Lawlor Events Center
Multipurpose indoor arena in Nevada, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lawlor Events Center is northern Nevada's largest multi-purpose arena. It is located in Reno, Nevada at the intersection of North Virginia Street and 15th Street on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. It is named after former athletic director, baseball, basketball and football coach Jake Lawlor.
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  Lawlor Events Center Location in Nevada  Lawlor Events Center Location in the United States | |
| Address | 1500 North Virginia Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°32′42.25″N 119°49′5.77″W |
| Owner | University of Nevada, Reno |
| Operator | University of Nevada, Reno |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Surface | Multi–surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1981[1] |
| Opened | November 4, 1983[1] |
| Construction cost | $26 million ($84 million in 2025 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Casazza, Peetz & Associates[3] |
| Structural engineer | Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | The Law Company, Inc.[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Nevada Wolf Pack (NCAA) (1983–present) | |
It was built in 1983 and has a capacity of 12,000 including 11,536 multi-purpose seats. Lawlor is home to the Nevada Wolf Pack basketball teams, and also hosts boxing, concerts, conferences, PBR events, rodeos, WWE and other entertainment events. It is also the host for Washoe County School District high school graduations and winter commencement ceremonies for the university.
History
Lawlor Events Center hosted the 1986 Big Sky Conference, 1996–2000 Big West Conference and 2005–2006 and 2009–2010 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournaments.
On Saturday, February 4, 1984 Duran Duran performed at Lawlor as part of their Sing Blue Silver world tour.
On Thursday, February 16, 1984 Genesis performed at Lawlor as part of their Mama Tour.
Van Halen played a sold-out show on May 7, 1984.
The music video for Eddie Money's 1986 single "Take Me Home Tonight" was filmed at the arena.
Bon Jovi played a sold-out show on January 23, 1987, during their Slippery When Wet Tour.
On April 21, 1990, Santana performed here as part of their Spirits Dancing in the Flesh Tour.
Tina Turner held her Twenty Four Seven Tour here on December 2, 2000.
On August 1, 2003, rock band Fleetwood Mac performed at Lawlor, as part of their Say You Will Tour.
On September 27, 2023, the Grand Sierra Resort, a casino resort in the city, announced a 10-year, $1 billion-plus expansion project. The project will include a new arena with a capacity of at least 10,000. Upon completion, initially planned for 2026 but since delayed to 2027, Nevada men's basketball will move to the new arena, with women's basketball remaining at Lawlor.[6][7]