SEC Men's Basketball Tournament
History -- Venues
Table:
Venue

City

State

Appearances

Last

Years

Notes

Georgia Dome

Atlanta

Georgia

12

2014

1995, 1998–2000, 2002, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2011, 2014

[v 1]

Louisville Gardens

Louisville

Kentucky

12

1952

1941–52

Bridgestone Arena

Nashville

Tennessee

7

2017

2001, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015–17, 2019–21, 2023–30

[v 2]

Legacy Arena

Birmingham

Alabama

6

1992

1979–81, 1983, 1985, 1992

[v 3]

Alumni Memorial Gym

Knoxville

Tennessee

4

1940

1936–37, 1939–40

Rupp Arena

Lexington

Kentucky

3

1993

1982, 1986, 1993

Atlanta Athletic Club

Atlanta

Georgia

2

1934

1933–34

[v 4]

Memorial Gymnasium

Nashville

Tennessee

2

1991

1984, 1991

Mercedes-Benz Superdome

New Orleans

Louisiana

2

2003

1996, 2003,

[v 5]

The Pyramid

Memphis

Tennessee

2

1997

1994, 1997

[v 6]

McCamish Pavilion

Atlanta

Georgia

1

2008

2008

[v 1]

Amalie Arena

Tampa

Florida

1

2009

2009, 2022

[v 7]

Huey Long Field House

Baton Rouge

Louisiana

1

1938

1938

Smoothie King Center

New Orleans

Louisiana

1

2012

2012

[v 8]

Orlando Arena

Orlando

Florida

1

1990

1990

Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Baton Rouge

Louisiana

1

1988

1988

Thompson–Boling Arena

Knoxville

Tennessee

1

1989

1989

Enterprise Center

St. Louis

Missouri

1

2018

2018

[v 9]

Taking into account the table plus the supporting evidence provided.

