Thomas Assembly Center

Samuel Thomas Assembly Center
"The TAC"
Map
Location1650 West Alabama Avenue
Ruston, LA 71272
Coordinates32°31′56″N 92°39′30″W / 32.5321°N 92.6584°W / 32.5321; -92.6584
OwnerLouisiana Tech University
OperatorLouisiana Tech University
Capacity8,000
Record attendance8,975 (January 22, 1985)
SurfaceMaplewood
Construction
OpenedDecember 4, 1982
Construction cost$17.5 million
ArchitectMorgan, Hill, Sutton & Mitchell Architects, LLC.
Tenants
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters (NCAA) (1982–present)

The Samuel M. Thomas Assembly Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Ruston, Louisiana.[1] The arena, named for its benefactor and businessman Samuel M. Thomas, is home to the Division I NCAA Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs (men) and Lady Techsters (women) basketball teams. The arena also hosts concerts and events.

The arena opened in November 1982 just west of Joe Aillet Stadium, and replaced the then-30-year-old Memorial Gymnasium on the corner of Tech Drive and Railroad Avenue. The men's basketball team hosted the Southland Conference tournament in the STAC in 1985 and 1987, and four NIT games, one in 1986, two games in 2002, and one in 2015. The women's team has hosted the first, second and regional rounds of the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament nineteen times, most recently in 2003.

The TAC also serves as the home of the Louisiana Tech Women's Volleyball team since the program's inception in 1987.

NBA greats including Karl Malone, P.J. Brown, Randy White and Paul Millsap have called the Samuel Thomas Assembly Center home during their collegiate careers.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Thomas Assembly Center". latechsports.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2015-06-01.