Ayrton Oneill
The Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre, is a multi-purpose stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is primarily used for baseball and football, but it has also been used for basketball. The Toronto Raptors played at the Skydome from 1995 until 2004, and the stadium has hosted the Big Sky men's basketball tournament several times. The Skydome has a retractable roof and can seat up to 28,708 people for basketball games.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) |
| Location | Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Year of Construction | 1987-1989 |
| Opening Date | June 3, 1989 |
| Home Teams | Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Argonauts, Buffalo Bills, Toronto Raptors |
| Seating Capacity | 22,911 (expandable to 28,708 for basketball) |
| Other Facilities | 348-room hotel, fitness club, theatre, restaurants and bars |
| Retractable Roof | Yes |
| Use for Basketball | Not ideal, according to some players and fans |
| Other Uses | Football, baseball, concerts, commencement ceremonies, conventions, trade shows |
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What You'll Learn
- The Toronto Raptors played basketball at the Skydome from 1995 to 2012
- The Skydome is a multi-purpose stadium with a retractable roof
- The stadium has a seating capacity of 22,911 for basketball games, which can be expanded to 28,708
- The Skydome is located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, near Lake Ontario
- The basketball court is placed in the middle of an indoor football surface
The Toronto Raptors played basketball at the Skydome from 1995 to 2012
The Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre, is a multi-purpose stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. The Skydome was opened in 1989 and is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the American League, and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Raptors played their inaugural game on November 3, 1995, against the New Jersey Nets.
The Raptors played at the Skydome from 1995 to 1999 while the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) was being constructed. The Air Canada Centre opened its doors in February 1999, and the Raptors moved to their new home. The Skydome was not an ideal venue for basketball, with many seats far away from the court and obstructed views. The basketball court was set up in a large, cavernous space, and the atmosphere was not conducive to the sport.
Despite the challenges, the Raptors created some memorable moments at the Skydome. On March 24, 1996, the Raptors played against the Chicago Bulls, led by basketball superstar Michael Jordan. The Raptors won the game 109-108, handing the record-setting Bulls one of their few defeats that season. The game drew a crowd of 36,131, with the venue reconfigured to accommodate more fans due to the popularity of the visiting team.
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The Skydome is a multi-purpose stadium with a retractable roof
The Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre, is a multi-purpose stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. It was opened in 1989 and is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the American League, and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The stadium has a seating capacity of 22,911 for basketball games, which can be expanded to 28,708.
The Skydome was also home to the Toronto Raptors from 1995 until 2012. A notable game during this period was against the Chicago Bulls on March 24, 1996, which drew a crowd of 36,131. The stadium was reconfigured to accommodate more fans due to the popularity of the visiting team, which included basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The Skydome is notable for being the first major team sports arena in North America with a fully retractable roof. The roof is composed of four panels and covers an area of 345,000 square feet. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close. The two middle panels slide laterally and stack over the north semi-circular panel, while the south semi-circular panel rotates, nests inside the stack, and slides into a parked position.
In addition to sporting events, the Skydome has hosted various other events, including concerts, pro wrestling, and mixed martial arts. It also houses a 348-room hotel, a fitness club, a theatre, state-of-the-art broadcast facilities, and seven restaurants and bars, including the Hard Rock Cafe and the largest McDonald's in North America.
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The stadium has a seating capacity of 22,911 for basketball games, which can be expanded to 28,708
The Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre, is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was opened in 1989 and was initially called SkyDome. The stadium is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. It also hosted the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from November 1995 to February 1999.
The Skydome was the first major team sports arena in North America with a fully retractable roof. The roof is composed of four panels and covers an area of 345,000 square feet. The two middle panels slide laterally and stack over the north semi-circular panel, while the south semi-circular panel rotates, nests inside the stack, and takes 20 minutes to open or close.
The Skydome also houses a 348-room hotel, a fitness club, a theatre, state-of-the-art broadcast facilities, and seven restaurants and bars, including the Hard Rock Cafe and the largest McDonald's in North America. The stadium was built on former Railway Lands and is situated near the CN Tower and the shores of Lake Ontario.
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The Skydome is located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, near Lake Ontario
The Skydome, now known as the Rogers Centre, is a multi-purpose stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated near the shores of Lake Ontario. It was opened in 1989 on former Railway Lands and was originally called the 'Toronto Domed Stadium' or simply 'the Dome' by local media. The name "SkyDome" was chosen as part of a province-wide "name the stadium" contest in 1987, sponsored by the Toronto Sun.
The Skydome is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the American League. It was also home to the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1989-2015 and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1995-1999. The stadium has a retractable roof composed of four panels and covers an area of 345,000 sq. ft. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close. The stadium also features a 348-room hotel, a fitness club, a theatre, broadcast facilities, and several restaurants and bars.
The Skydome has hosted a variety of sporting events and other large events such as conventions, trade fairs, concerts, circuses, and monster truck shows. It has also been used for soccer matches, mixed martial arts events, and World Wrestling Federation events, attracting large crowds. The stadium was renovated several times over the years to upgrade sports facilities and hospitality while also reducing the capacity for baseball games.
The Skydome is located near Lake Ontario, which influenced the local weather conditions. The phrase "cooler by the lake" is often used in spring weather forecasts for Toronto, as the warmer southerly winds are cooled by the lake. The lake is immediately south of the stadium, influencing the comfort levels for fans during sporting events.
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The basketball court is placed in the middle of an indoor football surface
The J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is a massive structure that covers 6.2 acres, with the roof spanning more than 500 feet and rising 142 feet above the court. It is an indoor multi-purpose stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is primarily used as the home of the NAU Lumberjacks football and both men's and women's basketball teams of the Big Sky Conference. The basketball court is placed in the middle of an indoor football surface. The court only takes up half the football configuration and looks out of place and unimportant. The seating capacity is 11,230, with 10,000 permanent seats and 1,230 seats in portable bleachers. The Walkup Skydome is one of the highest NCAA basketball courts in the US with an elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level.
The Skydome is named after J. Lawrence Walkup (1914-2002), the president of NAU from 1957 to 1979, a period of tremendous growth for the university. More than half of the $8 million project came from voluntary student fee increases, supplemented with $1.5 million in legislative funding and a $2 million campus fund from two decades of vending machine revenue. The wood used in the construction of the Walkup Skydome was southern yellow pine. When it opened in 1977, it was the third indoor football stadium in the Big Sky Conference. The inaugural football game was a one-point conference win over Montana before 12,860 fans on September 17, 1977; it hosted five games that first season, with an average attendance of 13,029. The building underwent a major renovation from December 2010 to September 2011 at a cost of $26 million.
In addition to sporting events, the arena is also used for commencement ceremonies, concerts, and other events such as conventions and trade shows. The arena floor features 97,000 square feet (9,000 m2) of space. The concourse is plenty wide for the fan base and steps down to the court have handrails. The bathrooms are clean and serviceable. Ticket prices listed range from $8 (GA) to $12 (reserved and premium reserved) plus an additional $4 fee per ticket imposed by Northern Arizona University. NAU students get in free and there are giveaways on some nights. Parking is free and concession prices are very reasonable.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Skydome is a multi-purpose stadium that has been used for basketball games.
The Skydome, also known as the Rogers Centre, is located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, near the shores of Lake Ontario.
The Skydome can accommodate 22,911 spectators for basketball games, with the potential to expand to 28,708.
Yes, the Toronto Raptors played their home games at the Skydome from 1995 until 2012.
The Skydome features a 348-room hotel, a fitness club, a theater, state-of-the-art broadcast facilities, restaurants, and bars.
