# Ocean Bank Convocation Center

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ocean_Bank_Convocation_Center
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ocean_Bank_Convocation_Center.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Bank_Convocation_Center
> Source revision: 1357127053
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Home to the FIU Panthers basketball and volleyball teams

Ocean Bank Convocation Center Interactive map of Ocean Bank Convocation Center Former names Sunblazer Arena (1986–87) Golden Panther Arena (1987–2004) Pharmed Arena (2004–08) FIU Arena (2008, 2014–18) U.S. Century Bank Arena (2008-14) Address 11200 SW 8th St Miami, Florida 33199-2516 Location University Park, Florida Coordinates 25°45′24″N 80°22′46″W / 25.75667°N 80.37944°W / 25.75667; -80.37944 Owner Florida International University Capacity 5,000 Surface Wood Construction Groundbreaking 1983 Opened February 1, 1986 Cost $7 million[1] ($22.6 million in 2025 dollars[2]) Tenants FIU Panthers (NCAA) (1986–present)

**Ocean Bank Convocation Center** (formerly known as **Sunblazer Arena**, **Golden Panther Arena**, **Pharmed Arena**, **U.S. Century Bank Arena**, and **FIU Arena**) is a [5,000-seat](/source/Seating_capacity) multi-purpose [arena](/source/Arena) at [Florida International University](/source/Florida_International_University) (FIU) in [University Park, Florida](/source/University_Park%2C_Florida). It was opened on February 1, 1986, and is home to the [FIU Panthers](/source/FIU_Panthers) [basketball](/source/Basketball) and [volleyball](/source/Volleyball) teams. It was originally named Sunblazer Arena, but was renamed Golden Panther Arena when FIU's athletic teams changed their nickname from Sunblazers to Golden Panthers in 1987. It was renamed Pharmed Arena in 2004, and then was briefly named FIU Arena in 2008 before being renamed to U.S. Century Bank Arena. The facility reverted to the FIU Arena name again from 2014 to 2018 before being renamed the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in 2018.[3]

The 94,000-square-foot (8,700 m2) arena contains a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m2) wooden arena floor. It is also used for [banquets](/source/Banquet), [conventions](/source/Convention_(meeting)), [concerts](/source/Concerts), [trade shows](/source/Trade_shows), and [graduations](/source/Graduation) including FIU's own commencement ceremonies.

Ocean Bank Convocation Center during an FIU game against FAU.

The main court is a Cincinnati Robbins perma-cushion maple [wood](/source/Wood) basketball floor, made up of some 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) of wood. Four retractable basketball [backboards](/source/Backboard_(basketball)) allow for the floor to be divided into two practice courts, while Hydra Goal II portable basketball standards are used for intercollegiate competition. Nevco scoreboards are found at either end.

Support areas include an equipment room, athletic training room, 876 lockers in six different, offices and boardrooms for FIU athletic administrators, and full-service dressing rooms. Academic space in the building includes three classrooms, as well as physiology and [kinesiology](/source/Kinesiology) laboratories.

In late 2008, [U.S. Century Bank](/source/U.S._Century_Bank) bought naming rights to the arena, changing the arena's name to U.S. Century Bank Arena. The arena was scheduled to undergo a $5 million renovation beginning in the summer or fall of 2010,[*[needs update](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*] with a completion date of early 2011.

In January 2015, the Ocean Bank Convocation Center hosted the [Miss Universe 2014](/source/Miss_Universe_2014) pageant.

