History
The facility, originally named Rosemont Horizon, was intended to be the home of the WHA Chicago Cougars, but the franchise folded in 1975. The Village of Rosemont issued $19 million in bonds to finance the cost of the arena with exclusive contracts with Araserv, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and MFG International.
On August 13, 1979, the uncompleted roof of the Rosemont Horizon collapsed, killing five construction workers and injuring 16 others.
The Rosemont Horizon was featured in the 1985 music video "Big City Nights" by Scorpions.
Allstate Corporation signed a ten-year contract worth more than $10 million on June 9, 1999 to acquire naming rights to the arena and renovate it.
On December 14, 2003, the floor at the Allstate Arena was named Ray and Marge Meyer Court in honor of Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Meyer and his wife. Meyer coached DePaul's men's team for forty-three seasons and is the school's all-time winningest coach.
Read more about this topic: Allstate Arena
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“In every election in American history both parties have their clichés. The party that has the clichés that ring true wins.”
—Newt Gingrich (b. 1943)
“History has neither the venerableness of antiquity, nor the freshness of the modern. It does as if it would go to the beginning of things, which natural history might with reason assume to do; but consider the Universal History, and then tell us,—when did burdock and plantain sprout first?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)