Greensboro Complex
The Greensboro Complex, formerly known as the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venues that includes an amphitheater, arena, aquatic center, banquet hall, convention center, museum, theatre and an indoor pavilion. It is the home of the UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team, the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League, the Greensboro Gargoyles of the East Coast Hockey League, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference with their men's and women's basketball tournaments.
It has hosted the ACC men's tournament twenty-three times since 1967 and the ACC women's tournament twelve times since 2000. Other notable sporting events include the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four in 1974 and the East Regionals in 1976, 1979 and 1998. More recently, the Coliseum has hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2011, 2015 and 2020.
It is also the former home of several professional hockey teams including the Greensboro Generals and Greensboro Monarchs of the ECHL and the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes.
The complex has hosted the 'Central Carolina Fair' since 1999.
History
The complex was first proposed in 1944 by the city's mayor. The idea was to create a war memorial to honor veterans of World War I and World War II. The building was approved by city officials in 1956, followed by a groundbreaking in January 1958. With its opening in 1959, the complex held four venues: War Memorial Auditorium, Town Hall Auditorium, The Blue Room and the Greensboro Coliseum. The complex opened on October 29, 1959, for historic show, "Holiday on Ice". Shortly after its opening, the Coliseum began to scout for a hockey team. Partnering with the EHL, the city formed the "Greensboro Generals". The team's first match was November 11, 1959, against the Washington Presidents. The Generals won the game 4–1. The Generals would go on to win the EHL championships.Over the years, the complex hosted several conventions, sporting and musical events. The Coliseum was part-time home of the Carolina Cougars of the American Basketball Association from 1969 to 1974 after the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina in 1969. The Cougars were a "regional franchise," playing "home" games in Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum and Raleigh. Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown began his coaching career with the Cougars in 1972. Billy Cunningham was the ABA MVP for the Cougars in the 1972–73 season. Despite a strong fan base the Cougars were sold and moved to St. Louis in 1974.
To meet demands, the Coliseum expanded its seating to 15,000 in 1972. Six years later, the complex expanded to include an exhibition center, known at the time as the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Exhibition Building. The building's first event was "Super Flea", a flea market for the Triad area. In 1991, the Coliseum's manager proposed an additional expansion of the complex. This expansion would raise the seating capacity of the Coliseum an additional 8,000 to 23,000; however, this capacity would later be lowered to around 20,000 after renovations in the late 2010s. It would also see The Blue Room demolished to make way for a small arena in the Exhibition Hall.
The venue reopened on December 28, 1993, for the "Reunion Classic", a men's basketball game between the UCLA Bruins and NC State Wolfpack. This game was met with controversy as the Coliseum was not fully complete at the time of the game. City officials paid $200,000 to have firefighters on stand by during the game. The Coliseum and the newly expanded exhibition hall did not meet state and city building codes nor fire regulations, because of incomplete construction. Additionally, the Coliseum did not hold the permits to host the event. This decision resulted in city council firing both the Coliseum manager and its contractors, Huber, Hunt and Nichols, Inc.. It was later determined it would take an additional ten months to have the complex comply with regulations. The city added an additional $20 million to the budget to renovate the Coliseum and the auditorium.
Additional expansion came in 2003 when the complex added Novant Health Fieldhouse. Two years later, the complex renovated the old Town Hall Auditorium into the smaller Odeon Theatre. In 2011, the complex added three additional venues: the White Oak Amphitheatre, the Greensboro Aquatic Center and the ACC Hall of Champions. Since its opening, the complex has been visited by nearly 57 million people and hosts over 800 events per year. In September 2014, the War Memorial Auditorium closed its doors.
Oak View Group became the operator of the Complex on July 1, 2024, after winning a bid to take over management of the Complex from the City of Greensboro in early 2024. In October 2024, the City of Greensboro and Oak View Group made a 10-year naming rights deal with First Horizon Bank to rename the coliseum the First Horizon Coliseum. This deal does not affect the other venues at the complex.
