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Freedom Hall

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Coordinates:38°12′1.06″N85°44′30.79″W / 38.2002944°N 85.7418861°W /38.2002944; -85.7418861

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indoor arena in Louisville, Kentucky

This article is about the venue in Louisville. For other uses, seeFreedom Hall Civic Center andFreedom Hall (UWI).

Freedom Hall
Construction
Freedom Hall in 2024

Location	937 Phillips Lane,Louisville, Kentucky
Owner	Kentucky State Fair Board
Operator	Kentucky State Fair Board
Capacity	18,865 (basketball) 19,200 (concerts)
Opened	1956
Expanded	1984
Tenants
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball (NCAA) (1956–2010) Louisville Rebels (IHL) (1957–1960) Kentucky Colonels (ABA) (1970–1976) Louisville Cardinals women's basketball (NCAA) (1975–2010) Louisville Panthers (AHL) (1999–2001) Louisville Fire (af2) (2001–2008) Kentucky Stickhorses (NALL) (2012–2013) Kentucky Xtreme (CIFL) (2013–2014) Bellarmine Knights men's basketball (NCAA) (2020–2024) Bellarmine Knights women's basketball (NCAA) (2020–2024)
Website
kyexpo.org

Freedom Hall is a multi-purposearena inLouisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of theKentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board. It is best known for its use as abasketball arena, previously serving as the home of theUniversity of Louisville Cardinals and, from 2020 to 2024, as the home of theBellarmine University Knights.^[1] It has hostedKiss,Grateful Dead,Chicago,AC/DC,WWE events,Mötley Crüe,Elvis Presley,The Doors,Janis Joplin,Creed,Led Zeppelin,Van Halen,Coldplay and many more. As well as theLouisville Cardinals men's basketball team from 1956 to 2010, the arena's tenants included theKentucky Colonels of theAmerican Basketball Association from 1970 until theABA-NBA merger in June 1976, and the Louisville Cardinals women's team from its inception in 1975 to 2010.^[2] TheKentucky Stickhorses of theNorth American Lacrosse League used Freedom Hall from 2011 until the team folded in 2013. From 2015 to 2019 it has hosted the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship Finals yearly in mid-April.

The arena lost its status asKentuckiana's main indoor sporting and concert venue when the downtownKFC Yum! Center opened in 2010. It is still used regularly, however, hosting concerts, horse shows, conventions, and basketball games.

History

[edit]

Freedom Hall was completed in 1956 in the newly opened Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center located 5 miles (8.0 km) south ofDowntown Louisville.^[3] It received its name as the result of a statewide essay contest sponsored by the State Fair Board and theAmerican Legion. Charlotte Owens, a senior atDuPont Manual High School, submitted the winning entry over 6,500 others.^[4] Designed for the nation's premier equestrian competition, theKentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show, the floor length and permanent seating were designed specifically for the almost 300-foot (91 m)-long show ring (in comparison, a regulation hockey rink is 200 feet (61 m) long, and a basketball court is only 94 feet). TheNorth American International Livestock Exposition also is held there each November.Muhammad Ali fought hisfirst professional fight at Freedom Hall when he won a six-round decision overTunney Hunsaker.^{[citation needed]} Freedom Hall was also one of the major stops on the Motortown (later MOTOWN) traveling music revue during the early and mid-1960s.

Grateful Dead played Freedom Hall 4 times including 6/18/74, 4/9/89, 6/15/93, and 6/16/93. 6/18/74 was officially released asRoad Trips Volume 2 Number 3.

Judgment Day (2000) was also held at the Freedom Hall. Acollegiate wrestling tournament was held at the arena in 2019.