Respond to the question below: What is the city of the venue that was completed in 1996 ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States . Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west , it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority . Its successor , Mercedes-Benz Stadium , was built adjacent to the south and opened on August 26 , 2017 . The Georgia Dome was demolished on November 20 , 2017 . The Georgia Dome was the home stadium for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League ( NFL ) and the Georgia State University Panthers football team . It hosted two Super Bowls ( XXVIII and XXXIV ) , 25 editions of the Peach Bowl ( January 1993 through December 2016 ) and 23 SEC Championship Games ( 1994−2016 ) . In addition , the Georgia Dome also hosted several soccer matches since 2009 with attendances over 50,000 . In its 25 years of operation , the Georgia Dome hosted over 1,400 events attended by over 37 million people . The Georgia Dome was the only stadium in the United States to host the Olympics , Super Bowl and Final Four . At its debut in 1992 , the Georgia Dome was the second-largest covered stadium in the world by capacity , behind the Pontiac Silverdome ; it was also surpassed by AT & T Stadium in Arlington , Texas , and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales .
Atlanta ( /ætˈlæntə/ ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia . With an estimated 2018 population of 498,044 , it is also the 37th most-populous city in the United States . The city serves as the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area , home to 5.9 million people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the nation . Atlanta is the seat of Fulton County , the most populous county in Georgia . Portions of the city extend eastward into neighboring DeKalb County . Atlanta was originally founded as the terminus of a major state-sponsored railroad . With rapid expansion , however , it soon became the convergence point among multiple railroads , spurring its rapid growth . The city 's name derives from that of the Western and Atlantic Railroad 's local depot , signifying the town 's growing reputation as a transportation hub . During the American Civil War , the city was almost entirely burned to the ground in General William T. Sherman 's famous March to the Sea . However , the city rose from its ashes and quickly became a national center of commerce and the unofficial capital of the New South . During the 1950s and 1960s , Atlanta became a major organizing center of the civil rights movement , with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Ralph David Abernathy , and many other locals playing major roles in the movement 's leadership . During the modern era , Atlanta has attained international prominence as a major air transportation hub , with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world 's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998 .
Georgia ( /ˈdʒɔːrdʒə/ ) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States . Georgia is the 24th largest in area and 8th-most populous of the 50 United States . Georgia is bordered to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina , to the northeast by South Carolina , to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean , to the south by Florida , and to the west by Alabama . Its 2019 estimated population was 10,617,423 , according to the U.S. Census Bureau . Atlanta , a beta ( + ) global city , is both the state 's capital and its largest city . The Atlanta metropolitan area , with an estimated population of 5.9 million people in 2018 , is the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States and contains about 56% of the entire state population . Founded in 1733 as a British colony , Georgia was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established . Named after King George II of Great Britain , the Colony of Georgia covered the area from South Carolina south to Spanish Florida and west to French Louisiana at the Mississippi River . On January 2 , 1788 , Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution . From 1802 to 1804 , western Georgia was split to form the Mississippi Territory , which later was admitted as the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi . Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19 , 1861 , and was one of the original seven Confederate States . Following the Civil War , it was the last state to be restored to the Union , on July 15 , 1870 .
Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose , 6,000-seat arena , in Louisville , Kentucky , that opened in 1905 , as the Jefferson County Armory . It celebrated its 100th anniversary as former city mayor Jerry Abramson 's official Family-Friendly New Years Eve celebration location . It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 .
Louisville ( US : /ˈluːəvəl/ ( listen ) LOO-ə-vəl , /ˈluːivɪl/ ( listen ) LOO-ee-vil , /ˈlʊvəl/ ( listen ) LUUV-əl , UK : /ˈluːivɪl/ ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 29th most-populous city in the United States . [ d ] It is one of two cities in Kentucky designated as first-class , the other being Lexington , the state 's second-largest city . [ e ] Louisville is the historical seat and , since 2003 , the nominal seat of Jefferson County , on the Indiana border . Named after King Louis XVI of France , Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark , making it one of the oldest cities west of the Appalachians . With nearby Falls of the Ohio as the only major obstruction to river traffic between the upper Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico , the settlement first grew as a portage site . It was the founding city of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad , which grew into a 6,000-mile ( 9,700 km ) system across 13 states . Today , the city is known as the home of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali , the Kentucky Derby , Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC ) , the University of Louisville and its Cardinals , Louisville Slugger baseball bats , and three of Kentucky 's six Fortune 500 companies : Humana , Kindred Healthcare , and Yum ! Brands . Muhammad Ali International Airport , Louisville 's main commercial airport , hosts UPS 's worldwide hub . Since 2003 , Louisville 's borders have been the same as those of Jefferson County , after a city-county merger . The official name of this consolidated city-county government is the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government , abbreviated to Louisville Metro . Despite the merger and renaming , the term Jefferson County continues to be used in some contexts in reference to Louisville Metro , particularly including the incorporated cities outside the balance which make up Louisville proper .
