in Seattle

The KeyArena (formerly the Washington State Pavilion, Washington State Coliseum and Seattle Center Coliseum) is a multi-purpose arena in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, the Century 21 Exposition. It is used for entertainment purposes, such as concerts, ice shows, circuses, and sporting events. It has a seating capacity of 17,072 for basketball games, 15,177 for ice hockey games and ice shows, 16,641 for end-stage concerts, and 17,459 for center-stage concerts and boxing. Risers hold 7,440 on the upper level and up to 7,741 on the lower level, with luxury suites adding another 1,160 seats. The arena’s current primary tenants are the Seattle University men’s basketball team and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. The Seattle University Redhawks men’s basketball team are currently the arena’s longest-serving tenant, having played in the arena from 1963’1980 and 2009 to present. Rat City Rollergirls of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association have been a tenant since 2009. KeyArena is now the permanent home of the Pacific-12 Conference’s women’s basketball tournament. KeyArena was also home to the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics, WHL Seattle Totems and the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds. On July 2, 2008, the Oklahoma City-based ownership group of the SuperSonics (Professional Basketball Club LLC) reached a settlement deal with the city of Seattle, releasing the team from the last two years of their lease with the city and allowing the team to relocate to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 NBA season. After 41 seasons in Seattle (and Tacoma), the team became the Oklahoma City Thunder and the owners agreed to leave the SuperSonics name, logo, and colors in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise. The Thunderbirds, who had called the Seattle Center Coliseum and KeyArena home for 32 years, followed the SuperSonics out the door at the end of 2008 for the ShoWare Center in nearby Kent. KeyArena was the first publicly financed arena in the area to be fully supported by earned income from the building. Following the 2008 settlement with the SuperSonics after relocation to Oklahoma City, KeyArena finances were bolstered for several years by a settlement fund but the current level of activity and revenue leaves little reserve beyond basic building upkeep.