Freedom Hall has hosted campaign rallies for two U.S. presidents:John F. Kennedy andDonald Trump.^[5]^[6]

Tenant history

[edit]

TheKentucky Colonels fielded successful teams during their tenure at Freedom Hall, winning theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) Championship in the 1974–75 season and reaching the ABA Finals two other times.^[7] The 1970–71 team played in the ABA Championship Finals, losing to theUtah Stars in 7 games. The 1972–73 team advanced to the Finals again, losing to theIndiana Pacers in 7 games. The Colonels were disbanded when the ABA merged with theNational Basketball Association in 1976. Hall of Fame playersLouie Dampier,Dan Issel andArtis Gilmore played for the Colonels during their successful run. Hall of Fame CoachHubie Brown coached the Colonels Championship team.^[8]

In 1984 the facility was refurbished, including lowering the floor to allow maximum capacity to increase from 16,664 to 18,865 for basketball.^[9] It was the full-time home of Cardinal men's basketball from the 1957–58 season to 2010, with the team winning 82% of home games in 50+ seasons. The University of Louisville was ranked in the Top 5 in attendance for the past 25 years, with 16 of the last 19 years averaging more than 100% of capacity.

In addition to being the home of the Cardinals, Freedom Hall has hostedNCAA tournament games ten times, including sixFinal Fours between 1958 and 1969. The arena has also hosted 11 conference tournaments, nineMetro Conference Tournaments and twoConference USA tournaments—2001 and 2003. It has also hosted theKentucky Boys' High School State Basketball Tournament (also known as the Sweet 16) 23 times, including every year from 1965 to 1978. In 1984, the floor of the arena was lowered about 10 feet (3.0 m) to increase the capacity of the arena from 16,613 to its current figure. In the 1996–97 season Freedom Hall averaged an attendance of 19,590, well surpassing arena capacity. Freedom Hall hosts the Championship tractor pull every February during the National Farm Machinery Show.

From 2001 to 2008, thearena football teamLouisville Fire of theaf2 played in Freedom Hall before ceasing operations.

On the lower level is the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame where an engraved bronze plaque honors each inductee.^[10]

The University of Louisville men's basketball team played their final game at Freedom Hall in front of a record crowd of 20,138 on March 6, 2010, against Syracuse University, the #1 ranked team in the nation. Louisville won in an upset 78–68.

The arena began to gain new tenants in 2012 with the addition of theKentucky Stickhorses, and in 2013, with the addition of theKentucky Xtreme.^[11]^[12] However, the Kentucky Stickhorses folded in 2014 after the lack of wins and the lack of attendance. The Kentucky Xtreme were suspended mid-season with other teams playing the remainder of their season. In 2020, theBellarmine University Knights selected Freedom Hall as their home for men's and women's basketball,^[13] and played there for four seasons before returning home games to the on-campus Knights Hall effective in 2024–25.^[14]

Gallery

[edit]

Year	Average Attendance	Games	Percent of capacity
UofL Men's Basketball Attendance by Year
1997/98	18,669	14	98.96%
1998/99	19,055	14	101.0%
1999/00	19,180	15	101.2%
2000/01	17,457	16	92.53%
2001/02	18,929	19	100.3%
2002/03	19,037	18	101.0%
2003/04	19,443	15	103.1%
2004/05	18,746	17	99.36%
2005/06	18,316	22	97.09%
2006/07	18,488	20	98%
2007/08	19,481	17	103.3%

Freedom Hall at a distance
Rear side of Freedom Hall
Interior of Freedom Hall

References

[edit]