Kentucky ( UK : /kɛnˈtʌki/ ken-TUK-ee , US : /kən-/ ( listen ) kən- ) , officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky , is a state located in the Southern United States . Although styled as the State of Kentucky in the law creating it , ( because in Kentucky 's first constitution , the term state was used ) , Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth ( the others being Virginia , Pennsylvania , and Massachusetts ) . Originally a part of Virginia , in 1792 Kentucky split from it and became the 15th state to join the Union . Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States . Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State , a nickname based on the bluegrass , a species of grass found in many of its pastures . One of the major regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky , which houses its two largest cities , Louisville and Lexington . It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources , including the world 's longest cave system , Mammoth Cave National Park , one of the greatest lengths of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States , and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River . Kentucky is also known for horse racing , bourbon , moonshine , coal , My Old Kentucky Home historic state park , automobile manufacturing , tobacco , bluegrass music , college basketball , Kentucky Fried Chicken , and the Kentucky colonel .
Bridgestone Arena ( originally Nashville Arena , and formerly Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center ) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville , Tennessee , that was completed in 1996 , and is the home of the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League .
Nashville is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Tennessee . The city is the county seat of Davidson County and is located on the Cumberland River . The city 's population ranks 24th in the U.S. Named for Francis Nash , a general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War , the city was founded in 1779 . The city grew quickly due to its strategic location as a port on the Cumberland River and , in the 19th century , a railroad center . Nashville seceded with Tennessee during the American Civil War ; in 1862 it was the first state capital in the Confederacy to fall to Union troops . After the war , the city reclaimed its position and developed a manufacturing base . Since 1963 , Nashville has had a consolidated city-county government , which includes six smaller municipalities in a two-tier system . The city is governed by a mayor , a vice-mayor , and a 40-member metropolitan council ; 35 of the members are elected from single-member districts , while the other five are elected at-large . Reflecting the city 's position in state government , Nashville is home to the Tennessee Supreme Court 's courthouse for Middle Tennessee , one of the three divisions . Nashville is a center for the music , healthcare , publishing , private prison , banking , and transportation industries . It is home to numerous colleges and universities , such as Tennessee State University , Vanderbilt University , Belmont University , Fisk University , Trevecca Nazarene University , and Lipscomb University . Entities with headquarters in the city include Asurion , Bridgestone Americas , Captain D 's , CoreCivic , Dollar General , Hospital Corporation of America , LifeWay Christian Resources , Logan 's Roadhouse , and Ryman Hospitality Properties .
Tennessee ( /ˌtɛnəˈsiː/ ( listen ) , locally /ˈtɛnəsi/ ; Cherokee : ᏔᎾᏏ , romanized : Tanasi ) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States . Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States . Tennessee is bordered by eight states , with Kentucky to the north , Virginia to the northeast , North Carolina to the east , Georgia , Alabama , and Mississippi to the south , Arkansas to the west , and Missouri to the northwest . The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state , and the Mississippi River forms the state 's western border . Nashville is the state 's capital and largest city , with a 2017 population of 667,560 and a 2017 metro population of 1,903,045 . Tennessee 's second largest city is Memphis , which had a population of 652,236 in 2017 . The state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association , a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians . What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina , and later part of the Southwest Territory . Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1 , 1796 . Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 . Occupied by Union forces from 1862 , it was the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war . Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state besides Virginia , and more soldiers for the Union Army than the rest of the Confederacy combined .
Legacy Arena ( formerly known as the BJCC Coliseum and the BJCC Arena ) is an arena located at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham , Alabama . The arena seats 17,654 for sporting events , 19,000 for concerts and 8,000 in a theater setting . When the arena is converted to theater seating , the arena serves under the name Magic City Theatre .
Birmingham ( /ˈbɜːrmɪŋhæm/ BUR-ming-ham ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama . With an estimated 2018 population of 209,880 , it is the most populous city in Alabama . Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County , Alabama 's most populous and fifth largest county . As of 2018 , the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 1,151,801 , making it the most populous in Alabama and 49th-most populous in the United States . Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South , Piedmont , and Appalachian regions of the nation . Birmingham was founded in 1871 , during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era , through the merger of three farm towns , most notably Elyton . The new city was named for Birmingham , England , the United Kingdom 's second largest city and then a major industrial city . The Alabama city annexed its smaller neighbors as it developed into a major industrial center based on mining , the iron and steel industry , and rail transport . Most of the original settlers were of English ancestry . The city was developed as a place where low paid , non-unionized immigrants ( mainly Irish and Italian ) , along with African-Americans from rural Alabama , who worked in the city 's steel mills and blast furnaces and gave it a competitive advantage over unionized industrial cities of the Midwest and Northeast . :14
