Bryce Jordan Center

Bryce Jordan Center
	Bryce Jordan Center in 2006.
Location	127 Bryce Jordan Center; State College, Pennsylvania 16802
Coordinates	40°48′32″N 77°51′21″W / 40.80889°N 77.85583°W
Owner	Pennsylvania State University
Operator	Pennsylvania State University
Capacity	Basketball: 15,261; Concerts: 16,000+
Surface	Multi-surface
Construction
Broke ground	April 7, 1993
Opened	January 6, 1996
Construction cost	$52.762 million; ($103 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Rosser International Inc.
General contractor	Gilbane Building Company
Tenants
	Penn State Nittany Lions (NCAA); Men's basketball (1996–present); Women's basketball (1996–present)

The Bryce Jordan Center is a 15,261-seat multi-purpose arena in College Township, Pennsylvania, on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. The arena opened in 1996 and is the largest such venue between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It replaced Rec Hall as the home to the Nittany Lions men's and women's basketball teams, the Pride of the Lions Pep Band, and its student section, Legion of Blue. It also plays host to events such as concerts, circuses, and commencement ceremonies for colleges within the university. The arena is named after former Penn State University president Bryce Jordan, who was instrumental in acquiring funding needed to build it. The arena is associated with the Arena Network, a marketing and scheduling group of 38 arenas.^[3]

Location and layout

The arena is located across the street from Beaver Stadium on Curtin Road, on the eastern part of the campus. This part of campus is home to many of the school's athletic facilities, including the recently built Medlar Field at Lubrano Park baseball facility, Pegula Ice Arena, and Jeffrey Field soccer stadium. There is a large electronic display outside the arena which provides advertisements for future events. The university also recently contracted with ANC Sports to install over 900 feet (270 m) of LED ribbon board signage to be used for sponsor advertisements and game prompts.^[4]

Operations

The Jordan Center is owned by Penn State University and operated through its Auxiliary & Business Services Unit.

Notable events

It hosts numerous concerts and World Wrestling Entertainment events, including RAW.

In 1998, parts of Aerosmith's live album, A Little South of Sanity, were recorded at the Jordan Center. Lead singer Steven Tyler can be heard yelling "State College" out to the audience during "Love in an Elevator".

In 2000, the music video for Backstreet Boys' song "The One" was filmed at the arena

In 2001, Britney Spears played at the arena as part of her Dream Within a Dream Tour. Some performances were taped with a new technology, at the time, called First-person shooter engine and were released as bonus videos in her video game "Britney's Dance Beat", for PlayStation 2.

On October 1, 2004, during the 2004 presidential campaign, the arena hosted the politically motivated Vote for Change Tour, featuring performances by My Morning Jacket, Jurassic 5, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and Dave Matthews Band.^[5]

In March 2006, the arena hosted first and second rounds of the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship. The arena also hosts the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Basketball Championships annually.^[6]

In 2007, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly known as THON, was moved to the Jordan Center.^[7] The event, designed to raise money to fight pediatric cancer, raises millions of dollars every year.

On October 13, 2008, it hosted Change Rocks: A Concert to Benefit Obama, featuring The Allman Brothers Band and four living members of Grateful Dead, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann.

On October 20, 2018, Metallica set the attendance record with a crowd of 15,588 people.^[8]

On January 27, 2023, the arena hosted 15,998 guests for the Penn State college wrestling match against Iowa, tying the record for the third-largest dual meet crowd in college wrestling history and exceeding the attendance at the 2018 Metallica concert for the arena's all-time attendance record.

References

^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ Caldwell, Hope (August 29, 1995). "Bryce Jordan Center on Track for Nov. 28 Opening". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
^ Coploff, Reid (April 23, 2004). "Backstage at the BJC". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on May 17, 2004. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
^ Jones, David (July 23, 2008). "New Message Ribbons at Beav, Jordan Center". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
^ "2004 Setlists". Backstreets Magazine. July 17, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
^ "Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Awarded 2007 & 2008 PIAA Basketball Championships" (Press release). Penn State Athletics. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2006.
^ – Pritchett, Mollie (February 16, 2007). "BJC to See First THON". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2007.
^ "Metallica Shreds at the Bryce Jordan Center in Front of a Record Crowd". October 22, 2018.

