Ballgames. Concerts. Graduations. Community events. And so much more.
John E. Tucker Coliseum at Arkansas Tech University is a place where memories have been made for a half-century, and now its role in supporting the Arkansas River Valley and beyond has been recognized with a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
ATU was notified of the selection in a letter from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The National Register of Historic Places is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service.
According to Dr. Kenneth R. Walker’s “History of Arkansas Tech University: 1909-90,” the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees prioritized the construction of a new special events center as early as December 1971.
Dr. Thomas A. DeBlack wrote in “A Century Forward: The Centennial History of Arkansas Tech University” that Gov. Dale Bumpers signed a bill in March 1973 that allowed Arkansas Tech to build the center at a cost of $2,562,649. The design called for a 211-foot diameter steel frame dome over the arena and a total square footage of 68,035.
Matson Construction Company broke ground on the special events center project on April 15, 1974. The facility was designed by the architectural firm of Mott, Mobley, Horstman and Griffin.
In October 1975, Arkansas Tech announced that the special events center would be named John E. Tucker Coliseum in honor of “The Original Wonder Boy,” who went on to render nearly a half-century of service to Arkansas Tech as a coach, administrator and chemistry professor.
Construction of Tucker Coliseum was completed in December 1975 and it hosted its first basketball game on Jan. 8, 1976.
Tucker Coliseum was dedicated during a ceremony on Jan. 20, 1976. Gov. David Pryor served as speaker for the event.
Arkansas Tech celebrated the 50th anniversary of Tucker Coliseum during a home basketball doubleheader on Feb. 7, 2026.
