NCAA Basketball


Year:		Conferences:		Teams:

Seasons	Conferences	Arenas	All Tournaments	NCAA Tournament	Admin

MECCA

400 W Kilbourn Ave

Milwaukee, WI 53203

Opened: April 9, 1950

The Milwaukee Exposition, Convention Center and Arena or the MECCA, originally known as Milwaukee Arena, then the Wisconsin Center Arena and also the U.S. Cellular Arena, now called UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, is an indoor arena located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The arena, which seats as many as 12,700 people and offers 41,700 square feet of floor space, is part of a larger downtown campus, that includes the Milwaukee Theatre and Wisconsin Center.

It currently serves as the home to the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals, NCAA Division I Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team, and Major Arena Soccer League's Milwaukee Wave. It was formerly home to the Milwaukee Hawks (1951-55) and Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA (1968-1988), and hosted the 1977 NBA All-Star Game. The venue was also home to Marquette University's men's basketball team from 1974 to 1988.

The arena opened in 1950 and was one of the first to accommodate the needs of broadcast television. It was folded into MECCA (The Milwaukee Exposition, Convention Center and Arena) when the complex opened in 1974. It is also known for its former, uniquely painted basketball court by Robert Indiana in 1978, with large orange 'M's taking up both half-courts representing Milwaukee. The Indiana floor was purchased by a fan in the early 2010s and is currently in storage at a storage facility in Milwaukee.

The arena has been the home of the Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team at three different times, first from 1993 to 1998, then from 2003 to 2012, and since 2013. The Panthers played their 2012-2013 home games at the 3,500 seat Klotsche Center on UWM's east side campus. The move generated complaints from some Panthers fans and attendance lagged as the team had its worst record since the 1990s. After Amanda Braun was named UWM's athletic director in March 2013, she said she would re-examine the decision to move games from the U.S. Cellular Arena. In July 2013, UWM officials reached a 5-year contract with the Wisconsin Center District that was set to run through 2018 before the 2014 naming rights deal extended the partnership through at least 2024.

Last 10 Games
Date	Opponents	Result

Feb 24, 1993	Southern Utah @ Milwaukee	56 - 66
Feb 8, 1993	Chicago State @ Milwaukee	64 - 65
Jan 27, 1993	UMKC @ Milwaukee	57 - 73
Jan 23, 1993	Sacramento State @ Milwaukee	44 - 96
Jan 17, 1993	CSU Northridge @ Milwaukee	65 - 78
Jan 13, 1993	Green Bay @ Milwaukee	68 - 75
Jan 2, 1993	Fairfield @ Milwaukee	59 - 75
Dec 31, 1992	Alcorn St. @ Milwaukee	80 - 94
Dec 19, 1992	Western Illinois @ Milwaukee	71 - 92
Dec 15, 1992	Northern Illinois @ Milwaukee	71 - 79