Alabama ( /ˌæləˈbæmə/ ) is a state in the southeastern region of the United States . It is bordered by Tennessee to the north , Georgia to the east , Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south , and Mississippi to the west . Alabama is the 30th largest by area and the 24th-most populous of the U.S. states . With a total of 1,500 miles ( 2,400 km ) of inland waterways , Alabama has among the most of any state . Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State , after the state bird . Alabama is also known as the Heart of Dixie and the Cotton State . The state tree is the longleaf pine , and the state flower is the camellia . Alabama 's capital is Montgomery . The largest city by population is Birmingham , which has long been the most industrialized city ; the largest city by land area is Huntsville . The oldest city is Mobile , founded by French colonists in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana . The Greater Birmingham metropolitan area is Alabama 's most populous urban area . From the American Civil War until World War II , Alabama , like many states in the southern U.S. , suffered economic hardship , in part because of its continued dependence on agriculture .
The University of Tennessee ( The University of Tennessee , Knoxville ; UT Knoxville ; UTK ; or UT ) is a public research university in Knoxville , Tennessee . Founded in 1794 , two years before Tennessee became the 16th state , it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system , with ten undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges . It hosts almost 28,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries . In its 2020 universities ranking , U.S. News & World Report ranked UT 104th among all national universities and 44th among public institutions of higher learning . Seven of its alumni have been selected as Rhodes Scholars . James M. Buchanan , M.S . '41 , received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Economics . UT 's ties to nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory , established under UT President Andrew Holt and continued under the UT-Battelle partnership , allow for considerable research opportunities for faculty and students . Also affiliated with the university are the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy , the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility , and the University of Tennessee Arboretum , which occupies 250 acres ( 100 ha ) of nearby Oak Ridge and features hundreds of species of plants indigenous to the region . The university is a direct partner of the University of Tennessee Medical Center , which is one of two Level I trauma centers in East Tennessee . The University of Tennessee is the only university in the nation to have three presidential papers editing projects . The university holds collections of the papers of all three U.S. presidents from Tennessee - Andrew Jackson , James K. Polk , and Andrew Johnson .
Knoxville is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee , and the county seat of Knox County . As of the 2010 census , the city has a population of 178,874 , and is Tennessee 's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis . Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area , which was 868,546 in 2015 . First settled in 1786 , Knoxville was the first capital of Tennessee . The city struggled with geographic isolation throughout the early 19th century . The arrival of the railroad in 1855 led to an economic boom . During the Civil War , the city was bitterly divided over the secession issue , and was occupied alternately by both Confederate and Union armies . Following the war , Knoxville grew rapidly as a major wholesaling and manufacturing center . The city 's economy stagnated after the 1920s as the manufacturing sector collapsed , the downtown area declined and city leaders became entrenched in highly partisan political fights . Hosting the 1982 World 's Fair helped reinvigorate the city , and revitalization initiatives by city leaders and private developers have had major successes in spurring growth in the city , especially the downtown area . Knoxville is the home of the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee , whose sports teams , the Tennessee Volunteers , are popular in the surrounding area . Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority , the Tennessee Supreme Court 's courthouse for East Tennessee , and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies .
Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center is an arena located in downtown Lexington , Kentucky , U.S . Since its opening in 1976 , it has been the centerpiece of Central Bank Center ( formerly Lexington Center ) , a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government , which is located next to the Lexington Hyatt and Hilton hotels . Rupp Arena also serves as home court to the University of Kentucky men 's basketball program , and is named after legendary former Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp with an official capacity of 20,500 . In Rupp Arena , the Kentucky Wildcats men 's basketball team is second in the nation in college basketball home attendance . Rupp Arena also regularly hosts concerts , conventions and shows .
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 60th-largest city in the United States . Known as the Horse Capital of the World , it is the heart of the state 's Bluegrass region . Notable locations in the city include the Kentucky Horse Park , The Red Mile and Keeneland race courses , Rupp Arena , Transylvania University , the University of Kentucky , and Bluegrass Community and Technical College . Lexington ranks 10th among US cities in college education rate , with 39.5% of residents having at least a bachelor 's degree . In the 2018 U.S. Census Estimate , the city 's population was 323,780 anchoring a metropolitan area of 516,697 people and a combined statistical area of 760,528 people . By land area , Lexington is the 28th largest city in the United States . The city is consolidated entirely within Fayette County , and vice versa . It has a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government , with 12 council districts and three members elected at large , with the highest vote-getter designated vice mayor .
