 Exterior view of the Kohl Center | |
 | |
| Location | 601 West Dayton Street Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1206 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°04′10″N89°23′49″W / 43.069420°N 89.396972°W /43.069420; -89.396972 |
| Public transit |  Metro Transit |
| Owner | University of Wisconsin |
| Operator | Wisconsin Badgers |
| Capacity | 17,287 (basketball) 15,359 (hockey) |
| Surface | Multi-surface 200 by 85 feet (61 m × 26 m) (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 7, 1996[1] |
| Built | October 8, 1996 |
| Opened | January 17, 1998 |
| Construction cost | $76.4 Million |
| Architect | Venture Architects HOK Sport Heinlein Schrock Stearns |
| Project manager | Hammes Company[1] |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc.[2] |
| General contractor | The Boldt Company[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Wisconsin Badgers Men's Basketball (1998–present) Wisconsin Badgers Women's Basketball (1998–present) Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey (1998–present) Wisconsin Badgers Women's Hockey (1998–2012) WIAA State Boys Basketball Tournament (1998–present) WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament (1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010–2012) WIAA State Wrestling Tournament (1998–present) NCAA Men's Basketball Midwest Regional (2002) NCAA Men's Hockey Midwest Regional (2008) | |
TheKohl Center is a multi-purpose arena located at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison,United States. The arena opened in 1998 and is the home of the university's men'sbasketball andice hockey teams, and thewomen's basketball team.
The Kohl Center has the fourth largest seating capacity in theBig Ten Conference with 17,287 for basketball and 15,539 for hockey.[3] It is the second largest indoor venue inWisconsin afterFiserv Forum inMilwaukee and is located at the intersection of West Dayton and North Frances Streets.
The arena is named afterformer United States Senator, formerMilwaukee Bucks owner, and alumnusHerb Kohl, who donated $25 million of hisKohl's fortune to the project.[4][5]
In 1995 Herb Kohl donated $25 million to support the construction of the yet-unnamed arena. At the time it was the largest single donation inUniversity of Wisconsin System history. Because of the donor's first name, it is sometimes locally referred to as the "Herb Garden". FormerWisconsin Badgers basketball playerAlbert Nicholas and his wife donated $10 million toward the project, with the adjoining practice pavilion named the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion and Plaza; the basketball floor itself was renamed in his honor after he died in 2017.[6] Jack F. Kellner and his sons donated an additional $2.5 million to the project. Wisconsin-basedHammes Company developed the arena for UW–Madison in 1993. The Boldt Company was the project's general contractor.
The Kohl Center boasts the nation's highest attendance in men's and women's college hockey.[7]
Originally known as "Mr. Bennett's Neighborhood" (for then-coachDick Bennett) thestudent section of the Kohl Center adopted the name "Grateful Red" in 2002. The name was a reference to the rock group, theGrateful Dead, and members woretie-dyed T-shirts as their pseudo-uniforms.The Detroit News ranked the section the #1 college basketball student section in February 2007.[8] In 2018, the university renamed all student sections ”AreaRED”.[9]
The student section holds 2,100 students[citation needed] and extends from the floor to the roof of the Kohl Center, a span of three decks. Under former coachBo Ryan, the men's basketball team achieved a record of 133–10 at home and held a 24-game home winning streak through the 2006–07 season.
The Kohl Center has hosted a number of big games where a Badger victory led to fans storming the court:
Prior to the Kohl Center, the basketball teams played at theWisconsin Field House, while ice hockey was played at theDane County Coliseum. The hockey teams still may play there if there is an event conflict, because basketball has scheduling priority. Originally, the overheadscoreboard from theUW Field House was installed in the Kohl Center because the cost of a new scoreboard unit wasn't included in the figure for the new arena. The old scoreboard remained in the Kohl Center for seven years, and after the money was raised, a new and modern circular unit was bought and installed before the 2004–2005 winter sports season. At the same time aLED ribbon board was installed, which surrounds the arena below the second balcony, displaying advertising, messages, and scores. The design of the Kohl Center is modeled somewhat after that of the Field House with cantilevered balconies instead of a setback style. This was done to intimidate opponents and bring all fans close to the action.
A bar and restaurant was added to the second level in 2005. The area is for pre-game gatherings of boosters who have made donations to the athletic department.
In 2006 a second student-athlete academic center was built on the lower level of the Kohl Center to provide student athletes easier access to academic services. Prior to the 2006men's basketball season, the UW Athletic Department sold 48 courtside seats, at a price of $10,000 to $12,500 each. The available seats sold out, and a waiting list was created for the sale of seats that become available in the future. Space for the seats was created by eliminating part of the courtside seating for media. The addition of these seats has increased maximum capacity for men's basketball from 17,142 to 17,190.
Prior to the 2008–2009 season some of the seating in the upper deck was also reconfigured, adding more seating to the arena to bring capacity for men's basketball to 17,230.[21]
The athletic department's master plan included adding a practice rink for ice hockey after construction of the Kohl Center. One configuration under consideration placed the rink next to the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion, where it would serve as an alternative practice facility for the men's hockey team and a game and practice facility for the women's hockey team.[22] This was realized asLaBahn Arena, which opened in 2012.[23]
The front entrance lobby features a wall sculpture from glass sculptorDale Chihuly called "Mendota Wall".
Other events are held at the Kohl Center, including commencement ceremonies for the UW, concerts, ice skating shows, career fairs, political gatherings, and conventions. The Kohl Center is the site of theWisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) high school Boys' basketball and individual wrestling championships. It has also hosted an NCAA women'svolleyball national championship (Dec. 17–19, 1998), an NCAA men's basketball regional championship (March 22–24, 2002), and an NCAA men's hockey regional championship (March 28–30, 2008).
The Kohl Center also hosts the annual Varsity Band Spring Concert, an event that began in March 1975 and has grown into a three-night affair with professional staging, lighting, sound and pyrotechnics. The concert averages 25,000 attendees every year.
On February 12, 2008,Democraticpresidential candidateBarack Obama spoke before a crowd of over 17,000 prior to theWisconsin primary.[24] The 2008Jeopardy! College Championship was taped on April 11 and 12, 2008, at the Kohl Center.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2011Science Olympiad National Tournament were held at the Kohl Center on May 20 and 21, 2011.
On October 8, 2016, the Milwaukee Bucks hosted a preseason game vs. the Dallas Mavericks at the Kohl Center.
On October 30, 2017,DJ Khaled hosted a concert at the Kohl Center after UW Student Sam Jeschke handed out 43,000 bottles of Mentos Gum.[25]
Metallica kicked off their North American WorldWired Arena Tour on September 2, 2018, at the Kohl Center.
Mt. Joy andGoose performed a co-headlining concert on September 17, 2025, as part of Mt. Joy's Hope We Have Fun Tour, and Goose's Fall 2025 Tour.[26]
| Preceded by | Host of theJeopardy! College Championship 2008 | Succeeded by |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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