On January 26, 2019, the arena broke its attendance record for a basketball game with 4,710 spectators for a game between FIU and their local rivals Florida Atlantic.[4]

## See also

- [FIU Panthers](/source/FIU_Panthers)

- [Pitbull Stadium](/source/Pitbull_Stadium) (FIU Football)

- [FIU Baseball Stadium](/source/FIU_Baseball_Stadium) (FIU Baseball)

- [List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas](/source/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_basketball_arenas)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Basketball Fever Gives Sunblazers Hope for Future"](http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MH&s_site=miami&p_multi=MH&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36623E00922B4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM). *Miami Herald*. November 16, 1986. Retrieved February 18, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-inflation-US_2-0)** 1634–1699: [McCusker, J. J.](/source/John_J._McCusker) (1997). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](/source/American_Antiquarian_Society). 1700–1799: [McCusker, J. J.](/source/John_J._McCusker) (1992). [*How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States*](https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44517778.pdf) (PDF). [American Antiquarian Society](/source/American_Antiquarian_Society). 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. ["Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–"](https://www.minneapolisfed.org/about-us/monetary-policy/inflation-calculator/consumer-price-index-1800-). Retrieved February 29, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ocean Bank Convocation Center at FIU Dedicated"](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/18/globe-newswire-ocean-bank-convocation-center-at-fiu-dedicated.html). *CNBC*. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["A record home crowd watched the FIU Panthers basketball. Up next: Southern Miss"](https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/conference-usa/florida-international-university/article225048070.html). *Miami Herald*. January 27, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.

## External links

- [Official website](https://fiusports.com/sports/2014/6/19/GEN_0619142140.aspx)

Preceded by Crocus City Hall Moscow Miss Universe venue 2014 Succeeded by The AXIS Las Vegas

v t e FIU Panthers men's basketball Venues Ocean Bank Convocation Center (1986–present) People Head coaches Statistical leaders Seasons List of seasons 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26

v t e FIU Panthers women's basketball Venues Ocean Bank Convocation Center (1986–present) People Head coaches Seasons 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26

v t e Florida International University Located in: University Park, Florida Academics School of Architecture College of Arts and Sciences College of Business College of Education College of Engineering and Computing Honors College School of Hospitality & Tourism Management College of Law College of Medicine College of Nursing and Health Sciences Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work Research and development Aquarius Reef Base National Hurricane Center Engineering Center Southern Cross Astronomical Society Wall of Wind People Alumni Athletics Teams Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Football Men's soccer Track and field Venues FIU Baseball Stadium FIU Football Stadium Ocean Bank Convocation Center Culture FIU Fight Song Roary the Panther Shula Bowl Culture and lore Greek Life Housing Order of the Torch South Beach Wine and Food Festival University Park University traditions Media FIU Student Media Gulf Stream Magazine Hospitality Review PantherNOW The Roar Campus Biscayne Bay Campus Mourning Senior High Engineering Center FIU Tianjin Center FIU Pines Center Frost Art Museum Jewish Museum of Florida MAST @ FIU University Park Wertheim Performing Arts Center Wolfsonian-FIU Founded: 1965 Students: 58,787 Endowment: 216.3 million Category

v t e Basketball arenas of Conference USA Current arenas Bob Carpenter Center (Delaware) Ocean Bank Convocation Center (FIU) Pete Mathews Coliseum (Jacksonville State) KSU Convocation Center (Kennesaw State) Liberty Arena (Liberty) Vines Center (Liberty, alternate) Thomas Assembly Center (Louisiana Tech; leaving no later than 2027) Murphy Center (Middle Tennessee) Great Southern Bank Arena (Missouri State) Pan American Center (New Mexico State) Bernard Johnson Coliseum (Sam Houston) Don Haskins Center (UTEP; leaving in 2026) E. A. Diddle Arena (Western Kentucky)