Atlanta Athletic Club ( AAC ) , founded in 1898 , is a private athletic club in Johns Creek , Georgia , a suburb 23 miles north of Atlanta . The original home of the club was a 10-story building located on Carnegie Way , and in 1904 a golf course was built on Atlanta 's East Lake property . In 1908 , John Heisman ( the Georgia Tech football coach for whom the Heisman Trophy was named ) was hired as the AAC athletic director . While it was downtown , its team placed third in the 1921 Amateur Athletic Union National Basketball Championship defeating Lowe and Campbell Athletic Goods 36-31 in the third place game . At the time colleges , athletic clubs and factory-sponsored clubs all competed in the same league . In 1967 the AAC sold both properties and moved to a big site in a then-unincorporated area of Fulton County that had a Duluth mailing address and would eventually become Johns Creek in 2006 . The vacated East Lake site became East Lake Golf Club and was refurbished during the 1990s . It is now the home of The Tour Championship , currently the final event of the PGA Tour golf season . AAC hosted the 1950 U.S. Women 's Amateur and 1963 Ryder Cup at East Lake , the 1976 U.S. Open , the 1981 , 2001 , and 2011 PGA Championships on its Highlands Course , and the 1990 U.S. Women 's Open on its Riverside Course . The AAC used both of its current regulation courses to host the 2014 U.S . Amateur , with stroke-play qualifying on the Riverside Course and match play on the Highlands Course . The Riverside course , renovated by Rees Jones in 2002 , was recognized among the top 10 new private courses in 2004 by Golf Digest .
Memorial Gymnasium is a multi-purpose facility located in Nashville , Tennessee . Usually called Memorial Gym or simply Memorial , the building is located on the western end of the Vanderbilt University campus . It was built in 1952 and currently has a seating capacity of 14,326 . It serves as home court for the school 's men 's and women 's basketball programs .
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome , often referred to simply as the Superdome , is a domed sports and exhibition stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans , Louisiana , United States . It primarily serves as the home venue for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League ( NFL ) , the home stadium for the Sugar Bowl , New Orleans Bowl in college football and the longtime rivalry football game of the SWAC Conferences Southern University and Grambling State University , known as the Bayou Classic ( held yearly , every Thanksgiving Weekend ) . It also houses their schools Battle of the Bands between The Southern University The Human Jukebox and Grambling States Tiger Marching Band . Plans were drawn up in 1967 by the New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis and the building opened as the Louisiana Superdome in 1975 . Its steel frame covers a 13-acre ( 5.3 ha ) expanse and the 273-foot ( 83 m ) dome is made of a lamellar multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet ( 210 m ) , making it the largest fixed domed structure in the world . It is adjacent to the Smoothie King Center . Because of the building 's size and location in one of the major tourist destinations of the United States , the Superdome routinely hosts major sporting events , including the Super Bowl , College Football Championship Game , and the Final Four in college basketball . The stadium was also the long-time home of the Tulane Green Wave football team of Tulane University until 2014 ( when they returned on-campus at Yulman Stadium ) and was the home venue of the New Orleans Jazz of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) from 1975 until 1979 . The Superdome gained international attention of a different type in 2005 when it housed thousands of people seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina . The building suffered extensive damage as a result of the storm , and was closed for many months afterward . It was eventually decided the building would be fully refurbished and reopened in time for the Saints ' 2006 home opener on September 25 . On October 3 , 2011 , it was announced that German automaker Mercedes-Benz purchased naming rights to the stadium .
New Orleans ( /ˈɔːrl ( i ) ənz , ɔːrˈliːnz/ , locally /ˈɔːrlənz/ ; French : La Nouvelle-Orléans [ la nuvɛlɔʁleɑ̃ ] ( listen ) ) is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana . With an estimated population of 391,006 in 2018 , it is the most populous city in Louisiana . Serving as a major port , New Orleans is considered an economic and commercial hub for the broader Gulf Coast region of the United States . New Orleans is world-renowned for its distinct music , Creole cuisine , unique dialect , and its annual celebrations and festivals , most notably Mardi Gras . The historic heart of the city is the French Quarter , known for its French and Spanish Creole architecture and vibrant nightlife along Bourbon Street . The city has been described as the most unique in the United States , owing in large part to its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage . Founded in 1718 by French colonists , New Orleans was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana before being traded to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 . New Orleans in 1840 was the third-most populous city in the United States , and it was the largest city in the American South from the Antebellum era until after World War II . The city has historically been very vulnerable to flooding , due to such factors as high rainfall , low lying elevation , poor natural drainage and location next to multiple bodies of water . State and federal authorities have installed a complex system of levees and drainage pumps in an effort to protect the city . New Orleans was severely affected by Hurricane Katrina on August 29 , 2005 , which resulted in flooding more than 80% of the city , thousands of deaths , and so much displacement because of damaged communities and lost housing as to cause a population decline of over 50% . Since Katrina , major redevelopment efforts have led to a rebound in the city 's population .
