History
Rebel Coliseum opened on February 21, 1966, and was renamed for C. M. "Tad" Smith in 1972. It served Ole Miss men's and women's basketball until the Sandy and John Black Pavilion opened; the last regular games were in December 2015 and January 2016.
Ole Miss staged throwback games there from 2023, the last on November 14, 2025. The university planned demolition for summer 2026, and in February 2026 the Mississippi Department of Archives and History opened comment on a demolition permit.
Why it matters: Ole Miss's basketball home for half a century.
Timeline
- February 21, 1966Opens[1]
The coliseum opened.
- March 25, 1972Renamed[1]
Renamed for C. M. "Tad" Smith.
- January 3, 2016Last regular game[1]
The women's team played the last regular game; the men's last was December 22, 2015.
- November 14, 2025Final throwback game[1]
Ole Miss beat Cal State Bakersfield 82-60 in a final throwback game.
- February 24, 2026Demolition permit notice[3]
MDAH opened public comment on a proposed demolition permit.
The site today
| Physical status | Status unknown |
|---|---|
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
We have not verified what occupies the site today. Know? Tell us, with a source.
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Ole Miss Rebels | NCAA · 1966–2016 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Rebel Coliseum (1966–1972); Tad Pad; C. M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum |
|---|---|
| Location | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball |
| Level | NCAA |
| Opened | February 21, 1966[1,3] |
| Last used for sports | January 3, 2016[1] |
| Physical status | Status unknown |
| Original capacity | 8,500[1] |
| Final capacity | 8,867[1] |
| Architect | Brewer, Skewes & Godbold and Pritchard & Nickles[1] |
| Construction cost | $1.8 million[1] |
Documented details
Sources
- Tad Smith Coliseum, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, events, opened, teams
- Campus Infrastructure Projects Moving Forward, University of Mississippi. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: events
- C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum Public Notice, Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: events, opened
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.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Regular use ended January 3, 2016, but throwback games were played in 2023, 2024 and on November 14, 2025.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.