Richmond Coliseum
For sports fans in Virginia it is hard not to have fond feelings for the Richmond Coliseum. This indoor sports and concert venue was built in 1971 and was on par with other multi-use basketball, hockey and concert venues such as the Philadelphia Spectrum. Clad in what looks pretty dated design cues, this cement palace of all things entertainment hosted all sorts of wonderful events that evoke fond memories. The venue was finally shuttered in February of 2019 which meant that it has a pretty long run. It was until 2006, the largest venue of its type in the state. For concerts, the Richmond Coliseum could hold almost 14,000. For ABA or college basketball, that attendance number dropped to a little below 12,000. For hockey, which the Richmond Coliseum hosted many a game, the capacity was just a little over 11,000 fans. Little did anybody know when the arena closed in early 2019 that one year later most venues would be empty thanks to the COVID-19 global viral pandemic.
Notable Events At The Richmond Coliseum
- The King, Elvis Presley played a concert in 1972 at the the Richmond Coliseum.
- The WWF (now called the WWE) was a frequent tenant of the Richmond Coliseum by holding their Smack Down events that featured notable performances from the likes of John Cena and others.
- Beyond hockey, basketball and pro "wrestling", the Richmond Coliseum hosted more out-of-the-box events such as professional bull riding. How Calgary of the place?
- Tennis, college basketball and many other tournaments were hosted at the Richmond Coliseum.
Teams That Played In The Richmond Coliseum
- (ABA Basketball) Virginia Squires
- (AHL Hockey) Richmond Robins
- (College) VCU Rams
- (ECHL Hockey) Richmond Renegades
- (AF2) Richmond Speed
- (UHL Hockey) Richmond Riverdogs
- (Arena Football) Richmond Bandits
- (In-door soccer) Richmond Raiders
- (Canadian Football) Richmond Roughriders