Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
| "The Tuck" | |
 |
|
| Location | 505 West Pensacola Street Tallahassee, FL 32301 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Owner | Florida State University |
| Operator | Florida State Athletics |
| Capacity | 15,000-12,508 (Concerts) 14,000-12,100 (Basketball) 1998-Present 10,000 1981-1998 |
| Record attendance | 15,000 WWE Raw Live Event January 12th 2008 (unconfirmed) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1978 |
| Opened | September 14, 1981 |
| Construction cost | $33.8 Million ($88 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Barrett, Daffin and Carlan, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Florida State Seminoles men's basketball Florida State Seminoles women's basketball |
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The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, also known as The Tuck, is an 12,500-seat multi-purpose arena located on the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, Florida. The arena has the biggest capacity of any arena in the Florida Panhandle. The arena opened in 1981 and was built at a cost of $33.8 million, financed by the city. The facility is located on the southeastern side of the university's campus, between the Florida State University College of Law and the future home of the Florida State University College of Business. The arena is also located on the Madison Mile which is an economic development that connects the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center and Doak Campbell Stadium.
Contents
Florida State Seminoles home arena
The Donald L. Tucker Center is home to the Florida State Seminoles men's basketball and Florida State Seminoles women's basketball teams. Covering 18,000 square feet (1,700 m2), this versatile Arena can accommodate 1,000 people for banquets and receptions for up to 2,000. The Arena has 13,800 upholstered seats for sporting events, concerts, touring Broadway Productions and Family Shows. The arena can increase the capacity with risers. Risers are usually added on to the side of the arena wall blending in perfectly with the permanent seats. Risers are usually only given out to the events of wrestling, basketball and sometimes, concerts. The arena can be configured in a variety of seating arrangements for each type of event.
As a concert venue, the arena can seat between 2,372 and 12,041. As a convention center, it can accommodate 18,900 square feet (1760 m²) in the main arena plus 35,000 square feet (3300 m²) at the adjoining exhibit hall, in addition to 16,000 square feet (1500 m²) of space at the meeting rooms. Concerts, sporting events, trade shows, Broadway shows, conventions, ice shows, circuses, and other events are held here annually.
The Centre Theater is a 6,000-seat theater configuratuion used for small concerts, preaching and other theater type events. The theater provides not only a traditional counterweight system for shows accustomed to a conventional theatre venue, but also a perfect setting for musical artists that prefer a more intimate performance space. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system capable of providing reinforcement for upper level and club seat fill, as well as motorized clusters that may be utilized for additional support. The Centre Theater has been proud to host the Tallahassee Broadway Series for the last 11 years and has presented such tours as Les Misérables, Riverdance, Cats, Chicago, Fosse and Rent. In addition, numerous musical artists have chosen to perform in this configuration.
Renovations
Prior to the summer of 2014, much of the existing infrastructure and equipment in use had been there since the arena opened in 1981. This included some equipment that was so outdated that it couldn't be replaced. Further deferred maintenance occurred while the arena was owned by Leon County and the City of Tallahassee.
Florida State University gave the arena a major and much-needed renovation during the summer of 2014. The arena received new seats, Jumbotrons including new LED ribbon boards, and a new floor, all at the cost of $10 million. Before then, the only major "renovation" occurred in 1998, when the facility's roof was replaced.[2]
History
The arena was named the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in 1977 in honor of Donald L. Tucker, Esq., a former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and Special Ambassador for the United States to the Dominican Republic. Upon opening, the venue was named the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. In 2001, the Florida Senate proposed reverting the civic center to its original name; however, this provision was vetoed.[3] The center reverted to its original name in January 2012.[4] The venue was owned by the Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center Authority until 2012.[5]
The civic center has been the home to many sports teams. It has had WCW Thunder, WWF SmackDown! and WWE Live Events, including men's and women's basketball Tournament's . It is also home to the Florida State Seminoles men's and women's basketball teams. Before they moved, it was also host to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks ice hockey team of the ECHL. Other professional teams that called the center home included the Tallahassee Thunder of arenafootball2 and the Tallahassee Scorpions soccer team of the EISL. In 2007 it was home to the Tallahassee Titans of the American Indoor Football League. The team then left the AIFL for the World Indoor Football League but then folded after the owner failed to acquire enough capital to finance the team.[citation needed] The WIFL then folded as other members jumped to other leagues.
- Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (ECHL) (1994–2001)
Tallahassee Scorpions (EISL) (1997-1998) - Tallahassee Thunder (af2) (2000-2002)
- Tallahassee Titans (AIFA) (2007)
Tallahassee Tiger's where a planned ABA team that could not find a home in The Arena due to the Up coming Seminole's Basketball season conflicting with the tiger's preventing the teams debut and game play and never made its 2007 debut in the ABA
Notable Shows
Rush Apr 9 1982 The Signals Tour
AC/DC Oct 10 1988 Blow Up Your Video Tour
Aerosmith May 10 1990 Pump Tour
Van Halen Dec 9 1991 For Unlawful Carnal Knowlage Tour
Metallica Feb 4 1993 Where Ever We May Roam Tour
Nirvana Dec 2 1993 In Utero Tour
WWE Smackdown Dec 16 1999
T Pain Jun 10 2007
Elton John Mar 23 2008
Larry The Cable Guy 2008
Avenged Sevenfold Dec 2 2008
Shinedown Dec 2 2008
Trans Siberian Ocrhestra Nov 8 2008
3 Doors Down Jan 27 2009
tobyMAC Jan 16 2009
Carrie Underwood May 4 2010
Drake Feb 24 2012
Jake Owen 2013
Jason Aldean 2013 Sold Out
Brad Paisley 2014 Sold Out
Wiz Kahlifa Apr 21 2014
Darius Rucker Apr 25 2014
Eric Church Mar 26 2015
See also
References
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External links
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2009
- Convention centers in Florida
- College basketball venues in the United States
- Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States
- Florida State Seminoles basketball venues
- Music venues in Florida
- Arena football venues
- Soccer venues in Florida
- Sports venues in Tallahassee, Florida
- Event venues established in 1981
- 1981 establishments in Florida
