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PATRIOT CENTER FACTS

• Managed by Washington Sports & Entertainment, which includes the Washington Wizards, Verizon Center, Baltimore-Washington Ticketmaster service and an in-house concert promoter, Musicentre Productions.
• Opened on October 4, 1985, with a pre-season game between the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) and the New York Knicks, including rookie Patrick Ewing.
• A 25 year old, 10,000 seat venue in Fairfax, VA, with a recent $10 million renovation which included new concession stands, new bathrooms, a new box office and a new façade for the concourse and entrances.
• Over 8.6 million in attendance and over 2,660 events.
• Ranked No. 60 among venues nationwide, and ranked No. 97 worldwide for ticket sales in 2008 according to leading trade publication, Pollstar.
• Record attendance for a concert is held by Phish at 10,356.
• Record grossing concert is held from Bruce Springsteen in 2005 totaling $573,885. The previous record was held by Neil Diamond back in 2002 with a gross of $493,552.
• Record grossing family show is from 2009, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at over $1.8 million.
• George Mason University Patriots men’s basketball team have made four NCAA appearances (1989, 1999, 2001 and 2006) and three NIT appearances (1986, 2002 and 2004) – the last two taking place at the Patriot Center.
• Hosted first men’s CAA Tournament in 1986 and the first women’s CAA Tournament in 2005.
• Sting has performed four times, Prince three times, and R.E.M. twice throughout the history of the building. Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Pearl Jam, Michael Buble, Pink and Kings of Leon have each performed once.
• Longest tenured event is Sesame Street Live (1985).
• Patriot Center has had the same name for the past 25 years and the same general manager for the past 22 years.
• First university venue to be managed by a private company, Washington Sports & Entertainment.
• First professionally sanctioned boxing match held in 2005 with local Virginia native and NBC’s "The Contender" contestant, Jimmy Lange.
• Hosted 1990 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships
• Multi-purpose venue with events ranging from basketball games to concerts to family shows to trade shows, including Dane Cook, Jeff Dunham, Larry the Cable Guy, Gwen Stefani and the Black Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Audioslave, Duran Duran, Bill Gaither and Friends, Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live, the Washington Bridal Showcase, Blue Man Group, and the World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions.