Richfield Coliseum

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The arena was primarily the home to the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), developed by Cavaliers owner Nick Mileti, who also owned the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association. Over the years it had additional tenants such as the Cleveland Barons of the National Hockey League, Cleveland Force of Major Indoor Soccer League, Cleveland Crunch of Major Indoor Soccer League, the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, and the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League. It hosted the 1981 NBA All-Star Game; The Buckeye Homecoming, the 1983 professional boxing match between Michael Dokes and Gerrie Coetzee; and the 1985 MISL All Star Game. It was also the site of the March 24, 1975 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, which in part inspired the movie Rocky. The Coliseum was a regular concert venue, with its first event being a concert by Frank Sinatra. The first rock concert at the Richfield Coliseum, in October 1974, featured Stevie Wonder in October 1974. The last concert and final official event at the arena was a performance by the band Phish on November 9, 1994. The Grateful Dead played thirteen shows at the Coliseum - the first on September 7, 1990, and the last on March 21, 1994.

In Their Own Story

On April 6, 1986, the Coliseum witnessed a historic crowd of 20,174 for a Cleveland Force indoor soccer match against Minnesota, setting the record for the largest regular-season attendance ever for an indoor soccer game in the US. The arena was not without its flaws; it featured only one concourse for two levels, creating cramped conditions near capacity. Furthermore, the luxury suites were located at the uppermost level, offering the worst seats in the house. Despite these drawbacks and traffic issues on rural Route 303, the Cavaliers maintained an average attendance over 18,000 per game during their final two seasons there. The venue also hosted notable World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view events, including Survivor Series in 1987, 1988, and 1992.

Reader's Guide

The Coliseum's fate was sealed in 1990, when voters in Cuyahoga County approved a new sin tax to fund the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, which included Gund Arena. The Cavaliers moved to Gund Arena at the beginning of the 1994–95 season. In 1997, the hardwood floor was sold to Grace Christian School of Staunton, Virginia. After being vacant for five years, the arena was torn down in 1999, between March 30 and May 21, and the arena footprint and surrounding parking areas were allowed to be returned to woodland as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, now Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Two years later it was noted that the site appeared to have no trace of the former building, although a widened section of Route 303, as well as the remains of the parking lot entrance, reveal its location. The site is now a grassy meadow and has become an important area for wildlife. Birds such as the Eastern meadowlark, bobolink, and various sparrows now inhabit the area.

Did You Know?

• The Coliseum was one of the first indoor arenas to contain luxury boxes.
• The Michael Dokes vs. Gerrie Coetzee professional boxing match was held at the Richfield Coliseum on September 23, 1983, and was contested for the WBA heavyweight world championship.
• The largest regular-season crowd for an indoor soccer match in the US (20,174) occurred at the Coliseum on April 6, 1986, when the Cleveland Force took on Minnesota.