PNC Arena

PNC Arena[4] (originally Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena and formerly the RBC Center) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The arena seats 19,722 for basketball [1] and 18,680 for ice hockey,[1] including 59 suites, 13 loge boxes and 2,000 club seats. The building has three concourses and a 300-seat restaurant.

"RBC Center" redirects here. For the office tower in Toronto, Ontario, see RBC Centre. For other uses, see RBC Centre (disambiguation).
PNC Arena
South Entrance in 2013
PNC Arena
Location in North Carolina
PNC Arena
Location in the United States
Former namesRaleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (1999–2002)
RBC Center (2002–2012)
Address1400 Edwards Mill Road
LocationRaleigh, North Carolina
Coordinates35°48′12″N 78°43′19″W
OwnerCentennial Authority
OperatorGale Force Sports & Entertainment
CapacityBasketball: 19,722+[1]
Ice hockey: 18,176 (1999-2011) 18,680+[1]
Concerts: 19,500+(varies on setup)
Field size700,000 sq ft (65,000 m2)
SurfaceMulti-surface
Scoreboard9,250 sq ft (859 m2) (2019)
Construction
Broke groundJuly 22, 1997
OpenedOctober 29, 1999
Renovated2003, 2008–09, 2016, 2018-19
Construction cost$158 million
($242 million in 2019, adjusted for inflation.[2])
ArchitectOdell Associates, Inc.
Project managerMcDevitt Street Bovis, Inc.[1]
Structural engineerGeiger Engineers[3]
General contractorHensel Phelps Construction Co.[1]
Tenants
Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) (1999–present)
NC State Wolfpack (ACC) (1999–present)
Carolina Cobras (AFL) (2000–2002)
Website
http://www.thepncarena.com/
One of the main concourses inside the RBC Center during a Hurricanes game in 2009
An NC State college basketball game at the RBC Center in 2008

PNC Arena is home to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League and the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team of NCAA Division I. The arena neighbors Carter–Finley Stadium, home of Wolfpack Football; the North Carolina State Fairgrounds and Dorton Arena (on the Fairgrounds). The arena also hosted the Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League from 2000 to 2002. It is the fourth-largest arena in the ACC (after the Carrier Dome, KFC Yum! Center and the Dean Smith Center) and the eighth-largest arena in the NCAA.

History

The idea of a new basketball arena to replace the Wolfpack's longtime home, Reynolds Coliseum, first emerged in the 1980s under the vision of then-Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano. In 1989, the NCSU Trustees approved plans to build a 23,000 seat arena. The Centennial Authority was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1995 as the governing entity of the arena, then financed by state appropriation, local contributions, and University fundraising. The Centennial Authority refocused the project into a multi-use arena, leading to the 1997 relocation agreement of the then-Hartford Whalers, who would become the Carolina Hurricanes. Construction began that year and was completed in 1999 with an estimated cost of $158 million, which was largely publicly financed by a Hotel and Restaurant tax. The Hurricanes agreed to pay $60 million of the cost, and the state of North Carolina paid $18 million. As part of the deal, the Hurricanes assumed operational control of the arena.

Known as the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (or ESA) from 1999 to 2002, it was renamed the RBC Center after an extended search for a corporate sponsor. RBC Bank, the US division of the Royal Bank of Canada, acquired 20-year naming rights for a reported $80 million. On June 19, 2011, it was announced that PNC Financial Services bought US assets of RBC Bank and acquired the naming rights to the arena pending approval by the regulatory agencies.[5] On December 15, 2011, the Centennial Authority, the landlord of the arena, approved a name change for the facility to PNC Arena.[6] The name change officially took place on March 15, 2012.[7] On a normal hockey day, PNC Arena has more than 400 people on duty for security and concessions.

The arena has also seen use in fictional media, as a season four episode of The CW series One Tree Hill saw the Tree Hill High School Ravens playing a NCHSAA championship game in the venue.

