Nationwide Arena

Lore & Background

The arena was built near the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary, over the prison's former parking lot. On March 16, 2002, 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was struck in the head by a deflected puck during a Blue Jackets game and died two days later, becoming the only NHL fan killed in a game-related accident, leading to mandated safety netting. In May 2012, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman pitched to the NBA for an expansion or relocated team to move to the arena.

In Their Own Story

The lights dim to a low amber glow. Twenty thousand voices settle into a hush, then swell. A single note from the organ cuts through the cold air above the ice, and the Zamboni's fresh lines gleam like a frozen lake at dawn. In the tunnel, a rookie grips his stick so hard his knuckles whiten, listening to the roar build in waves. He steps through the glass door and the sound hits him like a wall of water — blue and red and gold, a sea of Ohio faces tilted upward, scarves waving, a child on her father's shoulders screaming a name she learned last week. The puck drops. The first stick-on-puck crack echoes off the rafters. And for one breathless, electric moment, the arena is not a building. It is a heartbeat.

Reader's Guide

The arena is named for its original majority owner, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. It was sold to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority in 2012. Seating capacity is 18,500 for hockey, 19,500 for basketball, and 20,000 for concerts. It includes the OhioHealth IceHaus, an on-site practice rink. The arena is managed by Columbus Arena Management, which also operates Value City Arena.

Did You Know?

• The arena hosted the 2007 NHL entry draft.
• The arena hosted the 2015 NHL All-Star Game.
• The arena hosted first and second-round games of the 2004, 2007, 2012, 2015, and 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments.
• The arena hosted the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.