C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum

"The Tad Pad"
Former names	Rebel Coliseum (1966-72)
Location	Confederate Dr University, MS 38677
Coordinates	34°21′43.91″N 89°32′21.49″W / 34.3621972°N 89.5393028°W / 34.3621972; -89.5393028Coordinates: 34°21′43.91″N 89°32′21.49″W / 34.3621972°N 89.5393028°W / 34.3621972; -89.5393028
Opened	1966
Owner	University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Operator	University of Mississippi
Capacity	8,700
Tenants
Ole Miss Rebels (Men's and Women's Basketball)

C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum is an 8,700-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Mississippi. It is home to the University of Mississippi Rebels and Lady Rebels basketball teams. It has also hosted many concerts, one of which was The Allman Brothers w/ Gov't Mule in November 1995.

The circular building, similar to many areans constructed at the time, has a 272'-diameter white steel-framed, Neoprene-covered roof which tops out at 89' above the court. From its exterior, it looks like a giant hub cap. The floor, 130' from end to end with its Rebel red and blue trim, is located twelve feet below the surrounding ground level. The seats were replaced in 2001 with navy blue upholstered seats. The center-court scoreboard includes four new Pro Star video boards and a state-of-the-art sound system. The outside of the building includes red Mississippi brick and blue vinyl-covered steel siding. It is located to the southwest of the center of campus, west of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. A Confederate cemetery lies behind the building.

The building opened during the 1965-1966 as Rebel Coliseum. It was renamed on March 25, 1972 to honor C.M. "Tad" Smith, former three-sport letterman, coach and athletic director at the university. The largest crowd ever at the building was on February 10, 2007, when 9,452 fans watched the Rebels defeat the No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Prior to the building of the Coliseum, the team played in Old Gym (now the Martindale Student Services Center), a 2,500-seat gym built in 1929.^[1] It is worth noting, however, that the arena never once hosted a game against Kentucky in the building, not even scheduling a "home" contest until 1949. They elected to play at neutral sites, including Owensboro, Kentucky (Memorial Auditorium); Memphis Tennessee (the old Ellis Auditorium); and Jackson, Mississippi (Jackson Municipal Auditorium), the site of the last three off-campus games against the Wildcats.^[2]

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• The Tad Smith Coliseum-OleMissSports.com
• VIDEO: Virtual tour of Tad Smith Coliseum at Ole Miss
• TadSmithColiseum.com - Seating Chart, Photos, and views of the court

v • d • e The University of Mississippi ~ Ole Miss Academics Daniel Jones (chancellor) • University of Mississippi Academics • Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College • Golden Lamp of Knowledge • University of Mississippi School of Engineering • University of Mississippi School of Business Administration • Croft Institute for International Studies • National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law • Center for the Study of Southern Culture Athletics Ole Miss Rebels • Football • Baseball • Tennis • The Pride of the South Football Rivalries: Egg Bowl (w/ MSU) • Magnolia Bowl (w/ LSU) • Arkansas–Ole Miss rivalry • Alabama–Ole Miss rivalry Post-season Bowl Records: Bowl history Facilities: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Tad Smith Coliseum • Swayze Field • Ole Miss Soccer Stadium • Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center • Ole Miss Track & Field Complex • Ole Miss Softball Complex • Gillom Sports Center • University Golf Course Staff: Pete Boone • Houston Nutt • Andy Kennedy • Mike Bianco Notables: Archie Manning • Eli Manning • Deuce McAllister • John Vaught • David Dellucci • Devin Britton Campus Main: University, Mississippi • Lyceum-The Circle Historic District • Old Gym • University of Mississippi Museum • Rowan Oak • Barnard Observatory • Kennon Observatory • The Grove Other: University of Mississippi Medical Center • University of Mississippi School of Medicine Student life The Daily Mississippian • WUMS Rebels Radio • Alumni Traditions Colonel Reb • Forward Rebels • Hotty Toddy! Outreach Mississippi Teacher Corps Endowment: $472 million • Students: 17,546 • Faculty: 697

v • d • e Basketball arenas of the Southeastern Conference Eastern Colonial Life Arena (South Carolina) • Memorial Coliseum (Kentucky women) • Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt) • Rupp Arena (Kentucky men) • Stegeman Coliseum (Georgia) • Stephen C. O'Connell Center (Florida) • Thompson-Boling Arena (Tennessee) Western Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum (Auburn) • Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas) • Coleman Coliseum (Alabama men) • Foster Auditorium (Alabama women) • Humphrey Coliseum (Mississippi State) • Maravich Assembly Center (LSU) • Tad Smith Coliseum (Ole Miss)

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