Colonial Life Arena
The Colonial Life Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Columbia, South Carolina, primarily home to the University of South Carolina men's and women's basketball teams. Opened as a replacement for the Carolina Coliseum with the name Carolina Center in 2002, the 18,000-seat arena is also host to various events, including conferences, concerts, and graduation ceremonies. It is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina and the eighth largest campus college arena.
| Former names | Carolina Center (2002–2003) Colonial Center (2003–2008) |
|---|---|
| Location | 801 Lincoln Street Columbia, South Carolina 29208 |
| Coordinates | 33°59′42″N 81°02′14″W |
| Public transit | The Comet: Routes 28, 52X, 63, 101, 201, 301, 401, 601 Amtrak Silver Star at Columbia |
| Owner | University of South Carolina |
| Operator | Spectra |
| Capacity | 18,000 (Basketball) 19,000 (Concerts) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 25, 2001 |
| Opened | November 21, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $65 million ($110 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Architect | Rosser International Inc. JHS Architects |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers |
| General contractor | Beers Construction |
| Tenants | |
| South Carolina Gamecocks (NCAA) (2002–present) Columbia Stingers (NIFL) (2007) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The naming rights were acquired in 2003 by Unum, a Portland, Maine–based insurance company, and it was renamed to the Colonial Center after the Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, a Unum subsidiary headquartered in Columbia. On July 22, 2008, the USC board approved renaming the building to the Colonial Life Arena as part of the rebranding by Unum (which by then had moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee) of Colonial Life & Accident as Colonial Life.