Bramlage Coliseum
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| Location | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506 39°11′25.0″N 96°35′13″W / 39.190278°N 96.58694°W |
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| Owner | Kansas State |
| Operator | Kansas State |
| Capacity | 13,500 (basketball) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 18, 1986 |
| Opened | October 21, 1988 |
| Construction cost | $17.2 million USD |
| Tenants | |
| Kansas State Wildcats (Men's & Women's Basketball) | |
Bramlage Coliseum is a 13,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Manhattan, Kansas. The arena's primary function is as home to the men's and women's basketball teams for Kansas State University. The building also holds offices for Kansas State baseball, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Sports Information [1].
The arena was built to replace Ahearn Field House, K-State's prior basketball facility. Construction of the arena began with a groundbreaking on October 18, 1986, and was completed in 1988. The construction was funded entirely by student fees and donations from alumni and friends of the University. The name of the arena honors Fred Bramlage, a local philanthropist instrumental in raising funds for the facility.
History
On November 26, 1988, Kansas State University officially opened Bramlage Coliseum with an 81-77 victory over Purdue. The first basketball game actually played in the arena, however, was an exhibition contest between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs on October 21, 1988.
Entering the 2006-2007 season, Kansas State's men's basketball team has posted a 203-80 (.717) record in Bramlage Coliseum. The largest basketball crowd in the arena's history was 13,762 for a game against the University of Kansas on February 22, 1992.
Incidentally, KSU has never beaten the Jayhawks in 18 meetings in Bramlage, and going back to Ahearn Fieldhouse, K-State has lost 23 straight Sunflower Showdown games at home to their in-state rivals since 1984.
The facility hosted women's NCAA basketball tournament games in 2002 and 2003.
Non-sporting events
In addition to Kansas State basketball, Bramlage Coliseum also hosts musical and comical performances, speeches, trade shows, and undergraduate commencement ceremonies. The arena seats up to 14,000 for concerts. It has featured performances by the following groups and individuals:
- Garth Brooks
- The Judds
- Poison
- AC/DC
- Bill Cosby
- Big Head Todd and the Monsters
- Queensrÿche
- The Dave Matthews Band
- Def Leppard
- BB King
- Kenny Chesney and Lila McCann
- Bob Dylan
The arena has also hosted speaking events as part of the Landon Lecture series by the following personalities:
- President Jimmy Carter
- Ross Perot
- Henry Kissinger
- Janet Reno
- Jesse Jackson
- President George W. Bush