BACKSTAGE

The Whittemore Center Arena is a $30 million multi-purpose arena that opened in November 1995. Located on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, the Arena is home to the nationally ranked UNH Wildcats ice hockey program. A versatile venue, The Whit can accommodate a number of seating arrangements for different events. For example, the capacity for an athletic game is approximately 6,100, while certain types of concerts can seat up to 7,500.

The Arena draws on a captive audience that encompasses three states, six counties and over 1.3 million people within a 45-mile radius. Each year, over a quarter of a million patrons are entertained at over a hundred athletic events, popular music concerts, family and trade shows such as the following:

• Concerts with Bob Dylan, Jewel, Matchbox 20, Willie Nelson, The Black Crowes, Pink, Dave Matthews, and Tim McGraw
• Trade shows and exhibitions such as the Seacoast Home & Garden Show, MotorPsycho Madness, and the Alternative Health & Wellness Expo
• Family shows including Champions on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the U.S. Hot Rod Thunder Nationals
• Broadway performances of Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar
• Special events like The Boston Pops, Bill Cosby, and the 2000 NH Republican Fundraising Dinner
• Thrilling UNH Wildcats games and the NHIAA State Championships

The University of New Hampshire dedicated the Arena to Frederick B. Whittemore and his family on May 5, 1996, in recognition of their outstanding contributions. The Whittemore family has a long history of service to the state of New Hampshire and to its university. Frederick B. Whittemore's father, Laurence, served as a trustee of the University System of New Hampshire from 1944 to 1960 and as president of the board from 1954 to 1960. A visionary and philanthropist, Frederick B. Whittemore is a founding director of the UNH Foundation. The Whittemore Family Foundation's generous contribution to this facility exemplifies the family's ongoing commitment to education through support for academic programs and student life.

The Whittemore Center Arena is managed by Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly facility management field with more than 45 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The Philadelphia-based company is part of one of the world’s largest sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor, which also owns the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League, Flyers Skate Zone, a series of community ice skating rinks, Comcast SportsNet, a regional sports programming network, Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage services provider, and New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing product for public assembly facilities. Comcast-Spectacor owns three minor league baseball teams - the Bowie Baysox, the Delmarva Shorebirds and the Frederick Keys - all affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles.

Did you know?

• The entire Whittemore Center project took only 14 months to complete.
• The basketball hoops at the Arena were bought from the Boston Celtics and were originally used in the Boston Garden.
• There are 11,091 glass blocks in the Arena's Glass Block Tower.
• 12,344 gallons of water are used to make the ice at the Arena.
• There are roughly 4 miles of piping used to keep the floor cold for the ice.
• The record time to convert the Arena from basketball to hockey is 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• In 2003, hip-hop artist 50 Cent set the building record for fastest sellout in 2 hours and 37 minutes.
• The Disney on Ice performance in December of 1996 set the arena record for largest attended engagement.
• The Bill Cosby performance in October 2002 set the arena record for largest attended single event.
• Patrons have consumed 182,000 pizzas over the last 7 years, enough to reach the top of Mt. Washington in one stack.
• 12 miles of hot dogs have been consumed, enough to stretch from the Whit to the Atlantic ocean!
• 53,600 gallons of sodas have been purchased at the Whit.