Dunkin Donuts Center
From NCAA Wiki
The Dunkin' Donuts Center, home of Providence Men's basketball, became a reality on November 3, 1972 when the Rhode Island Reds played Tidewater in an American Hockey League contest. Since that time, millions of sports, music and trade fans have walked through the turnstiles in what many consider to be one of the finest civic centers in the country. Indeed, over three million people have played witness to Providence College basketball in this building.
In the spring of 2001, the building gained a corporate sponsor. The facility, previously known as the Providence Civic Center, was renamed the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
The tremendous success of the Friars in the early 1970's mandated a change from Alumni Hall to a downtown facility that would service the demand for tickets to Friar basketball games. Since that time, The Dunkin' Donuts Center has helped Providence College play host to some of the nation's top basketball teams, including each of the 12 BIG EAST opponents.
The Friars have had great success in The Dunkin' Donuts Center, running up a 369-146 record. When the Friars first moved downtown, they ran off 41-consecutive wins before St. John's ruined the streak in the Ocean State Classic in 1974.
The Friars have "shared" the building with the nation's top collegiate and professional basketball teams. UCLA, North Carolina, Marquette, Brigham Young, Duke (then ranked #1) and Michigan (also ranked #1) have all played here. Of course, the BIG EAST roster includes, Georgetown, St. John's, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Boston College, Villanova, Miami, Seton Hall, West Virginia, Rutgers and Notre Dame. The Boston Celtics have played a number of NBA teams in the building as well. The Friars have hosted ECAC Basketball Championships, NCAA First and Second Round games (1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1996), NIT games, the first-ever BIG EAST Championship tournament and the 1978 and 1985 NCAA Eastern Regionals. In 1995 and 2000, the building hosted the NCAA Hockey Championships.
The Dunkin' Donuts Center has seen the world's top entertainment acts visit Providence: The Boston Pops, Lawrence Welk, Ice Capades, Barnum and Bailey Circus, Moscow Circus, Ringling Brothers Circus, ABC Wide World of Sports, World Heavyweight Boxing, Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice, Elvis Presley, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan, Bobby Brown, Kenny Rogers, Van Halen, Aerosmith, The Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen to name a few of the hundreds of entertainers and acts that have played The Dunkin' Donuts Center.
It now serves as the home of the Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins. No other New England college basketball team has enjoyed the success that the Friars have seen. That is especially true given the attendance figures given for the first 30 years of the facility.
| Big East Basketball Venues • Al McGuire Center (Marquette W) • Alumni Hall (Providence W) •Allstate Arena (DePaul M) • Bradley Center (Marquette M) • Carnesecca Arena (St. John's) Carrier Dome (Syracuse) • Prudential Center (Seton Hall M) • Dunkin Donuts Center (Providence M) • Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati) • Freedom Hall (Louisville) • Gampel Pavilion (Connecticut) • Hartford Civic Center (Connecticut) • Joyce Center (Notre Dame) • Louis Brown Athletic Center (Rutgers) • Madison Square Garden (St. John's M) • McDonough Gymnasium (Georgetown W) • McGrath Arena (DePaul W) • The Pavilion (Villanova) Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh) • Sun Dome (South Florida) • Verizon Center (Georgetown M) Wachovia Center (Villanova M) • Walsh Gymnasium (Seton Hall W) • WVU Coliseum (West Virginia) |
