Moody Center

Last updated
Moody Center
Moody Center logo.svg
Moody Center Front Plaza.jpg
Moody Center
Full nameMoody Center
Address2001 Robert Dedman Drive
Location Austin, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates 30°16′51.5″N97°43′49.7″W / 30.280972°N 97.730472°W / 30.280972; -97.730472
Owner University of Texas at Austin
Operator Oak View Group and University of Texas at Austin
Capacity 16,223 (total) [1]
10,763 (UT basketball) [2]
Record attendance16,223 [3]
Construction
Broke groundDecember 3, 2019
OpenedApril 20, 2022
Construction cost$375 million (original) / $375 million (current estimate)
ArchitectGensler
Structural engineer Walter P Moore
Tenants
Texas Longhorns (men's and women's basketball) (2022–present)
Austin Gamblers (PBR) (2022–present)
Website
moodycenteratx.com

Moody Center is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) in Austin, Texas. The arena, which replaced the Frank Erwin Center, stands on a former parking lot located immediately south of UT's soccer/track and field venue, Mike A. Myers Stadium. [4] The arena seating capacity totals over 15,000 seats.

Contents

History

In 2018, it was announced that Oak View Group and UT agreed to form a public-private partnership, to build a new $375 million arena. The arena was intended to replace replace the Frank Erwin Center as the home for the Texas Longhorns basketball programs, and will also function as a world-class events center for the city of Austin. [5] [6] The new arena is named the Moody Center following the Moody Foundation's grant of $130 million to the university. Oak View Group funded the construction, and manages the building in exchange for the right to keep most of the income from non-UT events, such as concerts and shows, for at least the first 35 years after opening. [7] UT, however, owns the land under the arena and will be the owner of the building. Under the terms of the agreement, the university will have exclusive control of the arena for 60 days each year to hold men's and women's basketball games, graduations, and other events. [7] Oak View Group, along with partners Live Nation and C3 Presents, will have the right to hold events on the other days. [7]

The groundbreaking ceremony took place just south of Mike A. Myers Soccer Stadium on December 3, 2019. [4] The arena held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 19, 2022 and opened to the public on April 20 with a two-night concert featuring John Mayer. [8] George Strait and Willie Nelson had two shows on April 29–30, 2022. [9] Dave Matthews Band performed the opening night of their 2022 Summer Tour on May 11. [10]

The arena held its first UFC event on June 18, 2022, hosting UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett . [11] The UFC returned to the arena for UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan on December 2, 2023. [12]

Harry Styles performed a six-show residency at the arena in September and October 2022, the most shows ever by a single artist, as part of his Love On Tour. [13]

The arena hosted the MF & DAZN: X Series 003 event for Deen the Great vs. Walid Sharks on November 19, 2022. [14]

The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team held their home opener November 7, 2022 at the Moody Center against the UTEP Miners. The Longhorns marked their first home victory at the arena outscoring UTEP 72-57 with an attendance of 11,313 spectators. [15]

Olivia Rodrigo performed one night there on February 28, 2024 for her Guts World Tour.

The arena hosted the CMT Music Awards on April 2, 2023, and again on April 7, 2024.

Monster Jam was also hosted at the arena, on April 22, 2023 and June 8, 2024.

Non-University of Texas at Austin tenants

Since 2022, the Moody Center has been the home venue of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR)'s Austin Gamblers during the PBR Team Series season held every summer through autumn.

In an attempt to expand their market reach into Austin, the San Antonio Spurs played two home games at the Moody Center on April 6 and 8, 2023 against the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves respectively, marking the first NBA regular season games to be played in Austin. [16] The first game brought in a sell-out crowd of 16,023. [17] The Spurs will return to the Moody Center on February 20 and 21, 2024 against the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons respectively.

The Moody Center will play host to the Playoff Stage of the BLAST.tv Austin Major, an upcoming Counter-Strike 2 Major, in June of 2025. The Major is the biggest event in Counter-Strike esports, with teams from all over the world qualifying. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas at Austin</span> Public university in Austin, Texas, US

The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 52,384 students as of Fall 2022, it is also the largest institution in the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Center</span> Indoor arena in Dallas, Texas

The American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The arena is also used for concerts and other live entertainment. It opened on July 17, 2001, at a cost of $420 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas & Mack Center</span> Multi-purpose arena

The Thomas & Mack Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada. It is home of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frost Bank Center</span> Arena in San Antonio, Texas, United States

Frost Bank Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena on the east side of San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is the home of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda Center</span> Indoor arena in Anaheim, California

Honda Center is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Erwin Center</span> Arena in Texas, United States

The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center was a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. It was also sometimes referred to as "The Drum" or "The Superdrum", owing to its round, drum-like appearance from outside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accor Arena</span> Indoor sports arena and concert hall in Paris, France

Accor Arena, also known as Bercy Arena, is an indoor sports arena and concert hall in the neighbourhood of Bercy, on the Boulevard de Bercy, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. The closest Métro station is Bercy, which also serves the Finance Ministry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-Mobile Center</span> Multi-purpose arena in Missouri, US

