History
Stokely Athletic Center opened in 1958 with 7,800 seats and was expanded to 12,700 in 1966. Tennessee's men played there until 1987 and the Lady Vols from 1976 to 1987; it also hosted the 1983 Louisville-Kentucky regional final and a 1980 heavyweight title fight.
The building shut down at the end of 2012 and was demolished in 2014, making way for a residence hall and parking garage.
Why it matters: Tennessee's basketball home for nearly three decades.
Timeline
- 1958Opens[1]
The center opened.
- March 5, 1966Upset of Kentucky[1]
Tennessee upset Kentucky 69-62.
- March 31, 1980Weaver knocks out Tate[1]
Mike Weaver knocked out WBA heavyweight champion John Tate.
- March 26, 1983Regional final[1]
Louisville beat Kentucky 80-68 in overtime in the NCAA Mideast Regional final.
- December 2012Operations end[1]
All operations shut down by the end of 2012.
- 2014Demolished[1]
Demolition ran from January to mid-summer 2014.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Residence hall and parking garage[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball | NCAA · 1958–1987 |
|---|---|
| Tennessee Lady Vols basketball | NCAA · 1976–1987 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | Knoxville, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball |
| Level | NCAA |
| Opened | 1958[1] |
| Last used for sports | 2012[1] |
| Demolished | 2014[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 7,800[1] |
| Final capacity | 12,700[1] |
| Construction cost | $1.5 million[1] |
Documented details
- Elvis Presley performed here in 1972, 1974 and 1977.[1]
Sources
- Stokely Athletic Center, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.