Gaylord Entertainment Center
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The Gaylord Entertainment Center is a sports venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee which was completed in 1996. In 1997 it was the host venue of the United States Figure Skating Association national championships, and in 2004 hosted the U.S. Gymnastics championships. It is owned by the Sports Authority of Nashville and Davidson County and operated by Powers Management Company, a subsidiary of the Nashville Predators National Hockey League franchise, which has been its primary tenant since 1998. It was also home of the Nashville Kats franchise of the Arena Football League from 1997 until 2001, and again began hosting this operation starting in 2005. The venue has also hosted numerous concerts and religious gatherings, and some major basketball events, including both men's and women's tournaments of the Southeastern Conference and early rounds of the men's NCAA Basketball Tournament. It has a seating capacity of 17,523 for ice hockey and approximately 20,000 for basketball, depending on the configuration used.
In February 2005 it was announced that the Predators and Gaylord had reached an agreement terminating any further involvement between them and that the Gaylord name would remain on the building only until a new purchaser could be found for the naming rights; as a result, many in the Nashville media have reverted to calling the facility by its original name, the Nashville Arena.
External link
- The Gaylord Entertainment Center website (http://www.gaylordentertainmentcenter.com/)