Since its doors opened in 2002, the Thomas M. Ryan Center, home of University of Rhode Island men’s and women’s basketball programs, has been “bringing the ruckus” to Kingston.
The Ryan Center boasts 8,000 seats at basketball games, creating an intense atmosphere that attracts the URI community, according to the Ryan Center website.
The Ryan Center’s attractions don’t stop at sports – the arena is able to seat 6,300 for concerts, conventions and guest speakers, and has hosted big names such as Kendrick Lamar in 2013, Kid Cudi in 2010 and Bob Dylan in 2002.
The building is 86 feet tall and takes up 200,000 square feet at the bottom of campus, just off of West Alumni Avenue. The three levels of seating in the arena leave no seat further than 74 feet away from the court, creating an intimate atmosphere for a basketball game. The arena also holds 1,120 club seats along with seven private suites.
The building was first opened on June 20, 2002 after $15 million in private donations, $18 million in state donations and $21 million in revenue bonds made up the $54 million that went into building the arena.
The many lighthouses of Rhode Island, like the one in Point Judith, were an inspiration for the creation of the three towers on the outside of the arena, which mark the north and south sides of the building, according to Rhody Today.
The arena includes amenities such as two color scoreboard capable of broadcasting video and a state-of-the-art sound system that provides sound to every seat in the stadium, according to the center webpage. There are also 44 televisions throughout the arena’s hallways that provide a live stream of events taking place, as well as stream games when they are being broadcasted.
Construction of the building began in 2000, and at the time it was the largest project in the history of the University. The arena was named after Thomas M. Ryan (‘75) who was the president and chief executive officer of CVS/Caremark Corporation from 1998 to 2011.
Ryan currently works as director of PJT Partners, an investment bank, and serves as a member of the URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement Campaign Committee, as well the URI President’s Advisory Council. Ryan formerly served as chair of the URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement Board.
“This world-class facility is the centerpiece of URI’s athletic and recreational complex, and it is my hope that it will benefit both URI and the entire state of Rhode Island,” said Ryan in an interview with Rhody Today in 2002.
The basketball teams have had success in the arena, with both the men’s and women’s programs winning their first games there after its opening in 2002. The men’s program has made the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament twice since the opening of the Ryan Center.
For more information on the Ryan Center, visit theryancenter.com .