External links

Official website
Bryce Jordan Center at GoPSUSports.com Archived January 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[2] Caldwell, Hope (August 29, 1995). "Bryce Jordan Center on Track for Nov. 28 Opening". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2012.

[3] Coploff, Reid (April 23, 2004). "Backstage at the BJC". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on May 17, 2004. Retrieved November 11, 2013.

[4] Jones, David (July 23, 2008). "New Message Ribbons at Beav, Jordan Center". The Patriot-News. Harrisburg. Retrieved July 24, 2008.

[5] "2004 Setlists". Backstreets Magazine. July 17, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2013.

[6] "Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center Awarded 2007 & 2008 PIAA Basketball Championships" (Press release). Penn State Athletics. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2006.

[7] – Pritchett, Mollie (February 16, 2007). "BJC to See First THON". The Daily Collegian (Penn State). Archived from the original on February 20, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2007.

[8] "Metallica Shreds at the Bryce Jordan Center in Front of a Record Crowd". October 22, 2018.

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v t e Penn State Nittany Lions basketball
Venues	Armory (1896–1929) Rec Hall (1929–1996) Bryce Jordan Center (1996–present)
Culture & lore	Legion of Blue Nittany Lion "Fight On, State" Penn State Blue Band
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Penn State Lady Lions basketball
Venues	Rec Hall (1964–1996) Bryce Jordan Center (1996–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e Music venues of Pennsylvania
Outdoor	Acrisure Stadium Citizens Bank Park Great Plaza at Penn's Landing Hersheypark Stadium Lincoln Financial Field Mann Center for the Performing Arts Penn Community Bank Amphitheater Peoples Natural Gas Park Star Pavilion The Pavilion The Pavilion at Star Lake
Theaters and clubs	Academy of Music Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Benedum Center Byham Theater Carnegie Library Music Hall The Chameleon Club Electric Factory F.M. Kirby Center Heinz Hall Irvine Auditorium Keswick Theatre Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts The Met Scranton Cultural Center Sherman Theater Theatre of Living Arts Tower Theater Trocadero Theatre Stage AE Union Transfer Zoellner Arts Center
Arenas	2300 Arena Bryce Jordan Center Cambria County War Memorial Arena Erie Insurance Arena Giant Center Hersheypark Arena Liacouras Center Palumbo Center Petersen Events Center PPG Paints Arena PPL Center The Event Center at Rivers Casino Santander Arena Stabler Arena Wells Fargo Center Wind Creek Event Center Xcite Center
Festivals	Budweiser Made in America Festival Flood City Music Festival Mellon Jazz Festival Musikfest Philadelphia Folk Festival The Peach Music Festival
Historic venues	Empire Rock Club Philadelphia Convention Hall Spectrum Syria Mosque The Electric Banana

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States
Geographic	MusicBrainz place

Construction

Bryce Jordan Center in 2006.

Location	127 Bryce Jordan Center State College, Pennsylvania 16802
Coordinates	40°48′32″N 77°51′21″W / 40.80889°N 77.85583°W / 40.80889; -77.85583
Owner	Pennsylvania State University
Operator	Pennsylvania State University
Capacity	Basketball: 15,261 Concerts: 16,000+
Surface	Multi-surface
Broke ground	April 7, 1993
Opened	January 6, 1996 (1996-01-06)
Construction cost	$52.762 million ($103 million in 2023 dollars^[1])
Architect	Rosser International Inc.
General contractor	Gilbane Building Company^[2]
Tenants
Penn State Nittany Lions (NCAA) Men's basketball (1996–present) Women's basketball (1996–present)