Portal:Basketball/Selected article/July, 2007

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Cassell Coliseum is a 10,052-seat multi-purpose arena in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. The arena opened in 1961. It is home to the Virginia Tech Hokies basketball teams (men's and women's).

Built as a replacement for the much smaller War Memorial Gymnasium, the Coliseum's construction began in 1961. It was completed in December 1964 at a cost of $2.7 million. It was designed by Carneal and Johnston,(now Ballou Justice Upton Architects, Richmond, Va) and built by T.C. Brittain and Company of Decatur, Georgia. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.

The first game, however, was on January 3, 1962. The Hokies played Alabama. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.

In the early years of the Coliseum, the Hokies frequently saw capacity crowds pack the venue. In recent years, however, this has not been the case. Student and alumni interest in basketball decreased in the 1990s due to the Hokies' lack of a stable basketball conference home and due to the success of the football team. Fan support has begun to gain momentum under the new coaching staff and the school's recent move to the ACC, which includes archrival Virginia.

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