The RCA Dome was named the Hoosier Dome until 1994 when RCA paid $10 million for the naming rights for 10 years, with two five-year options to RCA at a cost of $13.5 million if invoked. Currently, the stadium seats 57,980 for football. Modifications were made to the stadium in 2001 to expand the suites and add club seating. Prior to that, the maximum seating for a football crowd was 60,272. The dome was officially dedicated on September 8, 1984 as a sold-out crowd witnessed the Purdue Boilermakers defeat the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Basketball is also played at the RCA Dome. The first game played there was an exhibition game in 1984 between an NBA All-Star team led by home-State hero Larry Bird and the United States Olympic Men's Basketball team, coached by Bob Knight, who was at the time the coach of Indiana University. The dome also served as the site of the NBA All-Star Game in February of 1985. Since then it has hosted many NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship games, including four Final Fours (1991, 1997, 2000, 2006). The NCAA, whose headquarters are in Indianapolis, has committed to holding the Final Four in Indianapolis once every five years. The RCA Dome hosted its first Women's Final Four in 2005.
In addition, it has hosted the Indiana High School Athletic Association's annual boys and girls championships, and served as one of two sites for the FIBA Men's World Basketball Championship Tournament in 2002, sharing the honors with Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers. Additionally, the RCA Dome is the site of the Indiana State School Music Association State Marching Band Competition, the Bands of America Grand Nationals, and the Drum Corps International Midwestern Regional. The dome also served as host venue to the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania VIII in 1992.
Originally the football playing surface was astroturf, replaced with FieldTurf in May 2005. The Indianapolis Colts have called the dome home since 1983.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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