Bender Arena

Bender Arena
	Washington College of Law's graduation ceremony in the arena in May 2005
Location	4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW; Washington, D.C., U.S.
Coordinates	38°56′16″N 77°5′24″W / 38.93778°N 77.09000°W
Owner	American University
Operator	American University
Capacity	Basketball and Volleyball: 4,500; Concerts: 6,000
Surface	Hardwood
Construction
Broke ground	1985
Opened	January 23, 1988
Renovated	1998
Construction cost	$20 million; ($51.5 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Daniel F. Tulley and Associates
Tenants
	American Eagles Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling

Bender Arena is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, D.C. The arena opened in 1988. It is home to the men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and wrestling teams at American University.

The arena, named for Washington, D.C.–based philanthropists, Howard and Sondra Bender, is also the primary campus venue for concerts, commencement, and speakers, seating up to 6,000.

The arena's main court is named for the late former American University athletic director and coach Stafford H. "Pop" Cassell, another AU alum. Bender Arena's current main scoreboard, installed prior to the 2001–02 season, includes a 7-by-9-foot (2.1 by 2.7 m) animation and video display and advertising signage for corporate sponsors. At the same time new chairback seating for the west bleachers was installed and new back-lit scorers tables surrounding the playing surface were added.

Bender Arena is the flagship facility of the American University Sports Center, which also includes a fitness center, wrestling room, the Reeves Aquatic Center, a mini-mall, the campus store, and a 470-car, seven-level parking garage.

The 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m²) building is adjacent to the Mary Graydon Center, a design intended to increase campus interaction. AU students are able to go to class, have dinner, attend a game or concert and stop by the Tavern or The Eagles Nest convenience store for refreshments without ever leaving the confines of the building. In addition, the facility houses the athletics department and health and fitness offices. Both buildings virtually mark the geographic center of the American University campus.

Bender hosted the 2002, 2008, and 2009 Patriot League men's basketball tournament final and 2012 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. The American University gymnastics club team uses the wrestling room in the fitness center.^[2] The arena has also played host to many concerts, including Pearl Jam in November 1991 opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish, who played Bender Arena during their New Year's run in 1993.^[3]

References

^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "AU Gymnastics Schedule". AU Gymnastics. Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
^ "Dec 28, 1993 Setlist - Phish.net".

External links

Bender Arena

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[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[2] "AU Gymnastics Schedule". AU Gymnastics. Archived from the original on 2019-03-26. Retrieved 2019-03-25.

[3] "Dec 28, 1993 Setlist - Phish.net".

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[2]

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v t e American Eagles men's basketball
Venues	Clenendon Gymnasium (195?–69) Fort Myer Ceremony Hall (1969–88) Bender Arena (1988–present)
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

v t e American University
Schools	College of Arts and Sciences School of Communication Kogod School of Business School of Education School of International Service School of Professional & Extended Studies School of Public Affairs Washington College of Law
Research	Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Administrative Law Review Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law Center on International Commercial Arbitration Inventory of Conflict and Environment Investigative Reporting Workshop Nuclear Studies Institute UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic Women and Politics Institute
Athletics	American Eagles Men's basketball Women's basketball Men's soccer Wrestling
Media	WAMU The Diane Rehm Show Kojo Nnamdi Show 1A DCist Current
People	List of American University people
Campuses	Main Campus Tenley Campus
Places	American University Museum American University Park Bender Arena Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre McKinley Building Katzen Arts Center Ward Circle
Related	American University speech Camp Leach Navy Bomb Disposal School Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership SS American Victory
Category

v t e Music venues of Washington, D.C.
Outdoor venues	Carter Barron Amphitheatre Fort Reno Park National Sylvan Theater Nationals Park
Theaters and clubs	9:30 Club The Anthem The Atlantis Atlas Performing Arts Center Black Cat BloomBars Blues Alley Comet Ping Pong DAR Constitution Hall DC9 Nightclub Echostage Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre Howard Theatre John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Lincoln Theatre Lisner Auditorium Madam's Organ Blues Bar National Theatre Sixth & I Historic Synagogue Union Stage Warner Theatre
Arenas	Bender Arena Capital One Arena Charles E. Smith Center D.C. Armory Entertainment and Sports Arena
Historic venues	The Bayou Bohemian Caverns The Cellar Door Krazy Kat Klub Republic Gardens Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Washington Coliseum

See also

References

External links