Nationwide Arena

Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, of the NHL.

It is one of three facilities in Columbus (along with Greater Columbus Convention Center and Franklin County Veterans Memorial Auditorium) that hosts events during the annual Arnold Classic, a sports and fitness event hosted by former professional bodybuilder and Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In May 2012, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman made a pitch to the NBA requesting an expansion or relocated team be moved to Nationwide Arena.

Ownership
The venue is named for the arena's original majority owner, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, whose world headquarters are located across the street. Nationwide's real estate development affiliate, Nationwide Realty Investors, financed and developed the project—making it one of very few privately financed arenas in the nation.

2012 Sale
On February 21, 2012, arena owners Nationwide Insurance and the Dispatch Publishing Group sold the facility to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA). As part of the sale, Nationwide agreed to loan the FCCFA $43.3 million to finance the arena's purchase which will be paid back by 2039 with casino tax revenue collected by both the City of Columbus and Franklin County. In addition, the Ohio Department of Development agreed to a 10-year, $10 million loan to the FCCFA to assist with the facilities purchase. If the Blue Jackets meet annual roster payroll requirement, $500,000 of this loan per year will be forgiven. Nationwide Insurance will also pay the Blue Jackets $28 million to retain the arena's naming rights until 2022 as well as $58 million to purchase 30% ownership stake in the franchise. The Blue Jackets, in turn, agreed to remain in the city until 2039 or pay $36 million in damages.

Management
While the overall management responsibilities of the arena fell solely with the Blue Jackets from 2000-2012, the team contracted day to day operational and event booking to venue management giant SMG from the arena's opening until June 30, 2010. On May 12, 2010, the Blue Jackets announced that SMG would not be retained as arena managers and further announced that a one-year, annually renewable, management contract had been signed with The Ohio State University. The contract called for the university to take over both day to day arena operations as well as booking non-athletic events, with the Blue Jackets booking athletic events and maintaining overall control of the arena. This arrangement will made Nationwide Arena a sister venue to the on-campus Value City Arena. The university started booking acts in May 2010 and assumed day to day control of the arena on July 1, 2010. As part of the arena purchase in 2012, the Blue Jackets and the university, along with Nationwide Insurance and the FCCFA, will form Columbus Arena Management (CAM). CAM will approve the arena's annual budget and will take over management of arena operations.

Construction
The arena is of a brick design and serves as the center of an entertainment district located about one-half of a mile north of the Ohio State Capitol. Seating capacity is approximately 18,500 for hockey, 17,171 for arena football, 19,500 for basketball, and up to 21,000 for concerts. The death of Brittanie Cecil from injuries sustained from a hockey puck flying into the stands at a Blue Jackets game on March 16, 2002 led to the installation of nylon netting to catch pucks that fly over the acrylic glass at all professional ice hockey arenas in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL.

Location
The area surrounding Nationwide Arena, appropriately called the Arena District, houses bars, clubs and a movie theater. The Columbus Clippers, a AAA baseball team in the International League, play in the newly constructed Huntington Park nearby. Columbus uses the arena as a drawing point for the city with the other establishments feeding off of the foot traffic. The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion concert venue, and Arena Grand Theatre adjacent to the Nationwide Arena property, completes the entertainment complex.

Facilities
Nationwide Arena houses a smaller ice rink called the OhioHealth IceHaus (formerly named the CoreComm IceHaus and Dispatch Ice Haus). This facility serves as the practice rink for the Blue Jackets and is also used for youth hockey games and open skating times for the public. This facility makes Nationwide Arena the first NHL arena with an on-site practice facility and one of only two such facilities in NHL (the other being the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils).

Former Ohio Penitentiary
Nationwide Arena was built at the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary. Although believed to be built over the prison, the arena is actually built over the prison's former parking lot. Nationwide's parking lot is built where the prison formerly stood. Many prisoners were executed at the prison, and a fire on April 21, 1930 killed 322 prisoners locked in their cells. Some fans and employees who frequent Nationwide claim experiencing paranormal activities.

Sports

 * The PBR's Built Ford Tough Series bull riding tour has held an event every year at Nationwide Arena since 2000 (prior to 2000 the event was held at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum, and from 2000 to 2002 the BFTS was called the Bud Light Cup.) It was the last event of the BFTS regular season (not counting the PBR World Finals) between 2000 and 2007.
 * The arena hosted first and second round games of the 2004, 2007, and 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments.
 * The arena hosted the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
 * On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, a record hockey crowd of 19,219 watched the Blue Jackets play their first postseason game at home, where they lost to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings by a final score of 4–1 in a Western Conference Quarterfinal game.
 * The arena has hosted many noteworthy MMA events including, Gracie Fighting Championships, IFC Caged Combat, UFC 68, UFC 82, UFC 96, WEC 47, Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson, and Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.
 * It should also be noted that UFC 68 produced a number of attendance records for a mixed martial arts event. For starters, it was the first MMA event outside of Japan, to have at least 15,000 people in attendance. This record has since been outdone on a number of occasions with, the current holder being UFC 129 which had 55,724 people in attendance. However UFC 68 still holds the highest attendance for a MMA event in the United States with just over 19,000 people in attendance. Along with the highest attendance for a MMA event outside of Canada and Japan.


