Patriot Center

Here follows an excerpt from the George Mason University library website:

George Mason University: A History
Bringing the Mason Community Together:
Patriot Center, the Center for the Arts, and the Bellarmine Chapel

During President George W. Johnson’s tenure at George Mason, construction was commonplace; new dormitories and academic buildings sprouted all over campus. Residence halls and classroom space resulted from the practical needs of the student body, but Dr. Johnson desired George Mason serve not only its students, faculty, and staff, but also the Fairfax and Northern Virginia communities as well. Three special buildings have left their unique mark on the campus and continue to shape its legacy today.

The Patriot Center

The white “dome” of Patriot Center is an instantly recognizable feature on George Mason’s campus. The 10,000-seat arena, which hosts sporting events, concerts, and other major performances, has served the campus since its completion in 1985. Construction began in August of 1983 but was continually hampered by a series of unfortunate events. Bad weather contributed, as did an accident with a crane that collapsed onto the roof, damaging several large beams but harming no workers. Contractors also discovered during the process that the composition of the soil would not support the load of the planned concrete columns, so drawings had to be revised after the columns failed inspection. Finally, the theft of $12,000 worth of tools and heavy equipment, though no building materials, added to the delays.

There was some tension regarding Patriot Center’s completion date, which was continually changing due to unforeseen occurrences. Chris Allen, the project manager for the Gilbane Building Company, expected the Patriot Center to be ready in January 1985 after the target projection date of November 1984 was no longer possible. When January came and went, President Johnson expressed —with typical forwardness—his determination to see the finished product sooner rather than later: “We will have graduation in the arena on May 18. You may have to wear a hard hat, but we’re having it in there.”

President Johnson got his wish. Though the building was not completed by May 18 and students had initially been told that their graduation would be held on the Quad in front of Fenwick Library, the university received special permission from the contractor to use Patriot Center—which had passed the necessary inspections—for the ceremony. The $16.7 million complex opened officially on September 12, 1985. Basketball coach Joe Harrington believed that the new center would bolster recruitment efforts and called Dr. Johnson “a president who is not only a dreamer but a doer.”

George Mason became the first university ever to contract a private firm to manage its arena, as opposed to hiring a professional staff member to take charge of the Patriot Center. Centre Management, which scheduled many events in the greater Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas, was chosen in 1985. The company worked closely with the university to ensure that their policies were in accordance with George Mason’s guidelines; for example, shows were only scheduled on weekends or when school was not in session, often at the expense of a profit, because of parking shortages that inconvenienced students. The arena established itself as an attractive venue for shows too small for the 19,000-seat Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland (also run by Centre Management), but too large for concert halls like DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Despite the publicity, Patriot Center did not see great returns during its early years of existence. In 1986, its 80 events grossed $2.6 million. Centre Management predicted the 105 shows slated for 1990 would gross about $3.8 million. While Centre Management only made an estimated $75,000 a year according to Mason officials, the management company claimed it had helped Patriot Center gross over $13.5 million in its first four years. It credited this revenue to its suggestion that George Mason bring major performers like Kenny Rogers, The Beach Boys, The Muppets, and the Harlem Globetrotters, among others, to the Center, rather than reserving it solely for sports.

George Mason officials indicated that Patriot Center generated about $300,000 annually toward subsidized student activities as of 1990. [16] The student population—generally the target audience—was given preferential treatment. Students received discounts for events in Patriot Center, were admitted to all Mason sporting events for free, were able to suggest shows to Centre Management, and were offered employment and internship opportunities.

The Patriot Center also aimed to serve the larger community; family shows like the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice continue to be extremely popular. This is the scenario that President Johnson envisioned, where George Mason’s presence in and links with the surrounding community are clearly evident. He called the completion of Patriot Center “a rite of passage for GMU…a coming of age.”

On October 4, 1985, the arena was open to the public for its first event; a sold-out crowd, which included actor Jack Nicholson, watched an exhibition game between the New York Knicks and the Washington Bullets. When asked which team he thought would win, George Johnson replied, “George Mason is going to win tonight…the future looks very good.” He was right: now managed by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the Patriot Center boasts a total attendance of more than 10.5 million for nearly four thousand events. It hosted the Men’s Basketball CAA tournament in 1986, the Women’s Basketball CAA tournament in 2005, the NCAA Men’s Volleyball championships in 1990, and two of George Mason Basketball’s NIT appearances (in 2002 and 2004). In 2011, the trade publication Venues Today ranked Patriot Center eleventh nationwide and seventeenth worldwide in ticket sales for venues with a capacity of 10,001-15,000; likewise, that same year, the trade magazine Billboard ranked it eighth nationwide and twentieth worldwide for top-grossing venues that accommodate the same capacity.

Update: On May 7, 2015, the university announced that the name would be changed on July 1, 2015 to "EagleBank Arena at George Mason University" following a partnership deal with EagleBank.