Louisiana ( /luˌiːziˈænə/ ( listen ) , /ˌluːzi-/ ( listen ) ) [ a ] is a state in the Deep South region of the South Central United States . It is the 31st most extensive and the 25th most populous of the 50 United States . Louisiana is bordered by the state of Texas to the west , Arkansas to the north , Mississippi to the east , and the Gulf of Mexico to the south . A large part of its eastern boundary is demarcated by the Mississippi River . Louisiana is the only U.S. state with political subdivisions termed parishes , which are equivalent to counties . The state 's capital is Baton Rouge , and its largest city is New Orleans . Much of the state 's lands were formed from sediment washed down the Mississippi River , leaving enormous deltas and vast areas of coastal marsh and swamp . [ self-published source ] These contain a rich southern biota ; typical examples include birds such as ibis and egrets . There are also many species of tree frogs , and fish such as sturgeon and paddlefish . In more elevated areas , fire is a natural process in the landscape and has produced extensive areas of longleaf pine forest and wet savannas . These support an exceptionally large number of plant species , including many species of terrestrial orchids and carnivorous plants . Louisiana has more Native American tribes than any other southern state , including four that are federally recognized , ten that are state recognized , and four that have not received recognition .
The Memphis Pyramid , initially known as the Great American Pyramid , formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid , was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis , in the U.S. state of Tennessee , at the banks of the Mississippi River . The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County ; Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009 . Its structure plays on the city 's namesake in Egypt , known for its ancient pyramids . It is 321 feet ( 98 m ) ( about 32 stories ) tall and has base sides of 591 feet ( 180 m ) ; it is by some measures the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world . The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004 . In 2015 , the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops megastore , which includes shopping , a hotel , restaurants , a bowling alley , and an archery range , with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex .
Memphis is a city located along the Mississippi River in southwestern Shelby County , Tennessee , United States . The 2018 city population was 650,618 , making Memphis the largest city on the Mississippi River , the second most populous city in Tennessee , as well as the 26th largest city in the United States . Greater Memphis is the 42nd largest metropolitan area in the United States , with a population of 1,348,260 in 2017 . The city is the anchor of West Tennessee and the greater Mid-South region , which includes portions of neighboring Arkansas and Mississippi . Memphis is the seat of Shelby County , the most populous county in Tennessee . As one of the more historic and culturally significant cities of the southern United States , the city features a wide variety of landscapes and distinct neighborhoods . The first European explorer to visit the area of present-day Memphis was Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1541 with his expedition into the New World . The high Chickasaw Bluffs protecting the location from the waters of the Mississippi would then be contested between the Spanish , French , and the English as Memphis took shape . Modern Memphis was founded in 1819 by three prominent Americans : John Overton , James Winchester , and future president Andrew Jackson . Memphis grew into one of the largest cities of the Antebellum South as a market for agricultural goods , natural resources like lumber , and the American slave trade . After the American Civil War and the end of slavery , the city experienced even faster growth into the 20th century as it became among the largest world markets for cotton and lumber . Home to Tennessee 's largest African-American population , Memphis played a prominent role in the American civil rights movement and was the site of Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. 's 1968 assassination .
Hank McCamish Pavilion , nicknamed The Thrillerdome and originally known as Alexander Memorial Coliseum , is an indoor arena located on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta , Georgia . It is the home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men 's basketball and Yellow Jackets women 's basketball teams . The venue previously hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) from 1968 to 1972 and again from 1997 to 1999 . Tech 's women 's volleyball team occasionally uses the facility as well , primarily for NCAA tournament games and other matches that draw crowds that would overflow the O'Keefe Gymnasium .
Amalie Arena is an arena in Tampa , Florida that has been used for ice hockey , basketball , arena football games , and concerts . It is home to the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . The building was originally known as the Ice Palace . In August 2002 , the building 's naming rights were sold to the St. Petersburg Times , which became the Tampa Bay Times in January 2012 ; accordingly , the arena was known as the St. Pete Times Forum from 2002 to 2012 and Tampa Bay Times Forum ( 2012-2014 ) . In September 2014 , the arena was renamed Amalie Arena when the naming rights were transferred to Amalie Oil Company .
Tampa is a major city in , and the county seat of , Hillsborough County , Florida , United States . It is on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay , near the Gulf of Mexico . Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay Area . With a population of 392,890 in 2018 , Tampa is the third-largest city in Florida , after Miami and Jacksonville . The bay 's port is the largest in the state , near downtown 's Channel District . Bayshore Boulevard runs along the bay , and is east of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood . Today , Tampa is part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area . For U.S. Census purposes , Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater , Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The four-county area is composed of roughly 3.1 million residents , making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) in the state , and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States , behind Washington , D.C. ; Miami ; and Atlanta . The Greater Tampa Bay area , has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas . The city had a population of 335,709 at the 2010 census , and an estimated population of 392,890 in 2018 . As of 2018 , Tampa 's annual growth rate is 1.63% .
