Petersen Events Center
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The John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center is a 12,508-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It hosts the men's and women's Pitt Panthers basketball teams.
The arena opened in 2002 on part of the former site of Pitt Stadium, which housed the university's football team from 1925 to 1999. The Pitt basketball program makes its home here, moving over from Fitzgerald Field House, as well as serving the ABA Pittsburgh Xplosion minor league basketball team.
Its first event was a Counting Crows concert. For concerts the Center seats 9,000 for end-stage shows, 14,763 for center-stage shows.
The arena features 16,000 square feet of lobby space, 18 luxury suites, including five courtside luxury suites (the only college arena with courtside suites) and a 193-seat SuperSuite.
Two nicknames have been spawned by this new venue. It is dubbed "The Pete," and the raucous student section inside is known as the "Oakland Zoo." Oakland is the neighborhood where Pitt and "The Pete" are located.
In 2004 "The Pete" played host to the annual Jeopardy! College Championship. Tapings were held October 9 and 10 and the shows were broadcast November 10-23. While Amanda Nowotny represented the University of Pittsburgh in the tournament, the tournament was won by Kermin Fleming, who represented Carnegie Mellon University, also located in Oakland (Pittsburgh).
In 2007, "The Pete" will host first and second round games of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship.
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