DETROIT – Little Caesars Arena received the Sports Facility of the Year award Wednesday at the 2018 Sports Business Awards ceremony.
The arena beat five other finalists -- Notre Dame Stadium, SunTrust Park/The Battery Atlanta, T-Mobile Arena, Target Center and U.S. Bank Stadium. A panel of editors, writers and researchers from SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily chose Little Caesars Arena based on excellence, growth, creativity, innovation, sound planning, implementation and outcomes.
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Previous winners of the award include Golden 1 Center, Daytona International Speedway, Levi's Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Target Field, Cowboys Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium and AT&T Park.
“We’re thrilled to continue celebrating the inaugural season at Little Caesars Arena with this prestigious award,” said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. “Our vision for what Little Caesars Arena could offer to fans, players, artists and community members drove us to create something very special and highly innovative. Every aspect of Little Caesars Arena was designed to enhance the guest experience, and we appreciate that those efforts continue to be recognized.”
The arena has hosted more than 150 ticketed events and more than 2.5 million fans since it opened on Sept. 12, 2017. LCA is on track to be one of the busiest arenas in the world during its first full year of operation.
“I just love Little Caesars Arena. It is incredible,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “Every seat in the house is great. In addition to being state-of-the-art, it has every conceivable amenity. An incredible use of technology, and a remarkable tie to history and tradition of this great Original Six franchise. In terms of the fan experience, it is as good as you get in a public facility.”