Upstate Medical University Arena

The Upstate Medical University Arena (originally known as Onondaga County War Memorial and later as the Oncenter War Memorial Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Syracuse, New York. It is part of the Oncenter Complex. Designed by Edgarton and Edgarton and built from 1949 through 1951, the structure is significant as an example of a World War I, World War II and Aroostook War commemorative[6] and as "an early and sophisticated example of single-span thin-shell concrete roof construction." It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The Upstate Medical University Arena has been renovated twice, in 1994 and 2018.

Upstate Medical University Arena
Exterior of the venue (c.2008)
Upstate Medical University Arena is located in New York
Upstate Medical University Arena
Upstate Medical University Arena
Location within New York
Upstate Medical University Arena is located in the United States
Upstate Medical University Arena
Upstate Medical University Arena
Location within the United States
Full nameUpstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial
Former namesOnondaga County War Memorial (1951–1999)
Oncenter War Memorial Arena (2000–2019)
Address515 Montgomery Street
LocationSyracuse, New York
Coordinates43°2′41″N 76°8′54″W
OwnerOnondaga County
OperatorASM Global
Capacity7,000
Detailed capacity[1]
  • Concerts (in the round): 7,200
  • Concerts (end stage): 6,800
  • Banquets: 1,340
  • Assembly Hall: 350
  • Hockey: 5,800
Construction
Broke groundOctober 22, 1949[2]
OpenedSeptember 12, 1951[3]
Renovated
  • 1994
  • 2018
Construction cost$3.7 million[4]
($45.7 million in 2022 dollars[5])
ArchitectEdgarton & Edgarton[2]
Structural engineerAmmann & Whitney[2]
General contractorW. E. O'Neil Construction Co.[2]
Tenants
Syracuse Warriors (AHL) (1951–1954)
Syracuse Orange men's basketball (NCAA) (1951–1952; 1955–1962)
Syracuse Nationals (NBA) (1951–1963)
Syracuse Blazers (EHL/NAHL) (1967–1977)
Syracuse Eagles (AHL) (1974–1975)
Syracuse Firebirds (AHL) (1979–1980)
Syracuse Crunch (AHL) (1994–present)
Syracuse Smash (NLL) (1997–2000)
Syracuse Soldiers (AIFL) (2006)
Syracuse Silver Knights (MASL) (2011–2018)

Naming rights

On December 20, 2019, Onondaga County, Upstate Medical University, and the Syracuse Crunch announced an 11-year sponsorship agreement that includes naming rights of the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial. The sponsorship also includes health programming and the continuation of Upstate's sponsorship with the Syracuse Crunch.[7]

Tenants

The Upstate Medical University Arena is home to the Syracuse Crunch ice hockey team.[8]

Previous teams to call the War Memorial home included the NBA's Syracuse Nationals, the NLL's Syracuse Smash, the Major Arena Soccer League's Syracuse Silver Knights, and several now-defunct American Hockey League teams. The Nationals defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in a deciding seventh game at home to win the 1954–55 NBA Championship. The War Memorial also hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1961[9] and the NCAA Frozen Four in 1967 and 1971.[10]

The 1977 film Slap Shot included the War Memorial among the various arenas used as shooting locations for in-game action.[11]

Interior during a Crunch hockey game (2017)

Notable events

The arena played host to four games of the 1954-55 NBA Finals and hosted the pivotal Game 7 where the Nationals beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 92-91.[12]

Syracuse also hosted the NBA All Star Game in 1961.[13] Three of the Syracuse Nationals players were on the team.

The Onondaga County War Memorial was home to the annual NYSPHSAA wrestling tournament in 1968, from 1970 to 1972, and then for 29-straight years, 1974–2003.[14] The championship event has since been hosted by various venues around the state.

Professional wrestling has also experienced its share of history at the War Memorial. Shortly after completion of filming of the WCW-produced film Ready to Rumble, actor David Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship title on April 26, 2000 in a taping of the company's weekly Thunder broadcast, which is often cited as being the first legitimate sign of the demise of WCW. It also hosted the first WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1995.[15] In April 1998 the Oncenter hosted WWF Monday Night Raw.[16] The Oncenter occasionally hosts WWE house shows.

The American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch have hosted the AHL All-Star Classic twice (1998, 2016) and reached the Calder Cup Finals in 2013 and 2017.

The arena hosted the opening ceremonies and several games of the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship from September 18 to 26, 2015.[17]

It is also a prominent concert venue in the region, which includes various Queen, KISS, Bruce Springsteen, The Grateful Dead, Phish and Aerosmith shows among numerous others over the years. The venue was included among the stops on Bob Dylan's legendary 1965 electric tour with The Hawks.[18]Elvis Presley also performed at the venue, July 25 and 26, 1976. An audience recording featuring both shows was released in 2015 under the title Onondaga Nights.

The Oncenter War Memorial Arena was the first professional hockey arena to install LED lighting in 2012, provided by Ephesus Lighting.[19]

On top of the arena's stage are the words, "In memory of our service veterans."

The War Memorial was also used as a vaccination and testing cite during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References
  1. "War Memorial Arena: Seating Capacities". The Oncenter Official Website. ASM Syracuse. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2019 – via Adobe Document Cloud.
  2. "Memorial Opening to Make History" (PDF). The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. September 12, 1951. p. 23. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  3. "Around...Our Town And Country". Warsaw Times-Union. Vol. 97, no. 240. Warsaw, Indiana. October 11, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  4. "Cities to Vote on Bonds Issues over Billion". Chicago Tribune. November 5, 1951. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  5. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  6. LaFrank, Kathleen (October 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Onondaga County War Memorial". State of New York. Retrieved May 2, 2009.and Accompanying 21 photos, exterior and interior, from construction through 1988
  7. "ONONDAGA COUNTY, UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, SYRACUSE CRUNCH ANNOUNCE UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY ARENA AT ONONDAGA COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL". Syracuse Crunch. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  8. "Onondaga County War Memorial Stadium Renovations Ahead of Syracuse Crunch Season". Local SYR. 11 July 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  9. "1961 NBA All-Star recap". NBA.com.
  10. "Boston University Championship Teams" (PDF). Boston University Terriers.
  11. "Remembering a Legend". The Post-Standard. Syracuse. September 28, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  12. "NBA championship, 60 years ago today: Syracuse Nats beat Pistons, become world champions". syracuse. 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  13. "1961 NBA All-Star recap". www.nba.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  14. "NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships - Tournament History". Archived from the original on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  15. "WWF In Your House: Premiere". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  16. "Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, New York, United States". profightdb.com.
  17. "Lacrosse is Coming Home to Onondaga Nation". Federation of International Lacrosse (Press release). 2 April 2015.
  18. "NOV 21, 1965 Syracuse, NY War Memorial". Bobdylan.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  19. "How LED lighting in NHL arenas is making game better".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Onondaga County War Memorial.
Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
Syracuse Crunch
1994-present		 Succeeded by
Current
Preceded by Home of the
Syracuse Nationals
1951–1963		 Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
1961		 Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
Frozen Four
1967		 Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
Frozen Four
1971		 Succeeded by
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