UC Santa Barbara Events Center, Indoor arena at University of California Santa Barbara, United States.
The UC Santa Barbara Events Center is a covered indoor arena on the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara, in Santa Barbara County. It seats roughly 5,600 people in individual chairback seats, and is used for sporting events, concerts, and large campus gatherings.
The arena opened in 1979 under the name Campus Events Center and picked up the nickname "The Thunderdome" after a celebrated basketball win in 1987. That victory over UNLV is remembered as one of the biggest moments in the university's sports history.
The venue is known for its loud and energetic basketball nights, when students pack the seats to cheer on the Gauchos. The noise level during home games has become part of what makes the place feel different from a typical sports hall.
Arriving early is a good idea during busy events, since security checks at the entrances can take some time. The building is easy to reach on foot from the central part of the campus, and signs across the grounds point the way.
Although the nickname "The Thunderdome" sounds like a film reference, it actually came from the sheer volume of noise fans produced at basketball games. The building's acoustics amplify sound so much that visiting teams have often found it a very difficult place to play.
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