The Sportscenter, one of Owensboro’s most historic buildings, opened in 1949. It is a multi-purpose, 5,000-seat arena that hosts concerts, sporting events, graduations, trade shows, meetings, and receptions.
Adolph Rupp’s “Fab Five” University of Kentucky basketball team dedicated the building on February 5, 1949. The building opened the night before for a high school double header, but the UK game was the official grand opening.
The venue is home to the Division II Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers Men’s and Women’s Basketball of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the Owensboro Catholic High School Aces Basketball, and Grace Christian Academy Lions Basketball.
The arena floor has more than 11,000 square feet of usable space and can be modified for basketball, concerts, rodeos, expos, banquets, and a variety of other events.
Numerous big-name artists have performed at the Owensboro Sportscenter, especially in the 1950’s and 1960’s, including Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Gene Autry, Eddie Arnold, Liberace, Merle Haggard, Bob Hope, and Roy Rogers.
Oak View Group (previously Spectra) took over management of the arena in 2016.
The Owensboro Sportscenter has recently hosted the following events and artists: Jack Harlow, for King & Country, REO Speedwagon, Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker, Gary Allan, Justin Moore, Travis Tritt, Kansas, WWE NXT, The Harlem Globetrotters, PBR Challenger Series, Graduations, Circuses, Cheerleading Competitions, Gun & Knife Show, KHSAA 3rd Region Tournament, GMAC Conference Tournament, Monsters on the Ohio, Kentucky 2A State Basketball Tournament, and more.