Freedom Hall
NCAA) (2020–present) | |
Website | |
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kyfairexpo |
Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose
The arena lost its status as Kentuckiana's main indoor sporting and concert venue when the downtown KFC Yum! Center opened in 2010. It is still used regularly, however, hosting concerts, horse shows, conventions, and basketball games.
History
Freedom Hall was completed in 1956 in the newly opened
Grateful Dead played Freedom Hall 4 times including 6/18/74, 4/9/89, 6/15/93, and 6/16/93. 6/18/74 was officially released as Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3.
Judgment Day (2000) was also held at the Freedom Hall. A collegiate wrestling tournament was held at the arena in 2019.
Freedom Hall has hosted campaign rallies for two U.S. presidents: John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump.[5][6]
Tenant history
The Kentucky Colonels fielded successful teams during their tenure at Freedom Hall, winning the American Basketball Association (ABA) Championship in the 1974–75 season and reaching the ABA Finals two other times.[7] The 1970–71 team played in the ABA Championship Finals, losing to the Utah Stars in 7 games. The 1972–73 team advanced to the Finals again, losing to the Indiana Pacers in 7 games. The Colonels were disbanded when the ABA merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. Hall of Fame players Louie Dampier, Dan Issel and Artis Gilmore played for the Colonels during their successful run. Hall of Fame Coach Hubie Brown coached the Colonels Championship team.[8]
In 1984 the facility was refurbished, including lowering the floor to allow maximum capacity to increase from 16,664 to 18,865 for basketball.[9] It was the full-time home of Cardinal men's basketball from the 1957–58 season to 2010, with the team winning 82% of home games in 50+ seasons. The University of Louisville was ranked in the Top 5 in attendance for the past 25 years, with 16 of the last 19 years averaging more than 100% of capacity.
In addition to being the home of the Cardinals, Freedom Hall has hosted
From 2001 to 2008, the
On the lower level is the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame where an engraved bronze plaque honors each inductee.[10]
The University of Louisville men's basketball team played their final game at Freedom Hall in front of a record crowd of 20,138 on March 6, 2010, against Syracuse University, the #1 ranked team in the nation. Louisville won in an upset 78–68.
The arena began to gain new tenants in 2012 with the addition of the
Gallery
UofL Men's Basketball Attendance by Year | |||
Year | Average Attendance | Games | Percent of capacity |
---|---|---|---|
1997/98 | 18,669 | 14 | 98.96% |
1998/99 | 19,055 | 14 | 101.0% |
1999/00 | 19,180 | 15 | 101.2% |
2000/01 | 17,457 | 16 | 92.53% |
2001/02 | 18,929 | 19 | 100.3% |
2002/03 | 19,037 | 18 | 101.0% |
2003/04 | 19,443 | 15 | 103.1% |
2004/05 | 18,746 | 17 | 99.36% |
2005/06 | 18,316 | 22 | 97.09% |
2006/07 | 18,488 | 20 | 98% |
2007/08 | 19,481 | 17 | 103.3% |
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Freedom Hall at a distance
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2008
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2008
See also
- List of events at Freedom Hall
- KFC Yum! Center
- Sports in Louisville, Kentucky
- List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
References
- ^ "Bellarmine announces plan to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall". WDRB.com. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ "Records: Home/Attendance" (PDF). 2010–11 Louisville Cardinals Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Louisville Sports information. p. 159. Retrieved March 5, 2011. Freedom Hall has hosted a lot of concerts as well! Including everything from ACDC, Mötley Crüe to Elvis Presley to Led Zeppelin. The women's team used Freedom Hall as its primary home from its first season, 1975–76, through 1980–81. It then began using a series of smaller arenas, both on campus and off, for nearly two decades, though it used Freedom Hall at least once every season except in 1993–94. The team again made Freedom Hall its primary home starting in 1998–99.
- ^ "Freedom Hall". Bellarmine University. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Kentucky Exposition Center — Visitors". kyexpo.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-06-06.
- ^ "Congressional campaign trip: Louisville, Kentucky, rally". jfklibrary.org. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Chris (March 21, 2017). "Thousands rally for Trump at Freedom Hall". WHAS-TV. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- The Courier-Journal. Gannett. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Remember the ABA: Kentucky Colonels". Archived from the original on 2015-05-22. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
- ^ "Freedom Hall". GoCards.com. University of Louisville. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame". www.kyathletichalloffame.org.
- ^ Taylor, Kent (September 27, 2011). "Kentucky Stickhorses to play pro lacrosse in Freedom Hall". WAVE. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Arena football returning to Freedom Hall with Kentucky Xtreme". WLKY. September 5, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Finley, Marty (November 2, 2020). "Bellarmine University to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall". American City Business Journals. Advance Publications. Retrieved March 17, 2023.