Location
2600 East Division Street
Evansville, Indiana 47711-6813
City of Evansville
12,732
March 18, 1955
October 28, 1956
1980, 1990
October 29, 2011
January 2013
$2 million
$1.2 million
(1980 renovations)
$16.2 million
(1990 renovations)
Ralph Legeman
Sporting events[edit]
The sports arena seated 12,500 for basketball. It was the home of the University of Evansville's Purple Aces basketball program from its opening in 1956 until the Aces moved downtown into the new Ford Center in 2011.
From 1957 to 1976, Roberts Stadium served as the host site for the NCAA College Division (now referred to as Division II) Men's Basketball National Championship.[3] It again hosted the "Elite 8" in 2002. In addition, it regularly hosted a variety of other sporting events, most notably the Great Lakes Valley Conference (NCAA Division II) men's and women's basketball tournaments in early March of every year. It also hosted the 1980 and 1983 Midwestern City Conference (now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament. Roberts Stadium hosted the 1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament first and second rounds.[4] It also hosted multiple Indiana High School Athletic Association regional and semi-state basketball games in the single-class tournament.
Defunct professional teams[edit]
From 1984 to 1986, Roberts Stadium was home to the Evansville Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association, who were slated to be coached in 1984 by future Utah Jazz coach and University of Evansville alumnus Jerry Sloan, who instead, accepted a position that season as an assistant coach for the Jazz.
From 2003 to 2007 Roberts was also home to the Evansville BlueCats of the National Indoor Football League in 2003 and 2004 and United Indoor Football from 2005 to 2007.