 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Desert Diamond Arena" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Pit | |
 | |
 Desert Diamond Arena in 2020 | |
  Desert Diamond Arena Location in Maricopa County Show map of Maricopa County, Arizona Desert Diamond Arena Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Desert Diamond Arena Location in USA Show map of the United States | |
| Former names | Glendale Arena (2003–2006) Jobing.com Arena (2006–2014) Gila River Arena (2014–2022) |
|---|---|
| Address | 9400 W Maryland Ave |
| Location | Glendale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°31′55″N112°15′40″W / 33.53194°N 112.26111°W /33.53194; -112.26111 |
| Owner | City of Glendale |
| Operator | ASM Global[1] |
| Capacity | 19,000 Ice hockey: 17,125 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 3, 2002 (2002-04-03) |
| Opened | December 26, 2003 (2003-12-26) |
| Construction cost | US$220 million[2] ($385 million in 2024 dollars)[3] |
| Architect | HOK Sport[4] |
| Project manager | ICON Venue Group[5] |
| Structural engineer | Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers, Inc. |
| Services engineer | Syska Hennessy[6] |
| General contractor | Perini Building Company[7] |
| Tenants | |
| Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (NHL) (2003–2022) Arizona Sting (NLL) (2003–2007) Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA) (2015–2019) Arizona Ridge Riders (PBR) (2022–present) Arizona Rattlers (IFL) (2024–present) | |
| Website | |
| desertdiamondarena | |
Desert Diamond Arena (originallyGlendale Arena and formerlyJobing.com Arena andGila River Arena) is an indoor entertainment arena located inGlendale, Arizona, which anchors the 223-acre, $1 billionWestgate Entertainment District.
Located about 12.5 miles (20.1 km) northwest ofdowntown Phoenix, the arena was built east ofArizona Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) and on the north side of West Maryland Avenue at a cost of $220 million. Owned by the City of Glendale and managed byASM Global, Desert Diamond Arena is home to theIndoor Football League'sArizona Rattlers (since 2024) and was home to the National Hockey League’s (NHL)Arizona Coyotes from 2003 until 2022. Since then it hosts concerts and other entertainment acts throughout the year. Desert Diamond Arena has a seating capacity of 17,125 forice hockey, 18,300 forbasketball and about 19,000 for concert events. The arena has 3,075 club seats and 87 luxury suites.
After theWinnipeg Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996, they spent their first 7+ seasons playing atAmerica West Arena (AWA) as the Phoenix Coyotes. AWA had been designed as the new home of theNBA'sPhoenix Suns only four years earlier, so it had to be quickly retrofitted for hockey. The arena floor was barely large enough to fit an NHL regulation size hockey rink and some seats on the upper level hung over the boards. That obstructed the views for up to 3,000 spectators. As a result, before the team's second season in Phoenix, its hockey seating capacity was reduced from 18,000+ seats to 16,210 — then the second-smallest capacity in the NHL. After theColorado Avalanche moved fromMcNichols Sports Arena into thePepsi Center in 1999 and theToronto Maple Leafs fromMaple Leaf Gardens into theAir Canada Centre later that same season, America West Arena became the smallest NHL venue.
When the Coyotes were sold to a partnership led by Phoenix real estate developer Steve Ellman, they committed to build a new arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. A lease agreement was signed with the City of Glendale in 2001, construction began on April 3, 2002, and the arena opened midway through the2003–04 NHL season. TheNational Lacrosse League'sArizona Sting hosted the first sporting event in the arena, a 16–122004 NLL season opening victory against theVancouver Ravens on December 26, 2003. The next evening, the Phoenix Coyotes hosted their first game before a standing room-only crowd of 19,052 ending in a 3–3 tie against theNashville Predators. Their first win in Glendale was on December 31, 2003, with a 4-0 victory over theLos Angeles Kings.
