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Coordinates: 39°44′08″N 084°12′0″W / 39.73556°N 84.20000°W / 39.73556; -84.20000 University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hosted the annual "play-in" game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament (officially the "opening round" game) which featured the teams rated 64th and 65th in the tournament field. Beginning in 2011, when the tournament expanded to four opening-round games, the arena continued to host all "first four" games. Overall, the arena has hosted more men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament games than any other venue. The playing court is known as Blackburn Court, named after historic UD coach Tom Blackburn. The Donoher Center expansion on the southwest corner of the arena was completed in 1998. Named for former Flyers basketball coach Don Donoher, the Center provides an NBA-caliber facility for conditioning and game preparation. The arena was extensively renovated during the summer of 2002. The additions include concession areas, luxury boxes, disabled access improvements, and a restaurant/bar. The venue was awarded the 2003 and 2004 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball tournaments. In 2010, four new video screens were installed, one in each of the arena's corners. Following the 2016–17 basketball season, a 3-year renovation project began at UD Arena. The renovations were completed by the 2020-2021 season, albeit no fans were permitted in the arena due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since its opening in 1969, over 14 million visitors have attended events at the arena. In 2002, the arena was the site of the first ever high-definition television (HDTV) broadcast for ESPN.
