DENVER — Downtown Denver's arena is blowing out 25 candles on Tuesday.
Ball Arena opened on Oct. 1, 1999, with a sold-out concert by Celine Dion.
First known as Pepsi Center, the arena is home to the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth and seats up to 20,000 for concerts and other events.
As the largest indoor concert venue in Colorado, Ball Arena hosts more than 250 events overall each year.
"It's just been a couple of years ago, I quit calling it the 'new building' because I started and spent 19 years at McNichols Sports Arena," said Lisa Johnson, vice president of basketball administration for the Denver Nuggets.
From a dirt pile to a championship, Johnson has seen it all at Ball Arena. She started out selling season tickets and worked her way up. This year marks her 44th season with the team.
"I worked in media relations. I worked in community relations... I was executive assistant to a couple of our GM's and coaches, and each time I've learned so much about the business, and every position I've held, I've learned and that has helped me to be where I am today," she said.
Notable events in Ball Arena history
1997
Nov. 20 – Groundbreaking ceremony of Pepsi Center in downtown Denver
1999
Oct. 1 – Pepsi Center opens with a sold-out concert by Celine Dion. Dion dedicates the concert to the victims and survivors of the April 20 Columbine High School shooting.
Oct. 13 – The Colorado Avalanche play Pepsi Center's first sporting event and defeat the Boston Bruins 2-1. Avs forward Milan Hejduk scores the first goal.
Nov. 2 – The Denver Nuggets play their first home game at Pepsi Center, defeating the Phoenix Suns 107-102 in overtime. Nuggets guard Nick Van Exel leads all scorers with 32 points.
2000
July 7 – Stan Kroenke, known at the time as a minority owner of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, purchases the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Pepsi Center from Liberty Media Corp. for $404 million.
2001
Feb. 4 – The NHL All-Star Game is held at Pepsi Center. Starting lineups include five Colorado Avalanche players – Canada natives Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, and Ray Bourque represent for North America, while Sweden’s Peter Forsberg and the Czech Republic’s Milan Hejduk compete on the World side.
June 9 – The Colorado Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup at Pepsi Center (and second in franchise history), defeating the New Jersey Devils 3-1 in Game 7.
2002
Sept. 2 – A Champ Car race dubbed the Grand Prix of Denver is held for the first time on a 1.647-mile street course around Pepsi Center, beginning an annual run of races that lasts through 2006.
2004
March 10-13 – The Mountain West Conference men’s basketball tournament is played at Pepsi Center for the first time. The Mountain West hosts its annual tournament in Denver through 2006.
March 18-20 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games are played at Pepsi Center for the first time as first- and second-round games are hosted by Colorado State and the Mountain West Conference.
2005
Feb. 18-20 – NBA All-Star Weekend in Denver is highlighted by the NBA All-Star Game at Pepsi Center, with the East defeating the West, 125-115. Allen Iverson is named the MVP. Josh Smith wins the Slam Dunk Contest and Quentin Richardson wins the Three-Point Shootout.
2006
April 22 & 29 – The Colorado Mammoth win consecutive home playoff games to reach the National Lacrosse League championship. The Mammoth go on to earn their first championship in franchise history with a road win in Buffalo.
Aug. 13 – The final Grand Prix of Denver on the streets around the Arena is won by A.J. Allmendinger.
2007
March 24-25 – NCAA Men’s Division I Ice Hockey Tournament first and second round games are hosted by the University of Denver. North Dakota advances out of the second round to the “Frozen Four.”
2008
March 20-22 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second round games are hosted by Colorado State and the Mountain West Conference.
April 10-12 – Pepsi Center hosts the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament’s semifinals and final – the “Frozen Four” – for the first time. Boston College wins its third national title with a victory over Notre Dame.
Aug. 25-27 – The majority of the Democratic National Convention is held at Pepsi Center, culminating with the official nomination of then-Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 2008 presidential election. The final night of the convention was held Aug. 28 at Invesco Field at Mile High.
2011
March 17-19 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second round games are hosted by the Mountain West Conference. Both first-round games result in major upsets, with 12-seeded Richmond defeating Vanderbilt and 13-seeded Morehead State beating Louisville.
July 20-22 – Microsoft hosts its annual sales and management meeting, Microsoft Global Exchange, or MGX, for 12,500 employees.
Sept. 24 – Ball Arena hosts its first UFC event, UFC 135, nearly 20 years after Denver hosted UFC’s inaugural event at McNichols Sports Arena in 1993. Jon Jones defeats Rampage Jackson for the light heavyweight championship.
2012
April 1 & 3 – The NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament played its semifinals and final – the Women’s Final Four – at Pepsi Center. All four of the tournament’s top-seeded teams made it to Denver, with Baylor winning its second national championship over Notre Dame.
2013
Fall – Original octagonal scoreboard replaced by larger, four-sided scoreboard.
2015
March 18-24 – The Garth Brooks World Tour stages a nine-show run (three dates included a matinee and an evening performance) and sets a ticket sales record for any consecutive performance run at any venue in Colorado history.
2016
March 17-19 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second round games are hosted by the Mountain West Conference. In a first-round classic, the 12-seeded Little Rock Trojans defeat Purdue in double-overtime.
2018
Nov. 10 – UFC Fight Night 139: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodriguez marks UFC’s 25th anniversary.
Dec. 13 – Michelle Obama sits down for an interview conducted by actress Reese Witherspoon as part of a book tour promoting her memoir.
2019
Oct. 25 – Pepsi Center is the first major professional sports arena in the U.S. to introduce “infinitely recyclable” aluminum cups, produced by Ball Corp., at full scale throughout the building.
2020
March 7 – Oprah Winfrey’s arena tour concludes at Ball Arena with a sold-out event featuring music, a talk by Oprah, and a interview conducted by Gayle King.
Oct. 22 – Ball Corp. acquires the naming rights and the venue is rebranded as Ball Arena.
2021
Sept. 7 – A concert by Harry Styles results in the highest-grossing merchandise sales in Ball Arena history
2022
June 11 – The Mammoth defeat the Buffalo Bandits, 11-8, at home in Game 2 of a three-game NLL championship series. They would go on to clinch the title in Game 3 at Buffalo.
June 15 & 18 – The Avalanche win the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals at home en route to a third NHL championship. The clinching Game 6 win comes on the road in Tampa Bay.
2023
Jan. 27 – The University of Denver men’s ice hockey team play their first-ever regular season game at Ball Arena as the Pioneers defeat rival Colorado College 2-0 in the annual “Gold Pan” game.
March 17-19 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first and second round games are hosted by the Mountain West Conference.
June 12 – The Nuggets defeat the Miami Heat, 94-89, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to be crowned NBA champions for the first time in franchise history.
Nov. 15 – The 16-foot Infinity Monument is unveiled outside of the atrium entrance, a symbol of the circular nature of aluminum, its infinite recyclability and the commitment of Ball Corp. ad KSE to sports, entertainment and sustainability.
2024
March 20 – A concert by Bad Bunny is the highest-grossing event in Ball Arena history.
Ball Arena