Hockey

Raleigh experienced its first NHL game on October 29, 1999, when the Hurricanes hosted the New Jersey Devils on the building's opening night. The first playoff series at the Entertainment and Sports Arena were held in 2001 when the Hurricanes hosted the Devils in games 3, 4, and 6, of the 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Hurricanes lost in 6. The ESA (by then the renamed RBC Center) hosted games of both the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals; however, the Hurricanes lost in the Finals. On June 19, 2006, the Hurricanes were on home ice for a decisive game seven of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3–1 to bring the franchise its first Stanley Cup and North Carolina its first and only major professional sports championship. The arena hosted the playoffs again in 2009, with the Hurricanes losing in the Eastern Conference Finals.[8] In 2019, the arena hosted playoff hockey for the first time in 10 years, with fans setting a single-game record attendance of 19,495 in game 4 of the second round vs the Islanders.[9]

Top 10 attended Hurricanes games at PNC Arena

Attendance numbers come from press numbers from ESPN, the PNC Arena, the Raleigh News and Observer, as well as Hockey Reference.com. Italics represent playoff games.

DateOpponentResultAttendanceRank
May 3, 2019New York IslandersW (5–2)19,4951 [10]
April 18, 2019Washington CapitalsW (2–1)19,2022 [11]
May 2, 2019New York IslandersW (5–2)19,0663 [12]
June 8, 2002Detroit Red WingsOTL (2–3)18,9824 [13]
June 19, 2006Edmonton OilersW (3–1)18,9785 [14]
April 22, 2019Washington CapitalsW (5–2)18,9136 [15]
May 8, 2009Boston BruinsW (4–1)18,8787 [16]
May 23, 2009Pittsburgh PenguinsL (2–6)18,7898 [17]
April 15, 2019Washington CapitalsW (5–0)18,7839 [18]
May 14, 2019Boston BruinsL (1–2)18,76810 [19]

Renovations

A ribbon board was installed in 2003 which encircles the arena bowl.[20] In 2008, the arena renovated its sound system. Clair Brothers Systems installed a combination of JBL line arrays to provide improved audio coverage for all events. In June 2009, video crews installed a new Daktronics HD scoreboard. It replaced the ten-year-old scoreboard that had been in the arena since its opening in 1999. The scoreboard was full LED and four-sided with full video displays, whereas the previous scoreboard was eight-sided; four of those sides featured alternating static dot-matrix displays (very much outdated for today's standards). In addition, the scoreboard featured an octagonal top section with full video capability, along with two rings above and below the main video screens; they were similar to the ribbon board encircling the arena.

In October 2015, architects met with the Centennial Authority to discuss a potential arena renovation. Their proposal includes all-new entrances, a new rooftop restaurant and bar, covered tailgating sections, and moving the administrative offices elsewhere in the arena as a result. The plans also call for new office spaces, additional meeting spaces, removing stairwells and aisles, adding wider seats, and perhaps building lounges on the mezzanine levels below the main concourse level. Project costs have not yet been decided, as the architects were given until May/June 2016 to come up with estimates. The estimated cost could be almost $200 million. The Centennial Authority would have to approve the estimates before official voting could begin. If the funds are approved the renovation start time would be 2020 and at the earliest, it could be completed by 2022.[21][22]

During the summer of 2016, the ribbon boards were upgraded and a second ribbon board was added to the upper level fascia. Static advertising signs inside the lower bowl of the arena were replaced with LED video boards. In 2018, they renovated the NHL home locker rooms and replaced the seating in the upper bowl as well as an ice/court projection system that was first used December 23 at a Hurricanes game against the Boston Bruins.

In April 2019 it was announced the arena would receive a new Daktronics video board later that year. The board would be nearly 3 times as large as the then-current board. The new video board would feature a full 360 degree display, two underbelly screens and 2 underbelly static advertising signs. It will also be the first of its kind and one of only a few 360 degree video boards in the NHL. The board would cost $4.7 million, would stretch blue line to blue line, and would be 4,000 square feet (370 m2). Original plans called for a 2018 installation, but the project was bumped back due to structural/roof issues. The old video board was taken down on June 1, 2019. Its last day in operation was May 31 for a Special Olympics event.[23][24] The new board debuted on September 18, 2019.[25]