 * The arena will host the 2013 National Hockey League All-Star Game.
 * The arena will host the second and third round games of the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

Wrestling

 * It hosted the final World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) King of the Ring pay-per-view in 2002.
 * It hosted the last WWE Bad Blood in 2004.
 * It hosts WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown usually once a year.
 * In 2011, the arena hosted Impact Wrestling.

Concerts

 * Tim McGraw – September 9–10, 2000, with Faith Hill (Opening nights, attended by 33,565 people), April 21–22, 2006, Faith Hill, July 18, 2007, with Faith Hill, Taylor Swift and Halfway to Hazard, April 23, 2010, with Lady Antebellum and Love and Theft and May 7, 2011, with Luke Bryan and The Band Perry
 * KISS – September 29, 2000
 * Sarah Brightman – October 13, 2000
 * The Barenaked Ladies – October 21, 2000, with Guster
 * Tina Turner – November 1, 2000, with Joe Cocker
 * Kid Rock – January 25, 2001, with Uncle Kracker, Buckcherry and Fuel
 * Neal McCoy – March 3, 2001
 * AC/DC – April 4, 2001, with Sinomatic
 * U2 – May 7, 2001, with PJ Harvey
 * Eric Clapton – June 1, 2001, with Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack and July 12, 2004, with Robert Randolph and the Family Band
 * Prince & The New Power Generation – June 21, 2001
 * The Backstreet Boys – June 22, 2001, with Krystal Harris
 * Janet Jackson – July 21, 2001
 * Britney Spears – November 1, 2001 and August 20, 2011, with DJ Pauly D and Destinee & Paris
 * Bob Dylan – November 10, 2001
 * Vince Gill – December 11, 2001 and December 21, 2003, with Amy Grant
 * Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – February 7, 2002
 * 'N Sync – April 23, 2002
 * The Honda Civic Tour – June 5, 2002
 * Def Leppard – June 14, 2002, June 14, 2003 and October 27, 2005
 * Cher – June 19, 2002, with Cyndi Lauper
 * The Rolling Stones – October 20, 2002, with The White Stripes and September 24, 2005, with Beck
 * American Idol Live! – November 6, 2002, July 11, 2003 and July 27, 2010
 * Guns N' Roses – November 25, 2002, with CKY and Mix Master Mike
 * Mark Wills – January 18, 2003
 * Bon Jovi – February 16, 2003 and May 10, 2011
 * Elton John – April 22, 2003, with Billy Joel and March 11 and November 18, 2005
 * Matchbox 20 – May 25, 2003
 * The Dixie Chicks – June 10, 2003, with Joan Osborne
 * Mark Chesnutt – June 14, 2003, with Joe Diffie and Tracy Lawrence
 * The Blues Traveler – July 18, 2003, with Shurman
 * Good Charlotte – September 27, 2003
 * Bette Midler – December 13, 2003
 * Linkin Park – January 25, 2004, with P.O.D. and Hoobastank and February 15, 2008, with Coheed and Cambria and Chiodos
 * George Strait & The Ace in the Hole – February 21, 2004, with Dierks Bentley, February 17, 2007, with Taylor Swift and Ronnie Milsap and September 9, 2010, with Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack
 * Barry Manilow – October 16, 2004 and February 8, 2008
 * Norah Jones – November 4, 2004, with Amos Lee
 * Keith Urban – November 6, 2004, with Katrina Elam, October 5, 2005, with Nerina Pallot and Richard Winsland, August 14, 2009, with Jason Aldean and July 19, 2011, with Jake Owen
 * The Trans-Siberian Orchestra – December 18, 2004, December 7, 2005, December 6, 2006, December 27, 2007 (2 shows), December 20, 2008 (2 shows), January 3 (2 shows) and December 28 (2 shows), 2010 and December 18, 2011 (2 shows)
 * Phil Vassar – January 8, 2005
 * Slipknot – March 8, 2005, with Lamb of God and Shadows Fall
 * Destiny's Child – August 13, 2005
 * System of a Down – September 25, 2005, with The Mars Volta
 * Aerosmith – November 20, 2005, with Lenny Kravitz and November 25, 2012, with Cheap Trick
 * Trick Pony – January 21, 2006
 * Tool – September 21, 2006, with Isis
 * The Gigantour – September 23, 2006
 * The Cheetah Girls – November 9, 2006, with Jordan Pruitt and Vanessa Hudgens and November 28, 2008, with Clique Girlz
 * Martina McBride – December 15, 2006, February 1, 2008, with Lady Antebellum and February 21, 2010, with Trace Adkins and Sarah Buxton
 * Josh Groban – February 21, 2007
 * John Mayer – February 23, 2007 and March 12, 2010, with Michael Franti & Spearhead