Facilities
First Horizon Coliseum
One of the original four buildings of the complex, the Coliseum is one of the oldest buildings on the property. Construction began on the venue in 1958 and was completed in September 1959. Known originally as the "Greensboro Memorial Coliseum", the arena hosted its first event on October 29, 1959. At the time, the Coliseum held 7,100 seats, becoming one of the largest arenas on the East Coast.Through the years, the Coliseum has hosted several sporting events, most notably basketball. The Coliseum has also hosted concerts for over 40 years. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Coliseum was frequented by rock and R&B performers. The first major concert held at the Coliseum was by the Monkees. Elvis Presley played a concert at the Coliseum on April 14, 1972; the footage was used for his final film, entitled Elvis on Tour. Presley performed the Coliseum again on April 21, 1977, one of the final venues of his tour, before his death on August 16. Casting Crowns recorded their live album, entitled Until the Whole World Hears... Live, at the Coliseum on April 24, 2010. Rock band Phish set the attendance record for a concert at the Coliseum on March 1, 2003, with 23,642 attendees.
The arena has also hosted WJMH's SuperJam from 1997 to 2014. The music festival has featured prominent artists in the hip hop community including LL Cool J, Soulja Boy, Ludacris, Ja Rule, Plies, Nas, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, Travis Porter and the Ying Yang Twins.
The Coliseum was also the site of auditions for the fifth season of American Idol on October 3, 2005. Between July 8 and 10, 2012, it played host to the Greensboro audition stages in the second season of the Fox singer search program The X Factor. In October 2024, the coliseum officially changed its name to the First Horizon Coliseum after a 10-year naming deal with First Horizon Bank.
War Memorial Auditorium
One of the original four buildings of the complex, the War Memorial Auditorium was one of the oldest buildings on the property, until it was closed in 2014. Along with the original concept, the venue opened in 1959 to house performing arts events. Playing predominantly to an African-American audience, the auditorium became a notable venue on the Chitlin' Circuit. James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin were among the many performers who played the auditorium during the 1960s. The Rolling Stones played the auditorium during the band's 1965 North American Tour on November 12, 1965. The venue was primarily used for town meetings, theatrical events, religious meetings and concerts. Presidential candidate Barack Obama held a town hall meeting on March 26, 2008, to a full house. Guilford County native Fantasia Barrino gave her first concert, in her home state, during her Back to Me Tour on November 18, 2010.The auditorium was torn down in October 2014, and the site was replaced with a premium parking lot. It's replacement the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, opened in downtown in September 2021. A closing ceremony took place September 4. An O'Jays concert September 5 was the last event, and items from the auditorium were auctioned off the next week.
Special Events Center
Originally known as the "Exhibition Building", the exhibition center opened in 1978. Its purpose was to host business conferences and conventions. The venue was primarily used by "Super Flea", the flea market for the Triad area. In 1993, the center was expanded, converting the old Blue Room into a mid-sized arena known as "Hall C" or the "East Wing". In its current state, the center "includes three exhibition halls, a 4,500-seat mini-arena and eight meeting rooms". The arena is often used for musical performances during the Central Carolina Fair. It is also utilized by Greensboro College men's and women's basketball home games. Other sporting events include boxing and UFC matches. The arena will often host concerts and comedy shows.Odeon Theatre
Opening in 1958 as the "Town Hall Auditorium", the Odeon Theatre is a small venue primarily used for community events. The original auditorium housed 1,000 seats. In 2004, the auditorium was converted to the smaller theatre and reopened in March 2005.White Oak Amphitheatre
The newest addition to the complex, the White Oak Amphitheatre is the first outdoor venue for the Triad area. The venue was originally proposed in 2007 along with the aquatic center. The city purchased the nearby Canada Dry bottling plant to allow space for the amphitheatre. Construction began in 2010 and was completed in June 2011. The first concert for the venue was by The Beach Boys on June 5, 2011, to a crowd of 4,000 spectators. The amphitheatre is expected to operate from April to October, hosting community, comedy and musical events. The project cost $946,000 to construct.While campaigning for the 2016 United States presidential election, Barack Obama held a rally here for Hillary Clinton on October 11, 2016, and Donald Trump held a rally on October 14, 2016.