Vines Center

The Vines Convocation Center, also known as simply The Vines Center, is a 9,547-seat[4] multi-purpose arena in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was built in 1990 and is home to the Liberty University Flames (men's) and Lady Flames (women's) basketball teams. The Vines Center features three practice courts (1.5 each for men's and women's basketball), four spacious locker rooms, a weight room, a training room, men's and women's basketball team rooms, a team dining room, basketball coaches offices, a built-in TV studio, a center-hung scoreboard and a suite atop the seating bowl.[4] It hosted the Big South Conference men's basketball tournament from 1995 to 1998, and also all rounds of the tourney except for the first round in 2003 and 2004. In the fall of 2008 the Vines Center underwent a major renovation of all seating. New red and blue cushioned seats were installed and new blue plastic game seats were put in place.

The Vines Convocation Center
"The Furnace"
Liberty Flames men's basketball in 2008
Location1971 University Boulevard
Lynchburg, Virginia 24502
Coordinates37.349068°N 79.180998°W / 37.349068; -79.180998
OwnerLiberty University
OperatorLiberty University
Capacity9,547 (Basketball)
10,000+ (Special Events)
SurfaceHardwood
Construction
Broke ground1988
OpenedOctober 22, 1990[1]
Construction cost$7.5 million
($14.7 million in 2019 dollars[2])
ArchitectHaken/Corley and Associates[3]
General contractorMcDevitt & Street[3]
Tenants
Liberty Flames Basketball (1990–present)
Liberty Campus at night with the Vines Center pictured in the background

In addition to sporting events the Vines Center hosts Liberty's Convocations (mandatory meetings which are held on Wednesdays and Fridays of each week at 10:30 AM; attendance at Convocation is mandatory for all students, except for Convocation selects, which are held on Mondays at a different venue.[5]) and commencement exercises.

The Vines Center was the largest basketball arena in the Big South Conference when Liberty was a member (1991–2018), and is now the largest arena to serve as a regular basketball home in Liberty's current league, the ASUN Conference.

In 2020, the Vines Center is set to be replaced as the main home to Flames and Lady Flames basketball and Lady Flames volleyball by the proposed Liberty Arena to be built adjacent to the Vines Center. The Liberty Arena will host games and events where the attendance is not expected to exceed 4,000, while the Vines Center will continue to host high-attendance games and events.[6][7]

  • The Vines Center as pictured from outside
  • The Vines Center during a Convocation (prior to renovations and upgrades such as the center-hung scoreboard)

See also

References
  1. Sattler, Abigail (2011). "Timeline and Important Dates of LibertyUniversity". digitalcommons.liberty.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "Facilities - Vines Center Basketball - Liberty Flames". libertyflames.com.
  4. "Athletics Facilities - Vines Center | Liberty Flames". www.liberty.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  5. Liberty specifically states that Convocation is not a chapel service (notwithstanding the mandatory attendance), as it often invites guest speakers with viewpoints that differ greatly from those of Liberty.
  6. Liberty University (2018-03-17). "New Multiuse Arena to be Built Next to Vines Center". Liberty.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  7. Moody, Josh (2018-03-17). "LU planning new arena for 2020". The News & Advance. Retrieved 2018-03-19.


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