 * Christina Aguilera – April 11, 2007, with The Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane
 * Yellowcard – June 22, 2007
 * Genesis – September 22, 2007
 * Maroon 5 – October 7, 2007, with The Hives
 * The Blue Man Group – November 15, 2007
 * Brad Paisley – December 1, 2007, with Rodney Atkins and Taylor Swift, January 22, 2010, with Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore and October 5, 2012, with The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery
 * Miley Cyrus – December 11, 2007, with The Jonas Brothers and October 7, 2009, with Metro Station
 * Chris Brown – January 30, 2008, with Bow Wow
 * The Casting Crowns – March 6, 2008
 * Hank Williams, Jr. – April 12, 2008, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special
 * Michael Bublé – April 16, 2008 and June 30, 2010, with Naturally 7
 * Billy Joel – April 20, 2008 and July 14, 2009, with Elton John
 * Natalie Grant – April 25–26, 2008, with Sandi Patty and April 29, 2011
 * The Police – May 4, 2008, with Fiction Plane and Elvis Costello & The Imposters
 * Raven-Symoné – June 8, 2008, with B5
 * Yes - July 15, 2008
 * The Jonas Brothers – August 23, 2008, with Demi Lovato and August 26, 2009, with Honor Society and Wonder Girls
 * The Steve Miller Band – November 15, 2008
 * Toby Keith – January 31, 2009
 * Nickelback – March 11, 2009, with Seether and Saving Abel and October 1, 2010, with Three Days Grace and Buckcherry
 * New Kids on the Block – April 3, 2009, with The Jabbawockeez
 * Fleetwood Mac – April 18, 2009
 * Creed – September 2, 2009, with Staind and Like a Storm
 * Styx – November 8, 2009, with REO Speedwagon
 * Steven Curtis Chapman – April 30–May 1, 2010, with Mandisa
 * Pearl Jam – May 6, 2010, with The Band of Horses
 * Maxwell – July 9, 2010, with Melanie Fiona
 * The Uproar Festival – August 24, 2010
 * Rush – August 29, 2010 and September 20, 2012
 * Sugarland – September 23, 2010, with Randy Montana and Little Big Town
 * Jason Aldean – February 26, 2011, with Eric Church and The JaneDear Girls
 * Lil Wayne – March 18, 2011, with Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Travis Barker
 * Hawk Nelson – March 25–26, 2011, with Group 1 Crew and Britt Nicole
 * The Zac Brown Band – May 26, 2011
 * Taylor Swift – June 7, 2011, with Needtobreathe
 * Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas – September 17, 2011
 * The Foo Fighters – September 22, 2011, with Rise Against and The Bronx
 * Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – November 4, 2011
 * Andrea Bocelli – December 1, 2011, with Ana María Martínez and Heather Headley
 * Rascal Flatts – January 21, 2012, with Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes
 * Blake Shelton – February 17, 2012, with Justin Moore and Meg & Dia
 * Eric Church – April 26, 2012, with Blackberry Smoke and Brantley Gilbert
 * LMFAO – May 22, 2012, with Far East Movement and Sidney Samson
 * New Edition – May 23 and 25, 2012
 * Miranda Lambert – June 14, 2012, with Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann
 * Big Time Rush – July 5, 2012, with Cody Simpson and Rachel Crow
 * Journey – November 7, 2012, with Loverboy and Pat Benatar

Other events

 * The 2007 National Catholic Youth Conference
 * The 2011 North American Youth Congress
 * Jeff Dunham on Controlled Chaos tour, December 24, 2011
 * Barack Obama held a campaign rally on November 5, 2012 with Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z

Reception
ESPN The Magazine declared it “the No. 2 stadium experience in professional sports.” The Ultimate Sports Road Trip rated it the best arena in the NHL saying "This newer arena in downtown Columbus is the anchor for the emerging Arena District, already burgeoning with shops, restaurants and hotels. The venue is spectacular, from its nostalgic brick and stone veneer to its sweeping concourses with blue mood lighting and modern amenities. The arena bowl has state of the art scoreboards and surround LED graphics boards which look 21st century high tech. With a separate practice rink built right in the facility, theme restaurants and great food selection, not to mention a raucous hockey atmosphere, this NHL venue is a must see!"