PNC Arena

The idea of a new basketball arena to replace the Wolfpack's longtime home, Reynolds Coliseum, first emerged in the 1980s under the vision of then-Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano. In 1989, the NCSU Trustees approved plans to build a 23,000 seat arena. The Centennial Authority was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1995 as the governing entity of the arena, then financed by state appropriation, local contributions, and University fundraising. The Centennial Authority refocused the project into a multi-use arena, leading to the 1997 relocation agreement of the then-Hartford Whalers, who would become the Carolina Hurricanes. Construction began that year and was completed in 1999 with an estimated cost of $158 million, which was largely publicly financed by a Hotel and Restaurant tax. The Hurricanes agreed to pay $60 million of the cost, and the state of North Carolina paid $18 million. As part of the deal, the Hurricanes assumed operational control of the arena.

Known as the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (or ESA) from 1999 to 2002, it was renamed the RBC Center after an extended search for a corporate sponsor. RBC Bank, the US division of the Royal Bank of Canada, acquired 20-year naming rights for a reported $80 million. On June 19, 2011, it was announced that PNC Financial Services bought US assets of RBC Bank and acquired the naming rights to the arena pending approval by the regulatory agencies.[5] On December 15, 2011, the Centennial Authority, the landlord of the arena, approved a name change for the facility to PNC Arena.[6] The name change officially took place on March 15, 2012.[7] On a normal hockey day, PNC Arena has more than 400 people on duty for security and concessions.

The arena has also seen use in fictional media, as a season four episode of The CW series One Tree Hill saw the Tree Hill High School Ravens playing a NCHSAA championship game in the venue. The arena has also seen use for game shows in a College Jeopardy episode in 2005.

A ribbon board was installed in 2003 which encircles the arena bowl.[19] In 2008, the arena renovated its sound system. Clair Brothers Systems installed a combination of JBL line arrays to provide improved audio coverage for all events. In June 2009, video crews installed a new Daktronics HD scoreboard. It replaced the ten-year-old scoreboard that had been in the arena since its opening in 1999. The scoreboard was full LED and four-sided with full video displays, whereas the previous scoreboard was eight-sided; four of those sides featured alternating static dot-matrix displays (very much outdated for today's standards). In addition, the scoreboard featured an octagonal top section with full video capability, along with two rings above and below the main video screens; they were similar to the ribbon board encircling the arena.

In October 2015, architects met with the Centennial Authority to discuss a potential arena renovation. Their proposal includes all-new entrances, a new rooftop restaurant and bar, covered tailgating sections, and moving the administrative offices elsewhere in the arena as a result. The plans also call for new office spaces, additional meeting spaces, removing stairwells and aisles, adding wider seats, and perhaps building lounges on the mezzanine levels below the main concourse level. Project costs have not yet been decided, as the architects were given until May/June 2016 to come up with estimates. The estimated cost could be almost $200 million. The Centennial Authority would have to approve the estimates before official voting could begin. If the funds are approved the renovation start time would be 2020 and at the earliest, it could be completed by 2022.[20][21]

During the summer of 2016, the ribbon boards were upgraded and a second ribbon board was added to the upper level fascia. Static advertising signs inside the lower bowl of the arena were replaced with LED video boards. In 2018, they renovated the NHL home locker rooms and replaced the seating in the upper bowl as well as an ice/court projection system that was first used December 23 at a Hurricanes game against the Boston Bruins.

In April 2019 it was announced the arena would receive a new Daktronics video board later that year. The board would be nearly 3 times as large as the then-current board. The new video board would feature a full 360 degree display, two underbelly screens and 2 underbelly static advertising signs. It will also be the first of its kind and one of only a few 360 degree video boards in the NHL. The board would cost $4.7 million, would stretch blue line to blue line, and would be 4,000 square feet (370 m²). Original plans called for a 2018 installation, but the project was bumped back due to structural/roof issues. The old video board was taken down on June 1, 2019. Its last day in operation was May 31 for a Special Olympics event.[22][23] The new board debuted on September 18, 2019.[24]

In November 2019, Raleigh approved funding for the arena at $9 million a year for 25 years for arena enhancements, putting the grand total to $200 million. Some concessions in the arena were updated in 2019 in addition to the LED upgrade. They included a new marketplace in the upper concourse as well as other concessions renovated and a new color changing lighting system on the exterior of the South End. The Centennial Authority (operating group) and the Hurricanes are also meeting to further discuss the future renovations and the future of the Hurricanes at PNC Arena. Most offices were expected to move out before the 2020-21 NHL Season and renovations were to start.[25]

In may of 2020, Don Waddell announced a lease extension to 2029 and that the Hurricanes were officially postponing renovations “until further notice” as the Hurricanes’ owner, Tom Dundon, plans to look more deeply into a replacement arena in downtown rather than renovations and development around the arena.

Also in 2020, the Hurricanes came back to the arena to find several holes in the roof that caused water damage to the CanesVision equipment. Because of damages and outdated equipment, they said they plan to put $3 Million into upgrading CanesVision equipment rather than repairing the system. They plan to install the newer systems in the summer of 2021 following the Hurricanes’ 2020-21 season.

• List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas

• NCSU Athletics. RBC Center Retrieved July 12, 2004 from .
• RBC Center: History. Retrieved July 12, 2004 from .
• The Hockey News. 59.37 (2006): 6.
• Live Sound: Clair Systems Revamps RBC Center Audio with JBL Loudspeakers. Retrieved May 15, 2009 from
• RBC Center Gets New Scoreboard. Retrieved June 7, 2009 from

Wikimedia Commons has media related to PNC Arena.

• Official site
• PNC Arena – NC State Athletics