T-Mobile Center is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is located at the intersection of 14th Street and Grand Boulevard on the east side of the Power & Light District. It has effectively become the city's primary indoor arena, a role previously held by Kemper Arena, which had been built in 1974 a few miles away in the West Bottoms neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Gymnasium</span>

Gregory Gymnasium is the 4,000-seat current home of the University of Texas Longhorn women's volleyball team, and former home of the Longhorn basketball and swimming teams. The basketball teams moved out in 1977 to the Erwin Center. It also served as the home court for the Austin Aces of World Team Tennis from 2014 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Longhorns women's basketball</span> Womens basketball team of the University of Texas

The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represents the University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate women's basketball competition. The Longhorns compete in the Big 12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T-Mobile Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Las Vegas, US

T-Mobile Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. Opened on April 6, 2016, it is the home arena of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). A joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), T-Mobile Arena is situated on the Las Vegas Strip behind the New York-New York and Park MGM casino hotels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson</span> UFC mixed martial arts event in 2014

UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson was a mixed martial arts event held at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, on November 22, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denton A. Cooley Pavilion</span>

The Denton A. Cooley Pavilion is the practice and training facility serving the men's and women's basketball teams of The University of Texas at Austin. The facility is named for Dr. Denton A. Cooley, a UT alumnus, basketball letterman (1939–41), and pioneering heart surgeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dickies Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

Dickies Arena is a 14,000-seat multipurpose American arena, located within the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The venue hosted a public ribbon cutting on October 26, 2019. The first event held was a Twenty One Pilots concert on November 8, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak View Group</span> American sports and real estate company

Oak View Group, LLC (OVG) is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver. It manages several sports venues, including Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, which was constructed under the company's supervision. OVG was formed in November 2015, by Tim Leiweke and his business partner, Irving Azoff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Texas Longhorns women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2021–22 Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The team was coached by Vic Schaefer who entered his second season at Texas. The Longhorns were members of the Big 12 Conference and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2021–22 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first-year head coach Chris Beard and played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 22–12, 10–8 in Big 12 play to finish in fourth place. As the No. 4 seed in the Big 12 tournament, they were defeated in the Quarterfinals by TCU. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed in the East Region, where they defeated Virginia Tech in the first round before losing to Purdue in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2022–23 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by interim head coach Rodney Terry and played their home games at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas as members of the Big 12 Conference. The Longhorns played at the newly-built Moody Center after playing at Frank Erwin Center for 45 years. They finished the season 23–8, 12–6 in Big 12 play to finish in second place. As the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 tournament, they defeated Oklahoma State, TCU, and top-seeded Kansas to win the tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, where they defeated Colgate, Penn State, and Xavier to reach the Elite Eight, their first appearance since 2008. There, the Longhorns finally fell to Miami (FL), bringing their season to a close with a final record of 29–9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 Texas Longhorns women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2022–23 Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The team was coached by Vic Schaefer entering his third season at Texas. The Longhorns are members of the Big 12 Conference and played their home games at the new Moody Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett</span> Mixed martial arts event in 2022

UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 18, 2022 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, United States.

References

  1. "Jokic scores 31, Nuggets top Spurs 117-106 in front of record crowd in Austin".
  2. "Texas men, new Moody Center both pass the eye test in Longhorns' season-opening win". Austin American-Statesman. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
  3. "Spurs break their own attendance record for largest sporting event at Moody Center". 15 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 "New University of Texas Arena to be Named Moody Center". Arena Digest. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  5. Daniel, Cody (December 20, 2018). "The University of Texas, Oak View Group agree to build 'world-class' on-campus arena". Burnt Orange Nation . Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  6. Maas, Jimmy (December 20, 2018). "UT Regents Approve Arena Proposal To Replace Frank Erwin Center". KUT . Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 "Get it in writing: Texas gets 60 protected dates, all gameday revenue in Moody Center contract". Austin American Statesman. 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  8. Gates, Billy (2022-04-18). "Moody Center set for its grand opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony". KXAN. Archived from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  9. "George Strait - Moody Center - Austin, Texas". Moody Center. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  10. "DMBAlmanac.com²". Dmbalmanac.com. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  11. "UFC Fight Night Austin". moodycenteratx.com. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  12. "UFC Fight Night". moodycenteratx.com. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  13. Johnston, Abby (September 26, 2022). "Moody Center Becomes Harry's House for Styles' First of Six Nights". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  14. Netherton, Alexander (15 November 2022). "Deen The Great vs. Walid Sharks: Date, start time, TV channel and live stream". DAZN. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  15. "UTEP vs. Texas - Game Recap - November 7, 2022". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  16. O'Connell, Chris (2023-03-21). "Spurs Week plans Austin takeover with Casa de Spurs, free concert". mySA. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  17. "Spurs edge short-handed Trailblazers, but a win is a win for struggling San Antonio" . Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  18. Schnitker, Andrew (June 14, 2024). "Austin's Moody Center to host major esports competition with $1.25M prize pool". KXAN-TV . Retrieved June 14, 2024.