^"Bellarmine announces plan to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall". WDRB.com. November 2, 2020.Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. RetrievedNovember 2, 2020.
^"Records: Home/Attendance".2010–11 Louisville Cardinals Women's Basketball Media Guide. University of Louisville Sports information. p. 159. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 15, 2011. RetrievedMarch 5, 2011. Freedom Hall has hosted a lot of concerts as well! Including everything from ACDC, Mötley Crüe to Elvis Presley to Led Zeppelin. The women's team used Freedom Hall as its primary home from its first season, 1975–76, through 1980–81. It then began using a series of smaller arenas, both on campus and off, for nearly two decades, though it used Freedom Hall at least once every season except in 1993–94. The team again made Freedom Hall its primary home starting in 1998–99.
^"Freedom Hall".Bellarmine University.Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^"Kentucky Exposition Center — Visitors".kyexpo.org. Archived fromthe original on March 5, 2016. RetrievedJune 6, 2014.
^"Congressional campaign trip: Louisville, Kentucky, rally".jfklibrary.org.John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^Williams, Chris (March 21, 2017)."Thousands rally for Trump at Freedom Hall".WHAS-TV.Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^Gardner, Hayes (May 21, 2020)."45 years ago, Kentucky Colonels won 'a piece of treasure' as world's best basketball team".The Courier-Journal.Gannett.Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^"Remember the ABA: Kentucky Colonels". Archived fromthe original on May 22, 2015. RetrievedMay 13, 2015.
^"Freedom Hall".GoCards.com.University of Louisville.Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^"Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame".kyathletichalloffame.org.Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. RetrievedMay 20, 2018.
^Taylor, Kent (September 27, 2011)."Kentucky Stickhorses to play pro lacrosse in Freedom Hall".WAVE.Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^"Arena football returning to Freedom Hall with Kentucky Xtreme".WLKY. September 5, 2012.Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^Finley, Marty (November 2, 2020)."Bellarmine University to play home basketball games at Freedom Hall".American City Business Journals.Advance Publications.Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. RetrievedMarch 17, 2023.
^"NCAA basketball returns to Knights Hall as Bellarmine celebrates full Division I membership after successful reclassification process" (Press release). Bellarmine Knights. August 28, 2024. RetrievedAugust 28, 2024.

External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toFreedom Hall.

Kentucky Exposition Center, facility that includes Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall, venue forBellarmine Knights men's and women's basketball

38°12′1.06″N85°44′30.79″W / 38.2002944°N 85.7418861°W /38.2002944; -85.7418861

v t e Kentucky Colonels
Based inLouisville, Kentucky
Franchise	Franchise Players Executives
Arenas	Louisville Gardens Freedom Hall
Head Coaches	John Givens Gene Rhodes Alex Groza Frank Ramsey Joe Mullaney Babe McCarthy Hubie Brown
History	1975 ABA Champions 1971 ABA Runner Up 1973 ABA Runner Up Penny Ann Early ABA–NBA merger
ABA All-Time Team Players	Darel Carrier Louie Dampier Artis Gilmore Dan Issel Maurice Lucas
Seasons	1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76

v t e American Basketball Association seasons
Seasons	1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76
Playoffs	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
All-Star Games	1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Champions Awards and honors Broadcasters ABA–NBA merger (1976 ABA dispersal draft)

v t e Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
Venues	Belknap Gymnasium (1933–1944) Jefferson County Armory (1945–1956) Freedom Hall (1956–2010) KFC Yum! Center (2010–present)
Rivalries	Cincinnati Kentucky Memphis
Culture & lore	Billy Minardi Classic Cardinal Bird The Rivalry: Red v. Blue
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 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
NAIA and NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e Louisville Cardinals women's basketball
Venues	Freedom Hall (1975–2010) KFC Yum! Center (2010–present)
Rivalries	Kentucky
Culture & lore	Cardinal Bird
People	Head coaches
Seasons	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
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Bellarmine Knights men's basketball
Venues	Knights Hall (1960–2020, 2024–present) Freedom Hall (2020–2024)
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	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
NCAA national championship in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e Bellarmine Knights women's basketball
Venues	Knights Hall (1971–2020, 2024–present) Freedom Hall (2020–2024)
Seasons	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
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e North American Lacrosse League
Teams	Baltimore Bombers Boston Rockhoppers Kentucky Stickhorses Rhode Island Kingfish
Venues	Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena New England Sports Center Freedom Hall
Related Articles:Box lacrosse Lacrosse National Lacrosse League Major League Lacrosse Professional Lacrosse League

v t e Music venues of Kentucky
Theaters and clubs	The Kentucky Center Palace Theatre Mountain Arts Center Paramount Arts Center
Arenas	Appalachian Wireless Arena Freedom Hall KFC Yum! Center Louisville Gardens Rupp Arena
Festivals	Cropped Out Festival of the Bluegrass Forecastle Festival Ichthus Festival Louder Than Life Railbird Festival

Authority control databases: Geographic	MusicBrainz place

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