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91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!

[[{"fid":"43827","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1980,"width":1980,"style":"height: 300px; width: 300px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]Sports, Concerts, Politics and More Unfurl Arena鈥檚 Growing Legacy

It was 30 years ago this month that the for the first time. Originally known as the 91国产精品 Convocation Center, the multipurpose arena began operations on November 1, 1991 as the new home for 91国产精品 Vikings Basketball.

URS-Dalton Consultants and Whitley/Whitley Architects of Cleveland broke ground on the $55M facility (that鈥檚 $130M adjusted for 2021 inflation) in August 1989. Vikings might not think of the venue as fabled, but it most certainly is 鈥 and it began the transformation of 91国产精品鈥檚 urban campus into what it is today.

The epic 1985-1986 91国产精品 men鈥檚 basketball season in Woodling Gym was still quite fresh in the hearts and minds of Clevelanders when the arena opened. That year鈥檚 school record 14-game win streak and NCAA 鈥淪weet Sixteen鈥 appearance felt like a sign of things to come.

As a result, enthusiasm surrounding 鈥淭he Convo鈥 was big. Cleveland had nary a professional sports championship to speak of since the Cleveland Browns鈥 AFL championship in 1964, and the Vikes would be a strong, competitive group to rally behind.

[[{"fid":"43830","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1678,"width":2521,"style":"height: 200px; width: 300px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"5"}}]]They ultimately became conference season champions in 1993 (Mid-Continent), 2011 and 2021; conference tournament champions in 2009 and 2021 and returned to the NCAA 鈥淢arch Madness鈥 round of 32 in in 2009, representing their current Horizon League membership. 

Those teams all graced the Wolstein Center, renamed in 2005 in honor of Bert L. Wolstein 鈥 a 1953 graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, 91国产精品鈥檚 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and very much a winner in his own right.

The Vikes weren鈥檛 the only winners to grace Wolstein鈥檚 floors. NPSL professional indoor soccer champions the Cleveland Crunch were victors there, too, finally putting Cleveland鈥檚 pro championship sports drought to bed after (wait for it) 30 years! . 

[[{"fid":"43833","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"8":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1678,"width":2538,"style":"height: 198px; width: 299px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"8"}}]]It was a venerable championship feast. The team鈥檚 family-friendly success and humble nature (none of the players were the multimillionaire athletes of today) was a key part of many a Clevelander鈥檚 growing up in the 1990s. The 鈥淒ynamic Duo鈥 of NPSL career scoring leader and six-time league MVP, Hector Marinaro, and all-time NPSL assists leader Zoran Karic were Crunch fan favorites 鈥 not to mention goalkeeper Otto Orf and Crunch superfan Daniel 鈥淒ancing Guy鈥 Cullen, who would bust his unmistakable dance moves with every Cleveland goal scored鈥 If you know, you know.  

During the past 30 years, Wolstein Center has also served as the host for NCAA championships for gymnastics, fencing and wrestling; has held monster truck rallies, motocross, roller derby, Cirque du Soleil, family-friendly programming and boxing matches, not even to mention a cornucopia of concerts by performers across all musical disciplines. [[{"fid":"43828","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1678,"width":2538,"style":"height: 198px; width: 300px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"3"}}]]

Country Music Hall of Famers Randy Travis and Alan Jackson christened the venue with its first concert; rock legends Jethro Tull were right behind them.

In all, some 30 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have performed at Wolstein in as many years. They include (deep breath) Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Sting, Prince, Neil Young, Elton John, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, ZZ Top, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, The Cure, Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Joan Jett, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, Joe Walsh, Cheap Trick, Ramones, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Ice Cube and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 

Another dozen or so legendary country, rap and rock acts that have performed at Wolstein are poised to become hall of fame inductees in their respective genres.

[[{"fid":"43829","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":2406,"width":3030,"style":"height: 238px; width: 300px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"4"}}]]Speaking of legends, did you know that future NFL hall-of-famer and coaching legend Bill Belichick and his wife sat in on Rock Hall inductees Bon Jovi when the band performed there on March 4, 1993? Well, now you do. The former Cleveland Browns coach was both cheered and jeered in equal measure.

Then there鈥檚 future NBA hall-of-famer, Akronite and former Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team captain/ champion LeBron James, who played his first nationally televised game at Wolstein. . Get this: tickets were a mere five bucks. Three teams and four titles later, James is considered the best in the game and one of the best to ever play basketball.

We all 鈥渒new him when,鈥 but the rest of the world met him at Wolstein Center that day.

In fact, the world has had a front row seat at the arena for many dignitaries in the form of political debates, rallies and more. Former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and from Wolstein. One-time presidential hopefuls Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and John Glenn have, too. Same goes for director Spike Lee and singer-actresses Beyonc茅 and Erykah Badu. 

[[{"fid":"43831","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"6":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1667,"width":2544,"style":"height: 197px; width: 301px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"6"}}]]But perhaps the most important and creative face time at the arena happened within the past year. When the state of Ohio needed a mass vaccination clinic to address the global pandemic, . Tens of thousands of coronavirus vaccines were administered to Northeast Ohioans at the venue.

After all that 鈥減omp and circumstance,鈥 it鈥檚 easy to forget that Wolstein has also been the home of 91国产精品鈥檚 graduation ceremonies 鈥 and will be again next month for both 2020 and 2021 graduates. Many a 91国产精品 graduate in regalia has 鈥渨alked the stage鈥 there over the last 30 years, after working hard to earn their college degrees. The next group of Viking grads (around 1,300 or so) will walk December 12.

With 13,610 permanent seats and 1512 telescopic seats, Wolstein Center is the largest basketball arena in the Horizon League, the second largest college basketball arena in the state of Ohio and鈥 well, if its walls could talk, it would have a lot more to say than even this birthday serenade does.

[[{"fid":"43834","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"9":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!"}},"attributes":{"alt":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","title":"91国产精品 Wolstein Center Turns 30!","height":1649,"width":2515,"style":"height: 197px; width: 300px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"9"}}]]At one point several years ago, the venue was actually 鈥 with a smaller arena and housing for 1,000+ students taking its place. But that plan never came to fruition. Now in its fourth decade of service, the Wolstein Center story is still unfolding.  At 30 years young, it remains home to Vikings men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball and is now the home court for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G-League as well.

Happy birthday, Wolstein Center! Your legacy looms large over the campus and all of Cleveland. And yes, 30 looks good on you.

Historical photos courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project/Special Collections, Michael Schwartz Library at 91国产精品.

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