999-09-15)
ArchitectDavis Partnership Architects and Sink Combs Dethlefs
Structural engineerMartin/Martin
General contractorCalcon Construction
Tenants
Denver Pioneers (NCAA, NCHC) (1999–present)

About the arena

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Magness arena looking north/northeast

The arena is named after cable television pioneer Bob Magness, who donated $10 million towards construction costs. It features padded individual seating, two members-only club seating areas, a four-sided video scoreboard, and a concourse with glassed-in views of the adjoining Hamilton Gymnasium and El Pomar Natatorium. The arena can be identified around the city by the attached 215-foot-tall (66 m), gold-spired Williams Tower, which contains a 65-bell carillon.

The largest hockey crowd in arena history was a game between Denver and Colorado College on March 9, 2024, with an attendance of 7,033.[2] The largest non-hockey event in the arena was a 2008 presidential campaign rally for Barack Obama, where about 10,000 people attended. Magness Arena hosted the first of three 2012 U.S. Presidential Debates on October 3, 2012.

 
Magness Arena Exterior

Concerts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Westword's "Best of Denver" Showcases Ritchie Center, Magness Arena - Denver Pioneers Official Athletics Site". Archived from the original on 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  2. ^ National Collegiate Hockey Conference (2024-03-09). "Denver vs Colorado College - Men's Ice Hockey - 3/9/2024 - Boxscore". HCHC Hockey. nchchockey.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
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