Florida ( /ˈflɒrɪdə/ ( listen ) , Spanish pronunciation : [ floˈɾiða ] ) is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States . The state is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico , to the northwest by Alabama , to the north by Georgia , to the east by the Atlantic Ocean , and to the south by the Straits of Florida . Florida is the 22nd-most extensive ( 65,755 sq mi or 170,300 km2 ) , the 3rd-most populous ( 21,477,737 inhabitants ) , and the 8th-most densely populated ( 384.3/sq mi or 148.4/km2 ) of the U.S. states . Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States . The Miami metropolitan area is Florida 's most populous urban area , with its capital being Tallahassee . Florida 's $ 1.0 trillion economy is the fourth largest in the United States . If it were a country , Florida would be the 16th largest economy in the world , and the 58th most populous as of 2018 [ update ] . In 2017 , Florida 's per capita personal income was $ 47,684 , ranking 26th in the nation . The unemployment rate in September 2018 was 3.5% and ranked as the 18th in the United States . Florida exports nearly $ 55 billion in goods made in the state , the 8th highest among all states . The Miami Metropolitan Area is by far the largest urban economy in Florida and the 12th largest in the United States with a GDP of $ 345 billion as of 2017 [ update ] . This is more than twice the number of the next metro area , the Tampa Bay Area , which has a GDP of $ 145 billion .
Huey P. Long Field House , on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge , Louisiana , was constructed in 1932 . It was named for notable U.S . Senator and state governor Huey Long . The field house is considered the original student union and included a post office , ballroom , gymnasium and also featured the largest swimming pool in the United States at the time . The field house was home to the LSU Tigers and LSU Lady Tigers swimming and diving teams until the LSU Natatorium was built in 1985 . The former LSU varsity hockey team used the field house as their home venue and the former LSU Tigers boxing team also held matches at the field house in addition to Parker Coliseum . The building is currently the home of LSU 's Department of Kinesiology and School of Social Work .
Baton Rouge ( /ˌbætən ˈruːʒ/ BAT-ən ROOZH ; from French , meaning 'red stick ' ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana . Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River , it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish , the most populous parish in Louisiana . It is the 99th most populous city in the United States , and second-largest city in Louisiana after New Orleans . It is also the 16th most populous state capital . As of the U.S. Census Bureau 's July 2018 estimate , Baton Rouge had a population of 221,599 , down from 229,493 at the 2010 census . Baton Rouge is the center of Greater Baton Rouge , the second-largest metropolitan area in Louisiana , with a population of 834,159 as of 2017 , up from 802,484 in 2010 and 829,719 in 2015 . The city of Baton Rouge is a major industrial , petrochemical , medical , research , motion picture , and growing technology center of the American South . It is the location of Louisiana State University , the LSU System 's flagship university and the largest institution of higher education in the state . It is also the location of Southern University , the flagship institution of the Southern University System , the only historically black college system in the nation . The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the 10th-largest in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped , and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handling Panamax ships . This , as well as its status as a major port city , is largely due to the Huey P. Long - O.K . Allen Bridge , which was intentionally constructed under the governorship of Huey Long at a low height , preventing big tankers from making their way up-river , past Baton Rouge .
The Smoothie King Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New Orleans , Louisiana . It is located in the city 's Central Business District , adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome . The arena opened in 1999 as New Orleans Arena and has been home to the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) since 2002 . The New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League played their home games in the arena from 2004 until the team disbanded in 2008 . The VooDoo resumed play at the arena in March 2011 , until after the 2015 AFL season when the franchise folded .
Amway Arena ( originally known as Orlando Arena ) was an indoor arena located in Orlando , Florida . It was part of the Orlando Centroplex , a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando . The arena was the former home of the Orlando Magic of the NBA and the Orlando Titans of the NLL . It was also the home of the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League , and the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League . It also hosted many other minor league sports teams , as well as various concerts and other events such as the PlayStation Pro event on the Dew Action Sports Tour and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus annually . The Amway Arena closed in 2010 and was imploded in 2012 .
Orlando ( /ɔːrˈlændoʊ/ ) is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Orange County . Located in Central Florida , it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area , which had a population of 2,509,831 , according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released in July 2017 . These figures make it the 23rd-largest metropolitan area in the United States , the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States , and the third-largest metropolitan area in Florida . As of 2018 , Orlando had an estimated city-proper population of 285,713 , making it the 71st-largest city in the United States , the fourth-largest city in Florida , and the state 's largest inland city . The City of Orlando is nicknamed the City Beautiful , and its symbol is the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain , commonly referred to as simply the Lake Eola fountain at Lake Eola Park . The Orlando International Airport ( MCO ) is the thirteenth-busiest airport in the United States and the 29th-busiest in the world . Orlando is one of the most visited cities in the world primarily driven by tourism , major events , and convention traffic , in 2018 the city drew more than 75 million visitors . The two largest and most internationally renowned tourist attractions in the Orlando area include the Walt Disney World Resort , opened by the Walt Disney Company in 1971 , and located approximately 21 miles ( 34 km ) southwest of Downtown Orlando in Bay Lake ; and the Universal Orlando Resort , opened in 1990 as a major expansion of Universal Studios Florida . With the exception of Walt Disney World , most major attractions are located along International Drive with one of these attractions being the Wheel at ICON Park Orlando . The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions ; the Orange County Convention Center is the second-largest convention facility in the United States . Like other major cities in the Sun Belt , Orlando grew rapidly from the 1980s up into the first decade of the 21st century . Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida , which is the largest university campus in the United States in terms of enrollment as of 2015 [ update ] .
