Coors Event Center

I had the opportunity to visit the Coors Event Center as part of a high school graduation ceremony. I was not impressed. The building is technically functional and obviously serves the university’s needs. But having visited many other arenas and multi-​purpose spaces I came away thinking this place is a kind of a dump and that CU needs to spend some money on renovations at the least, or better yet replace it. .
The restrooms are old. ADA compliant? Barely. If you’re a guy and like communal trough style urinals you’ll love the Coors Event Center.
Hungry? Yeah, eat somewhere else. The concession stands are small, offer a very limited selection and are overpriced for what you get.
Seating: Bench seats in some places, typical stadium seats in other spots. It’s a hodpodge mix that I’m sure works well for basketball games but for other events it can be miserable if stuck there for any length of time.
Heating /​Cooling: If you want to replicate the experience of being a sweaty basketball player without leaving your seat the Coors Event Center will grant your wish.
Acoustics. There’s not a sound person in America that could make this cavernous barn sound good. The best they can do is amplify the noise and hope the audience can make out half of it.
Parking. Muwahaha! Good luck with that. See ya in an hour after you circle around trying to find a parking space.
One bright spot… the CU Campus Police actually have it together when it comes to traffic control so you can get on campus to search for that mythical parking space, or to get out of there if you ever do find one without parking in an unauthorized lot. They could teach some police agencies a thing or two about how to get people in and out quickly, and do it with a smile to boot. (This is one of the better traffic management plans I’ve seen in a long time).
3 Stars. Yeah it sucks, but it does get the job done for CU. (Barely).

I think you have to LOVE the Buffs in order to love Coors Event Center.
Luckily I love the Buffaloes.
Yes, it’s an ugly concrete structure. Yeap, it’s dimly lit. Parking sucks.
It’s a sports arena, you are here to watch a game, not look at the architectural detail of the building.
P. S. When it’s packed, it gets super hot, so bring a short-​sleeved shirt to wear under your jacket/​sweater.

Awful parking. Long lines for tickets. No atmosphere unless the place is sold out. Poor food choices at concession stands.

I love watching live sports, especially college sports. It’s the excitement of the students, the band, the pep squad, the mascot, and the kids who aren’t being paid to play.
I went to the Coors Event Center for the first time last week to watch a men’s basketball game. I immediately booked tickets for the next few games. Sure, it’s an old stadium. Sure, CU hasn’t had the best records in past years. But I’ve got high hopes for this season, and when it’s over, I’ll have high hopes for the next. That’s what being a fan is about. And, I don’t mind when stadiums or arenas feel dated. I like the history. It’s about the energy of the crowd rather than the walls of the building that make arena’s good. Hopefully this season we will work on that!

I attended my first CU men’s basketball game last night and let me say that the university should be ashamed at this outdated, concrete hole in the ground, that someone threw a top on and called it an arena. It gives off a cold, grey feeling of a morgue, with a basketball floor thrown in the middle. The mixture of seating and bleachers leaves little to the imagination and at the same time adds to the cold, concrete canvas of this unfinished painting. The sound system inside is minimal at best and could be improved by closing off the open concourse all around the top of the seating bowl. Therefore improving the noise and atmosphere created by the fans. It’s not the worst place for college basketball, but for a university of this size, it certainly could be better and CU students and fans should expect more.
There is an upcoming renovation of the Coor Events Center after the completion of the new practice facility next door in 2011. It can’t some soon enough.