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New 5,000-Seat Grand Canyon University Arena Opens Today

Grand Canyon University's new 5,000-seat arena will host sports, community events and national concert tours. (Photo: Business Wire)

Moreover, it serves as the focal point of GCU's $200 million investment in its 100-acre Camelback Road campus. Other additions to the campus include two modern residence halls, a second dining facility, a new classroom building and a state-of-the-art student recreation center.

"This new arena will completely transform the West Valley," GCU CEO Brian Mueller said. "Our goal is to largely enhance the on-campus experience for our students while also providing the greater Phoenix region with a top-notch entertainment and sports destination. It represents an exciting new era in GCU's 62-year history."

The arena opens just 15 months after University officials broke ground on the project. The ribbon-cutting ceremony concluded with a "Select-a-Seat" event for GCU faculty and staff who have the first pick of season tickets for the upcoming basketball season, which kicks off with an exhibition game against Arizona State University on Nov. 5.

The arena features five high definition video boards that rival those in the best professional sports arenas, as well as an outdoor balcony with views of GCU's campus. During construction, a vault of Bibles was buried at center court to honor the University's Christian heritage.

The GCU Arena will kick off its concert series with a performance by Christian band Casting Crowns on Sept. 23, followed by the national tours of Christian bands Switchfoot and the David Crowder Band. Country sensation Lady Antebellum will appear Nov. 17. For information on these and other upcoming events, visit www.gcuarena.com.

This new Valley landmark was designed by Kansas City-based 360 Architecture and Tempe-based Architekton and was built by Perini Building Company of Phoenix.

Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is regionally accredited and emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students and the working professional in six colleges: the Ken Blanchard College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Nursing, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Fine Arts and Production, and the College of Doctoral Studies. GCU offers traditional programs on its growing campus, as well as online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. The University's curriculum fuses academic and clinical rigor with Christian values to prepare its students to be skilled, caring professionals. For more information about GCU, visit www.gcu.edu.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6848225&lang=en

The Lavidge Company
Marcia Scott, 480-998-2600 ext. 569
mscott@lavidge.com
or
Grand Canyon University
Bill Jenkins, 602-315-5566
william.jenkins@gcu.edu