The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,215-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge , Louisiana . The arena opened in 1972 . It is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams , the LSU Tigers women 's gymnastics team and the LSU Tigers women 's volleyball team . It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center , but was renamed in honor of Pete Maravich , a Tiger basketball legend , shortly after his death in 1988 . Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer signed an act to rename the building in Maravich 's honor ( under Louisiana law , no LSU or state owned building may be named after a living person ) . Maravich never played in the arena as a collegian but played in it as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in a preseason game . But his exploits while at LSU led the University to build a larger home for the basketball team , which languished for decades in the shadow of the school 's football program . The Maravich Center is known to locals as The PMAC or Pete 's Palace , or by its more nationally known nickname , The Deaf Dome , coined by Dick Vitale . The Maravich Center 's neighbor , Tiger Stadium is known as Death Valley . The slightly oval building is located directly to the north of Tiger Stadium , and its bright-white roof can be seen in many telecasts of that stadium . The arena concourse is divided into four quadrants : Pete Maravich Pass , The Walk of Champions , Heroes Hall and Midway of Memories . The quadrants highlight former LSU Tiger athletes , individual and team awards and memorabilia pertaining to the history of LSU basketball , gymnastics and volleyball .
Thompson-Boling Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville , Tennessee . The arena opened in 1987 . It is home to the Tennessee Volunteers ( men ) and Lady Vols ( women ) basketball teams . Since 2008 , it has been home to the Lady Vols volleyball team . It is named after B. Ray Thompson and former university president Dr. Edward J. Boling . The basketball court is named The Summitt after the late Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt . It replaced the Stokely Athletic Center . The mammoth octagonal building lies just northwest of the Tennessee River , and just southwest of Neyland Stadium . As an echo of its neighbor and a tribute to the brick-and-mortar pattern atop Ayres Hall , the baselines of the court are painted in the familiar orange-and-white checkerboard pattern .
Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis , Missouri , United States . Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League , but it is also used for other functions , such as NCAA basketball , NCAA hockey , concerts , professional wrestling and more . In a typical year , the facility hosts about 175 events . Industry trade publication Pollstar has previously ranked Enterprise Center among the top ten arenas worldwide in tickets sold to non-team events , but the facility has since fallen into the upper sixties , as of 2017 . The arena opened in 1994 and was known as Kiel Center until 2000 , Savvis Center from 2000 to 2006 , and Scottrade Center from 2006 to 2018 . On May 21 , 2018 , the St. Louis Blues and representatives of Enterprise Holdings , based in St. Louis , announced that the naming rights had been acquired by Enterprise and that the facility 's name would change to Enterprise Center , effective July 1 , 2018 .
St. Louis ( /seɪnt ˈluːɪs/ ) is an independent city in Missouri . It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Missouri , however the independent city of St. Louis is the second-largest city in Missouri behind Kansas City . It is situated along the western bank of the Mississippi River , which forms the state line between Illinois and Missouri . The Missouri River merges with the Mississippi River 15 river miles north of Downtown St. Louis , forming the fourth-longest river system in the world . The estimated 2018 population of the city proper was 302,838 and the bi-state metropolitan area was 2,804,724 . Greater St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri , second-largest in Illinois , 7th-largest in the Great Lakes Megalopolis , and the 20th-largest in the United States . Before European settlement , the area was a regional center of Native American Mississippian culture . The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau , and named after Louis IX of France . In 1764 , following France 's defeat in the Seven Years ' War , the area was ceded to Spain and retroceded back to France in 1800 . In 1803 , the United States acquired the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase . During the 19th century , St. Louis became a major port on the Mississippi River ; at the time of the 1870 Census , it was the fourth-largest city in the country . It separated from St. Louis County in 1877 , becoming an independent city and limiting its own political boundaries .
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern United States . With over six million residents , it is the 18th-most populous state of the Union . The largest urban areas are St. Louis , Kansas City , Springfield and Columbia ; the capital is Jefferson City . The state is the 21st-most extensive in area . Missouri is bordered by eight states ( tied for the most with Tennessee ) : Iowa to the north , Illinois , Kentucky and Tennessee ( via the Mississippi River ) to the east , Arkansas to the south and Oklahoma , Kansas and Nebraska to the west . In the south are the Ozarks , a forested highland , providing timber , minerals and recreation . The Missouri River , after which the state is named , flows through the center of the state into the Mississippi River , which makes up Missouri 's eastern border . Humans have inhabited the land now known as Missouri for at least 12,000 years . The Mississippian culture built cities and mounds , before declining in the 14th century . When European explorers arrived in the 17th century , they encountered the Osage and Missouria nations . The French established Louisiana , a part of New France , founding Ste . Genevieve in 1735 and St. Louis in 1764 .