T-Mobile Center
T-Mobile Center is located in Missouri
T-Mobile Center
T-Mobile Center
Location within Missouri
T-Mobile Center is located in the United States
T-Mobile Center
T-Mobile Center
Location within the United States
Former namesSprint Center (2007–2020)
Address1407 Grand Boulevard
LocationKansas City, Missouri, United States
Coordinates39°05′51″N 94°34′49″W / 39.09750°N 94.58028°W / 39.09750; -94.58028
Public transitTram interchange KC Streetcar
at Power & Light
OwnerCity of Kansas City
OperatorAnschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)
CapacityArena football: 17,297
Basketball: 18,972
Ice hockey: 17,544[1]
Concerts: 19,252
Record attendance19,655 (August 31, 2023 - Zach Bryan Concert)
SurfaceMulti-surface
Construction
Broke groundJune 24, 2005
OpenedOctober 10, 2007 (October 10, 2007)
Construction costUS$276 million
ArchitectDowntown Arena Design Team:
HOK Sport
360 Architecture
Ellerbe Becket[2]
Rafael Architects
Project managerICON Venue Group[3]
Structural engineerWalter P Moore[4]
Services engineerM-E Engineers, Inc.[5]
General contractorMortenson Construction
Tenants
Kansas City Command (AFL) (2008, 2011–2012)
Big 12 men's basketball tournament (2008, 2010–present)
Kansas City Outlaws (PBR) (2022-present)

T-Mobile Center (formerly Sprint Center) is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively become the city's primary indoor arena, a role previously held by Kemper Arena, which had been built in 1974 a few miles away in the West Bottoms neighborhood.

History

Grand Boulevard entrance in 2008

The arena is owned by the city of Kansas City, Missouri.[6] The final design was selected in August 2005, from the Downtown Arena Design Team, which was a collaboration of the architectural firms Populous, 360 Architecture, Rafael Architects, and Ellerbe Becket. The construction manager was M.A. Mortenson Company, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Groundbreaking was on June 24, 2005, and construction was completed on October 11, 2007, at US$276 million[7] (equivalent to $390 million in 2022).

The complete exterior glass façade system, all metal panels for the adjacent buildings and all accessory metal cladding, was custom designed, detailed, and supplied by Overgaard Ltd. Hong Kong to Architectural Wall Systems, the Des Moines, Iowa based glazing contractor who installed the building envelope. In total there are approximately 13,000 square meters (140,000 sq ft) of double insulated glass and 5,000 square meters (54,000 sq ft) of painted aluminum curtain wall panels. There are roughly 200 tons of system profiles and accessories. All of the 2,404 individual glass units on the main building were produced sequentially and completely assembled prior to shipping. The 5 million pounds of rebar was detailed, fabricated, and supplied by The Carter-Waters Corporation of Kansas City. The arena features a work of public art, The Moons, by Chris Doyle, commissioned by the Kansas City Municipal Arts Commission (KCMAC). The interior has a 360-degree LED video screen. The arena seats over 19,000 people and has 72 suites. Connected to its north side is the College Basketball Experience, which includes the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

In early 2006, Anschutz Entertainment Group selected Brenda Tinnen to serve as the facility's general manager. She had previously served as senior vice president of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and is widely credited with the initial success of the venue and for attracting top tier concert tours. Garth Brooks personally thanked her from the stage for luring him out of semi-retirement to play nine consecutive sold-out shows within a month of the venue opening. She responded by unveiling a "Championship Banner" in the rafters, to commemorate his achievement.

Sprint Center opened on October 10, 2007, inaugurated by an Elton John concert three days later.[8][9]

In April 2020, T-Mobile US became the naming rights partner by completing a merger with Sprint Corporation.[10] On July 9, 2020, Sprint Center was officially renamed to T-Mobile Center.[11] Changes include an entrance specifically for T-Mobile customers, a lounge with tables that can charge smartphones wirelessly, charging stations all over the arena, T-Mobile 5G coverage, and a monument outside saying "Heart KC".[12]

Events

Since the arena's construction, various city officials of Kansas City have been in discussions with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) about possible expansion or relocation of a professional hockey and/or basketball franchise for the arena; however, neither league has yet approved a team to play in T-Mobile Center (though there were rumors about the Pittsburgh Penguins possibly moving in 2006).[13][14]

The arena hosted the Big 12 men's basketball tournament in 2008 and in every year since 2010.[15] It hosted the first and second rounds of the 2009 and 2013 NCAA men's tournaments, plus the regional rounds of the 2017 NCAA men's tournament and 2019, and hosted it again in 2023. In 2010 and 2018 the Kansas City regional of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was held here. Additionally, the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team frequently plays regular season games at the arena.

The arena held Missouri's first UFC event for UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis on April 15, 2017.[16] On April 15, 2023, the UFC returned to the arena for UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. Allen.[17]

It hosted the former Kansas City Command of the Arena Football League (AFL).

The venue was a regular stop for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR)’s Premier Series for several years. Since 2022, it serves as the home venue of the PBR’s Kansas City Outlaws during the PBR Team Series season in the summer and autumn.

References

  1. ↑ "Sprint Center Sells Out Kings-Penguins NHL Preseason Contest". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Sprint Center". Archived from the original on April 9, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri".
  4. ↑ "Projects". walterpmoore.com. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO – M-E Engineers Inc". me-engineers.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Sprint Center". Walter P Moore. March 4, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Official site Sprint Center construction cost". February 16, 2009. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009.
  8. ↑ Elton John made Saturday night alright for a concert Kansas City Star, October 13, 2007.
  9. ↑ Elton John to open Sprint Center Kansas City Star, July 26, 2007.
  10. ↑ T‑Mobile Completes Merger with Sprint to Create the New T‑Mobile T-Mobile USA, April 1, 2020.
  11. ↑ Hardy, Kevin (July 9, 2020). "Following T-Mobile merger, downtown Kansas City's Sprint Center will get a new name". The Kansas City Star.
  12. ↑ T-Mobile Center Unboxed: Kansas City's Exciting New Venue | T-Mobile, retrieved April 29, 2022
  13. ↑ Keeler, Sean (October 16, 2014). "With the NBA and KC, never say never – though we're getting close". Fox Sports Kansas City. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  14. ↑ "KC again left in the cold as NHL commissioner says 'no' to expansion". Kansas City Star. October 7, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  15. ↑ Center, Sprint. "2017 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship – Sprint Center". sprintcenter.com. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ McCarter, Nathan (April 15, 2017). "Johnson vs. Reis Results: Winner and Reaction from UFC on Fox 24". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  17. ↑ Wells, Matthew (April 16, 2023). "UFC on ESPN 44 results: Max Holloway wins unanimous decision to give Arnold Allen first UFC loss". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
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