The Oracle arena has been the home for the Golden State Warriors for almost 40 years and continues to be the main place for most events that are held in the Bay Area. Formerly known as Oakland Coliseum Arena and Oakland Coliseum, the indoor arena can hold up to 19,596 spectators, more than the two other NBA venues in California. Oracle Arena is very famous in Northern California and has been the home to many other teams in the past. The Arena was home to various hockey teams and was home to the California Bears basketball team in the 90′s. The Oakland Coliseum was also the home of the 2000 All Star Game and was famous for the dunk contest show that Vince Carter participated in.
One of the great features of the Arena is that it is only walking distance from a BART station and it is definitely accessible to most people in the area. With a very large parking lot, people are also able to park at the Arena during any of the Warriors home games.
The Arena has also undergone some major changes throughout the years as it only had about 15,000 seats before the change. At only 15,000 seats, it was one of the smallest stadiums in the league. The city did not want to build a new arena so they started a $121 million renovation that now allows the stadium to fit almost 20,000 people. During hockey games the Arena is only able to seat 17,000 since a hockey rink will take up more space compared to a basketball court.
The Oracle Arena got it’s name in October of 2006 and the “O” is managed by the Oakland-Alameda county authority and SMG. The Warrior games are constantly enjoyed by the locals and it seems as if the Arena is the main reason as to why the Warriors are always able to sell out their games. As the biggest arena in Northern California for basketball, people would travel to Oakland just to visit this Arena. The Warriors’ home has also been able to host various concerts and events and continues to be the center of attention while people drive along Highway 80.
In 1999, the Arena hosted the WCW Superbrawl and a few other wrestling events. These were able to fill the stadium to it’s limits and this led to the very first UFC event in Northern California in 2010. Countless bands have been able to perform at the Oracle and the stadium has been a constant stop for many musical tours. Dave Matthews, Slipknot, and the Grateful Dead are only a few of the acts that were held in the Arena.
There really is no signs of the Oracle Arena slowing down in popularity as the Warriors continue to put on a good show during every game. The Arena continues to provide a great home for the team and the fans and will always be a great venue for fans from all over the Bay Area.