v t e Greater Miami Area Miami Fort Lauderdale West Palm Beach Miami metropolitan area Central business district Downtown Miami Arts & Entertainment District Brickell Central Business District Historic District Government Center Park West Major urban areas Boca Raton Boynton Beach Coral Gables Coral Springs Deerfield Beach Delray Beach Doral Fort Lauderdale Hialeah Hollywood Jupiter Kendall Miami Beach Miami Gardens Miramar Palm Beach Gardens Pembroke Pines Pompano Beach Sunrise West Palm Beach Colleges and universities Barry University Broward College Carlos Albizu University Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Florida Memorial University Johnson & Wales University Miami Dade College Miami International University of Art & Design Nova Southeastern University St. Thomas University University of Fort Lauderdale University of Miami Parks and recreation Alice Wainwright Park Amelia Earhart Park Arch Creek The Barnacle Historic State Park Bayfront Park Big Cypress National Preserve Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Biscayne National Park Brian Piccolo Sports Park & Velodrome Chapman Field Park Crandon Park Dinner Key Everglades National Park Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Fort Dallas Fruit & Spice Park Greynolds Park Haulover Park Jungle Island The Kampong Margaret Pace Park Matheson Hammock Park Miami Seaquarium Monkey Jungle Museum Park Oleta River State Park Peacock Park Pride Park, Miami Beach FL Shark Valley Simpson Park Hammock South Pointe Park Tamiami Park Tropical Park The Underline Virginia Key Zoo Miami Attractions Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Amerant Bank Arena Bass Museum Bergeron Rodeo Grounds Biltmore Hotel Bonita Chita Key Broward County Convention Center Butterfly World Coral Castle Downtown Miami FIU Stadium Florida Grand Opera Fontainebleau Miami Beach Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop Frost Art Museum Frost School of Music Gulfstream Park Hard Rock Stadium Holocaust Memorial Homestead Jewish Museum of Florida Kaseya Center Las Olas Boulevard LoanDepot Park Lowe Art Museum Lincoln Road Lummus Park MacFarlane Homestead Miami Beach Architectural District Miami Beach Convention Center Miami Children's Museum Miami City Ballet Miami Conservatory Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Miami New World Symphony Orchestra Normandy Isles North Shore Nu Stadium Ocean Bank Convocation Center Ocean Drive Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Pérez Art Museum Miami Riverwalk Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood South Beach The Miami Line Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Watsco Center Wolfsonian-FIU Wynwood Art District Major shopping centers Aventura Mall Bal Harbour Shops Bayside Marketplace Boynton Beach Mall Brickell City Centre Broward Mall CocoWalk Coral Square Dadeland Mall Dolphin Mall The Falls The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale The Gardens Mall Lincoln Road The Mall at 163rd Street Mary Brickell Village Miami International Mall Midtown Miami Midway Crossings Miracle Marketplace Pembroke Lakes Mall The Promenade at Coconut Creek The Shops at Sunset Place Sawgrass Mills Southland Mall Shops at Merrick Park Town Center at Boca Raton Westland Mall Transportation Amtrak Broward County Transit Brightline Government Center Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport Miami-Dade Transit Metrobus Metromover Metrorail MIA Mover MiamiCentral Miami Intermodal Center Miami International Airport Miami–Opa Locka Executive Airport North Perry Airport Palm Beach International Airport Palm Tran Pompano Beach Airpark Port Everglades PortMiami Tri-Rail Major thoroughfares East 6th Avenue North 36th Street North 54th Street North 79th Street North 103rd Street North 125th Street North 135th Street West 7th Avenue West 12th Avenue West 27th Avenue West 107th Avenue Allapattah Road Alton Road Bird Road Biscayne Boulevard Brickell Avenue Broad Causeway Collins Avenue Coral Reef Drive Coral Way County Line Road Douglas Road Flagler Street Galloway Road Gratigny Ives Dairy Road Julia Tuttle Causeway Kendall Drive John F. Kennedy Causeway Killian Krome Avenue William Lehman Causeway Le Jeune Road Ludlam Road MacArthur Causeway Miami Avenue Miami Gardens Drive Milam Dairy Road Miracle Mile Okeechobee Road Old Cutler Road Port Boulevard Quail Roost Drive Red Road Rickenbacker Causeway South Dixie Highway Sunset Drive Tamiami Trail University Drive Venetian Causeway West Dixie Highway

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ocean Bank Convocation Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Bank_Convocation_Center) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Bank_Convocation_Center?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.