U.S. Bank Arena is an indoor arena located in downtown Cincinnati, along the banks of the Ohio River, next to the Great American Ball Park. It was completed in September 1975 and named Riverfront Coliseum because of its placement next to Riverfront Stadium. The arena seats 17,556 people and is the largest indoor arena in the Greater Cincinnati region with 346100sqft of space. The arena underwent a $14 million renovation project in 1997. The current main tenant is the Cincinnati Cyclones, of the ECHL.
The arena was the home of the Cincinnati Stingers, of the World Hockey Association, from 1975 to 1979. Since then, the arena has hosted two minor league hockey teams and various concerts, political rallies, tennis tournaments, figure skating, professional wrestling, a Billy Graham Crusade and other events. U.S. Bank Arena served as a host for the Midwest Regional of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament with Miami University as the host school. The facility's longest-serving tenant was the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati, who used the arena from its completion until 1987, when the team moved to Cincinnati Gardens and eventually to the on-campus Fifth Third Arena. Until the opening of Fifth Third Arena at the University of Cincinnati and BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University, commencement ceremonies for these schools were held at the facility.
On occasion, there are local pushes for the attraction of another major sports franchise to occupy the arena, possibly a National Basketball Association or NHL franchise either relocated or expanded, though little has ever come to fruition. The Cincinnati Royals left Cincinnati in 1972, and were the last NBA team to call Cincinnati home. The NBA Cleveland Cavaliers have played preseason games at U.S. Bank Arena however, most recently in 2013.