CenturyLink Center

This article is about the arena in Louisiana. For the similarly named arena in Omaha, Nebraska, see CenturyLink Center Omaha.

CenturyLink Center

Former names	Bossier City Arena (2000) CenturyTel Center (2000-2010)
Location	2000 CenturyTel Center Drive Bossier City, Louisiana 71112
Owner	City of Bossier City
Operator	SMG
Capacity	14,000 (concerts) 12,440 (hockey)
Surface	Multi-surface
Construction
Broke ground	March 30, 1999
Opened	November 2, 2000
Construction cost	$56.5 million ($77.6 million in 2025 dollars)
Architect	AE Design Group
General contractor	Roy Anderson Corp.
Tenants
Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (CHL) (2000–2011) Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings (AFL) (2001–2010)

The CenturyLink Center (formerly CenturyTel Center and Bossier City Arena) is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in Bossier City, Louisiana. The naming rights were purchased by the telephone company CenturyLink of Monroe, Louisiana.

Opened in 2000 during the administration of then Bossier City Mayor George Dement, the center is among several projects financed in part from revenues derived from three casinos in the city.

The center was home to the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings AFL team and the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs CHL team.

It hosted the Southland Conference men's basketball tournament in 2001. In 2011, the CenturyLink Center with the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters hosted 1st and 2nd round games for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament including the first two games of eventual champion Texas A&M.

On September 28, 2002, the NHL came to the arena, for a pre-season game, between the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers.

On January 14, 2007, the CHL All-Star game was played at the arena, for the first time ever, hosted by the Mudbugs.

On October 23rd, 2014, CLC held an NBA preseason game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

In December 2014, the Bossier City Council once again rejected pay increases for city employees as proposed by Mayor Lo Walker. Columnist Jeffrey D. Sadow attributed the lack of municipal funds for such raises to the recurring high costs associated with the operation of CenturyLink, which cost $1,500 per resident, or $55.6 million, nearly $20 million more than had been anticipated by city officials. Through 2013, the city spent $5 million more to operate the center. Minor league sports teams, unable to survive, abandoned the CenturyLink. In 2013 alone, the city transferred $750,000 into CenturyLink and still ran a deficit of $200,000. Those costs could have funded the pay raises Walker proposed. Sadow proposes that the city sell CenturyLink at a loss so that it not become a permanent white elephant on municipal expenditures.

See also

• List of music venues

External links

• Official website

Preceded by first arena	Home of the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings 2001–2010	Succeeded by New Orleans Arena as New Orleans VooDoo
Preceded by MGM Grand Garden Arena	Ultimate Fighting Championship venue UFC 37	Succeeded by Bellagio