Arena News

COLUMBUS, OHIO — According to the results of a recent survey conducted by ESPN The Magazine, SMG-managed Nationwide Arena was named the "Ultimate Arena" with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League earning the #1 ranking in the category of "Stadium Experience" against the field of all 121 major league sports franchises among NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB. In last year's survey, the Blue Jackets experience at Nationwide Arena earned a second-place ranking.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized by sports fans as the ‘Ultimate Arena’ in which to enjoy the nationally renowned Blue Jackets game experience," said Nationwide Arena General Manager Jay Cooper. "Our goal is to provide the very best in sports and entertainment possible in the most guest-friendly environment."

"There is nothing more important to our organization than ensuring that our fans enjoy their experience attending Blue Jackets games at Nationwide Arena," said Blue Jackets Senior Vice-President of Business Operations Michael Humes. "To be recognized for that is a tremendous honor and we will continue to work hard to provide fans with the kind of world-class entertainment and customer service that they have come to expect."

The criteria set forth by ESPN asked fans to judge "Stadium Experience" based on friendliness of the environment and game-day promotions. Results of the Ultimate Standings were determined from fan feedback gathered by Norwalk, CT-based research and marketing firm Markitecture and ESPN.com, and team financial analysis by the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. The Ultimate Standings appeared in the February 16, 2004 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

In addition to hosting a full slate of premier family entertainment, top-grossing concert tours and sporting events, including the Blue Jackets and first-year Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League, Nationwide Arena will also serve as a regional site for the first and second round games of the 2004 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in March. In addition, Nationwide Arena was selected as the official practice facility and pre-tournament game venue for Team USA in preparation for World Cup of Hockey 2004 in August.

For more information about Nationwide Arena, visit www.NationwideArena.com or call (614) 246-2000. For more information about the Columbus Blue Jackets, visit www.BlueJackets.com. Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Columbus Destroyers, is an SMG-managed facility. Headquartered in Philadelphia, SMG provides facility services to 165 venues controlling over 1.4 million entertainment seats worldwide.