Cajundome

Cajundome
Map
Location444 Cajundome Boulevard
Lafayette, Louisiana 70506
OwnerUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette
OperatorCajundome Commission
CapacityBasketball: 11,550
Ice Hockey: 11,433
Concerts: 13,500[1]
Pro Wrestling: 12,121
SurfaceMulti-surface
Construction
Broke groundJanuary 27, 1982 (42 years ago) (1982-01-27)[2]
OpenedNovember 10, 1985 (39 years ago) (1985-11-10)[6]
Construction cost$60 million
($170 million in 2023 dollars[3])
ArchitectNeil Nehrbass
Structural engineerWilliam J. Mouton[4]
General contractorBlunt Brothers Corp.[5]
Tenants
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball (NCAA) (1985–present)
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns women's basketball (NCAA) (1985–2018; doubleheaders) (2019–present; regular)
Louisiana IceGators (ECHL) (1995–2005)
Lafayette SwampCats (EISL) (1997–1998)
Lafayette Roughnecks (af2) (2001)
Louisiana IceGators (SPHL) (2010–2016)
Lafayette Wildcatters (SIFL) (2010)
Cajundome

The Cajundome is a 13,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in Lafayette, Louisiana on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. It is home to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's and women's basketball programs in addition to hosting various university events and commencement ceremonies including high school graduations.

The arena hosts many regional & national touring concerts (seating for concerts up to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven-day state fair that attracts more than 50,000 guests. The arena also hosts the annual Jr. Beta Club Louisiana state conventions for middle and elementary school students and the Sr. Beta Conventions for high schoolers on occasion. The facility is a recognizable Lafayette landmark that was built by the State of Louisiana, partially funded by the City of Lafayette, and is owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and managed by the CAJUNDOME Commission.[7]

Currently, the CAJUNDOME is the largest basketball arena in the Sun Belt Conference, the largest college basketball arena in Louisiana, the third largest overall indoor arena in Louisiana (behind the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City), one of the largest mid-major college basketball arenas, and in the top 10 largest college basketball arenas in the Deep South.[8]

  1. ^ "Cajundome - A - Z". Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  2. ^ Gomez Sr., Ronald J. (2006-11-16). "8". My Name Is Ron, and I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative. Lafayette, LA: Zemog Publishing (published 2000). pp. 73, 95. ISBN 0-595-86001-X. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Weingardt, Richard G. (May 1, 2013). "William J. Mouton: Tube Structure Pioneer and Foundation Innovator". Structure Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-11-01. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  5. ^ "A Concrete Achievement". Engineering News-Record. 213 (1). New York City: McGraw-Hill Education: 77. 1984. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  6. ^ "Cajundome Turns 25 Today! | KATC.com | Acadiana-Lafayette, Louisiana". Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2011-09-22.
  7. ^ "Mission Statement of Cajundome". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  8. ^ "Largest College Basketball Arenas". Fueled by Sports. Retrieved 20 August 2021.