On August 19, 2021, the city of Glendale chose not to renew its contract with the team after the2021–22 season, putting the franchise's future in Arizona into question. The Coyotes announced they would be seeking to build a new venue inTempe in response.[8] The final Coyotes home game at the arena was played April 29, 2022, a 5–4 comeback win against the Nashville Predators. After the season, the Coyotes moved their home games toMullett Arena atArizona State University, where they played for the2022–23 and2023–24 seasons.[9]
Two years after their move, it was discovered through a report in April 2024 that the team did not collect items bearing the Coyotes branding and left them at the arena, includingShane Doan's jersey retirement banner. It was recovered by an arena worker, who gave it to Doan when the word surfaced days after the Coyotes' final NHL game.[10]
Desert Diamond Arena has hosted numerous concerts and events since opening in December 2003. A string of concerts in the arena’s inaugural year included performances byPrince,Rod Stewart,Toby Keith,Britney Spears, andUsher. Since then, other acts performing there includedU2,RBD,Elton John,The Rolling Stones,Paul McCartney,Bruce Springsteen,Rage Against the Machine,Billie Eilish,Kenny Chesney,Mötley Crüe,Justin Timberlake,Katy Perry,The Eagles,Taylor Swift,Miley Cyrus,Hannah Montana,The Weeknd,Harry Styles,Celine Dion,Coldplay,Eric Church,Justin Bieber,Kendrick Lamar,Ed Sheeran,Shawn Mendes,Sam Smith,Demi Lovato,Bon Jovi,Khalid,Madonna,Pearl Jam,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Usher,John Mayer,Tim McGraw,Faith Hill,The Killers,Florence & The Machine,Enhypen,Lady Gaga,Zach Bryan,Benson Boone,Laufey,Conan Gray,5 Seconds Of Summer,Hatsune Miku andFor King & Country.
Desert Diamond Arena events in recent years includedUFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje,UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2,Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva,Nitro Circus Live,WWE Raw,WWE SmackDown,Stars on Ice,2021 Gold Over America Tour,Street League Skateboarding, andWEC 53. The arena has hosted the traveling family-oriented showsRadio City Christmas Spectacular,Sesame Street Live, theHarlem Globetrotters andCirque du Soleil.
Since 2005, the arena has hosted the Arizona state high school basketball, volleyball, wrestling and cheerleading tournaments in an event called "February Frenzy," resulting from a formal agreement between the City of Glendale and theArizona Interscholastic Association (AIA).
The highest grossing event in venue history wasUFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 on June 12, 2021, with 17,208 guests in attendance and $4,281,800 in revenue.
The arena was the temporary home of theArizona Rattlers arena/indoor football team when their home arena, theFootprint Center, was unavailable due to other events. It hosted theArena Football League'sArenaBowl XXIX in 2016, theIndoor Football League's playoffs in 2019 and was scheduled to host the team's IFL home season in 2020 prior to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Arizona.
Prior to the 2018–19 season, the Coyotes purchased and installed the center-hung scoreboard that was formerly used by the defunctThe Palace of Auburn Hills.[11]
The arena was a regular stop for theProfessional Bull Riders (PBR)'s Premier Series for several years. Since 2022, it has become the home of the PBR's Arizona Ridge Riders during the PBR Team Series season held from the summer to autumn.
The Arizona Rattlers announced that they would be moving to Desert Diamond Arena in 2024, after using the arena as a temporary home previously. This gives the arena their first tenant after the Arizona Coyotes had left in 2022.
On February 19, 2025, it was announced thatAll Elite Wrestling would hold theirDouble or Nothing pay-per-view at the arena on May 25, 2025.
During thememorial service of conservative activist and Arizona residentCharlie Kirk at nearbyState Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 following hisassassination eleven days prior, overflow attendees were sent to Desert Diamond Arena.[12]
Glendale Arena was renamedJobing.com Arena after a Phoenix-basedemployment website under a ten-year, $30 million contract established in October 2006.[13]
The Coyotes terminated their agreement with Jobing.com and immediately announced a new nine-year naming and sponsorship deal on August 13, 2014, withGila River Casinos — a group oftribal casinos that are controlled by theGila River Indian Community. Former Coyotes President/CEO and Alternate GovernorAnthony LeBlanc described the new agreement as the "most significant deal" made by the team under its new IceArizona ownership.[14] With it, the Gila River community became the first federally recognized Native American tribe to hold a naming rights deal with a venue for one of themajor professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.[15]
On August 23, 2022, the arena reached an agreement withDesert Diamond Casino to rename the arena asDesert Diamond Arena.[16]
| Preceded by | Home of the Arizona Coyotes 2003 – 2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of the Arizona Rattlers 2024 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| |
| Franchise | |
| History | |
| Personnel |
|
| Arenas | |
| Culture and lore | |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
