AT & T Center The AT & T Center is an arena located in San Antonio , Texas , USA . It was completed in 2002 as the SBC Center at a cost of $ 175 million , financed by county - issued bonds which were supported by a hotel - occupancy and car rental tax increase and an additional contribution of $ 28 . 5 million from the Spurs . The arena is home to the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association and the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the winter - spring , the San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women ' s National Basketball Association in the summer , and the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo held in February . The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association , who holds the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo , also hosts an Xtreme Bulls tour event annually ( at around the same time as the Stock Show ) . It seats 18 , 797 for basketball , 13 , 000 for hockey and 19 , 000 for concerts or religious gatherings , and contains 50 luxury suites , and 32 bathrooms ( 16 Male and 16 Female ) . In addition to many local community and sporting events , the San Antonio Sports Car Association holds autocross competitions in the parking lot each month . On the weekend of August 1 - 2 , 2009 , the Professional Bull Riders also hosted a Built Ford Tough Series event at this arena , after having held a BFTS event at the Alamodome in 2007 and 2008 . SBC Communications , Inc . purchased the naming rights to the facility under a 20 - year , $ 41 million naming rights agreement with Bexar County , the San Antonio Spurs and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in July 2000 . SBC Communications changed its name to AT & T , Inc . in November 2005 after its purchase of AT & T Corporation . The arena officially changed its name to AT & T Center in January 2006 . History . Previously , the Spurs played at the Alamodome , a multi - purpose facility with a configuration that allowed half the floor space to be used for basketball . Although the Alamodome was still relatively new ( opening in 1993 ) , it had become clear over the years that the Spurs were using the dome for much of the year , making it difficult to schedule contiguous dates for conventions or even a regular - season football schedule . Although seating capacity in the Alamodome made the facility the largest in the NBA , the Spurs and fans were not satisfied with the facility because of its poor sight lines for basketball and the cavernous nature of the arena configuration . Being primarily a football stadium differentiated the Alamodome from most other NBA facilities , including the Spurs ' previous home HemisFair Arena . The Spurs management always considered the Alamodome a temporary , not permanent , solution and had a new arena deal not been made , the team most certainly would have left the city . Additionally , since the Alamodome opened there had been a plethora of new arena construction including facilities such as Conseco Fieldhouse , which , in addition to offering an intimate atmosphere , offered teams several new revenue generating opportunities , including suites located on the lower levels and large club level seating areas . The Spurs campaigned for several years for a new facility . The Spurs and the city had come to an agreement to build a new facility adjacent to the Alamodome , but in a last - minute reversal , the team partnered with Bexar County to construct a new arena adjacent to the Freeman Coliseum . As a part of the agreement the facility would be home to the Spurs , a new hockey team , and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Association ' s annual , multi - day event ( the latter requiring the Spurs to engage in an extended road trip every February ) . The facility would be funded through an increase of hotel and car rental taxes , and Bexar County voters approved the plan in November 1999 . Construction . After the arena referendum passed , planning quickly began for construction on the new facility . Naming rights were obtained in July 2000 when an agreement was reached with San Antonio - based SBC Communications to name the new arena the SBC Center . The agreement was reported to be for a total of $ 41 million over 20 years . Ground was officially broken on the facility in August 2000 . The arena ' s basic design was similar to many of the other newer arenas in the NBA , in no small part to the choice of Minneapolis , Minnesota - based Ellerbe Becket as the primary architects . A nationally recognized , local architecture firm , Lake / Flato , was teamed with Ellerbe Becket to work on the design of the structure . Lake / Flato is responsible for introducing a South Texas vernacular to the overall look of the arena . Ellerbe Becket was responsible for Indiana ' s Conseco Fieldhouse design as well as Washington D . C . ' s Verizon Center .