| Hooper Eblen Center | |
| Nickname: | The Hoop |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Mapframe-Zoom: | 15 |
| Address: | 1100 McGee Boulevard |
| Location: | Cookeville, Tennessee |
| Owner: | Tennessee Technological University |
| Operator: | Tennessee Technological University |
| Capacity: | 9,282 |
| Opened: | October 2, 1977 |
| Tenants: | Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (NCAA) (1977–present) |
Hooper Eblen Center, often called The Hoop by students, is a 9,282-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee. Named for former TTU coach and professor Hooper Eblen,[1] the arena is home to the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men's basketball, the Golden Eagles women's basketball, and the women's volleyball teams.[2] Before the construction of the arena, the on-campus home to the Tennessee Tech men's and women's basketball teams was the Memorial Gym, a post-War gymnasium located on the quadrangle.
The Hooper Eblen Center opened on October 2, 1977, with a Phoebe Snow concert as its inaugural event.[3] Elvis Presley had originally been scheduled to give the arena's first performance on September 27. However, these plans were canceled after the late singer's death on August 16.[4] Alabama performed the first sell-out concert at the Hooper Eblen Center on August 1, 1982, with 11,210 people in attendance.[5]
