Spring Break
The history behind the Scottrade Center
Mike Northup
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Sports
Frank Sinatra and Pope John Paul II made appearances there. The NHL's St. Louis Blues have made it their home since 1995. This weekend, however, the Scottrade Center in St. Louis will welcome the Connecticut, Louisville, Oklahoma and Stanford women's basketball programs for the 2009 Final Four.
The 664,000 square-foot arena opened on Oct. 8, 1994 as the Kiel Center in place of the old Kiel Auditorium, a 9,000-seat venue that was built in 1932. Since then, it has played host to numerous sporting events, concerts and other proceedings.
The 22,000-seat arena is no stranger to basketball. From 1994 through 2008, the St. Louis University's men's basketball team played home games there. "Arch Madness," the Missouri Valley Conference's men's basketball tournament, has been a fixture at the arena every year since 1995. The 1997 Conference USA men's basketball tournament and 1998 NCAA Tournament`s Midwest Regional also ran through the arena.
The women's Final Four has made one previous stop to the arena as well. In 2001, when it was known as the Savvis Center, Notre Dame won their first NCAA Championship in women's basketball on its floor. UConn is the only team in this year's Final Four from that 2001 group, which also included Southwest Missouri State (who reached as a No. 5 seed) and runner-up Purdue.
The Scottrade Center hasn't been limited to sporting events, either. On Oct. 21, 1994, just two weeks after the center opened, 78-year-old Frank Sinatra made his final St. Louis concert appearance at the arena, drawing a crowd of 15,000. On Jan. 26, 1999, Pope John Paul II led a prayer service at a youth rally hosted at the then-named Kiel Center.
The 664,000 square-foot arena opened on Oct. 8, 1994 as the Kiel Center in place of the old Kiel Auditorium, a 9,000-seat venue that was built in 1932. Since then, it has played host to numerous sporting events, concerts and other proceedings.
The 22,000-seat arena is no stranger to basketball. From 1994 through 2008, the St. Louis University's men's basketball team played home games there. "Arch Madness," the Missouri Valley Conference's men's basketball tournament, has been a fixture at the arena every year since 1995. The 1997 Conference USA men's basketball tournament and 1998 NCAA Tournament`s Midwest Regional also ran through the arena.
The women's Final Four has made one previous stop to the arena as well. In 2001, when it was known as the Savvis Center, Notre Dame won their first NCAA Championship in women's basketball on its floor. UConn is the only team in this year's Final Four from that 2001 group, which also included Southwest Missouri State (who reached as a No. 5 seed) and runner-up Purdue.
The Scottrade Center hasn't been limited to sporting events, either. On Oct. 21, 1994, just two weeks after the center opened, 78-year-old Frank Sinatra made his final St. Louis concert appearance at the arena, drawing a crowd of 15,000. On Jan. 26, 1999, Pope John Paul II led a prayer service at a youth rally hosted at the then-named Kiel Center.
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