In November 2019, Raleigh approved funding for the arena at $9 million a year for 25 years for arena enhancements, putting the grand total to $225 million. Some concessions in the arena were updated in 2019 in addition to the LED upgrade. They included a new marketplace in the upper concourse as well as other concessions renovated and a new color changing lighting system on the exterior of the South End. The Centennial Authority (operating group) and the Hurricanes are also meeting to further discuss the future renovations and the future of the Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Most offices are expected to move out before the 2020-21 NHL Season and renovations should start.[26]

Notable events

In addition to hockey and college basketball, PNC Arena hosts a wide array of concerts, family shows, and other events each year. Past performers include Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Eric Clapton, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Justin Timberlake, Big Time Rush, Elton John, Lady Gaga, One Direction, Celine Dion, George Strait, Bon Jovi, Journey, Def Leppard, Keith Urban, and many other artists. Family shows have included Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Sesame Street Live, Disney On Ice, and the Harlem Globetrotters. The arena has also hosted several college hockey games between NC State and North Carolina.

  • When known as the RBC Center, the arena hosted the 2005 Jeopardy College Championship with Peter Ellis representing North Carolina State University.
  • The arena was a site for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2004, 2008, 2014, and 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, respectively.

List of concerts and other events
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See also

References
  1. "PNC Arena: Info". Centennial Authority. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "PNC Arena". Geiger Engineers. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  4. Shaffer, Josh (March 16, 2012). "RBC Center Out; PNC Arena In". The News & Observer. Raleigh: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  5. Ranii, David (June 20, 2011). "Goodbye RBC Center". The News & Observer. Raleigh: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  6. deBruyn, Jason (January 25, 2012). "RBC Signs Coming Down at RBC Center". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  7. "Hurricanes and PNC Bank to Introduce PNC Arena to Community on March 15" (Press release). Centennial Authority. February 23, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  8. "2008-09 Carolina Hurricanes Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com.
  9. "Tweet". twitter.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  10. "Islanders vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - May 3, 2019". ESPN.
  11. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article229414144.html
  12. "Islanders vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - May 1, 2019". ESPN.
  13. https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article178428671.html
  14. "Oilers vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - June 19, 2006". ESPN.
  15. "Capitals vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - April 22, 2019". ESPN.
  16. "Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes Box Score — May 8, 2009". Hockey-Reference.com.
  17. "Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes Box Score — May 23, 2009". Hockey-Reference.com.
  18. "Capitals vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - April 15, 2019". ESPN.
  19. "Bruins vs. Hurricanes - Game Summary - May 14, 2019". ESPN.
  20. "Fun facts". www.thepncarena.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  21. The Centennial Authority (2015-10-27). "PNC Arena upgrade plan would 'energize' facility". newsobserver. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  22. "Carolina Hurricanes: Update on Proposed PNC Arena Renovations". January 19, 2016.
  23. Decock, Luke. "After scoreboard fiasco, honeymoon is over for new Hurricanes owner". newsobserver.com. News & Observer. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  24. "Canes reveal digital rendering of new video board coming to PNC Arena". newsobserver.com. News & Observer. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  25. DeCock, Luke (2019-09-18). "Hurricanes' new faces debut at home in preseason under a brighter, shinier newcomer". newsobserver. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  26. "Timeline" (PDF). www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  27. Matthews, Natalie. "Metallica sets new attendance record at PNC Arena". wral.com. WRAL. Retrieved 30 January 2019.

Notes
  • NCSU Athletics. RBC Center Retrieved July 12, 2004 from .
  • RBC Center: History. Retrieved July 12, 2004 from .
  • The Hockey News. 59.37 (2006): 6.
  • Live Sound: Clair Systems Revamps RBC Center Audio with JBL Loudspeakers. Retrieved May 15, 2009 from
  • RBC Center Gets New Scoreboard. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Greensboro Coliseum		 Home of the
Carolina Hurricanes
1999 – present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Reynolds Coliseum		 Home of the
NC State Wolfpack
1999–present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
none		 Home of the
Carolina Cobras
2000–2002		 Succeeded by
Charlotte Coliseum
Preceded by
Petersen Events Center		 Host of the
Jeopardy! College Championship
2005		 Succeeded by
Galen Center
Preceded by
Bell Centre		 Host of the
NHL All-Star Game
2011		 Succeeded by
Scotiabank Place
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