American Airlines Center
By 1998, the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars were pushing for a new home to replace their aging Reunion Arena. H. Ross Perot Jr. owned the basketball team at that time. The two franchises needed more space than the old venue could provide. Dallas voters approved a hotel tax and rental car tax in late 1998 to fund part of the project. This public money covered only a portion of the total cost. The teams themselves agreed to pay the rest of the bill. They also accepted responsibility for any construction overruns that might occur later. The city chose a site just north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway near Interstate 35E. That location sat on land where an old power plant once stood.
David M. Schwarz led the design work for this multi-purpose indoor arena. He was a winner of the Driehaus Prize and practiced New Classical architecture from Washington D.C. The building features sweeping brick façades and smooth arches that give it a conservative look. Fans sometimes call it "The Hangar" because of its Quonset hut-like roof shape. On the 18th of March 1999, American Airlines announced they would buy the naming rights for $195 million. The airline is headquartered nearby in Fort Worth and operates out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. From 2001 until 2013, the facility displayed the then-current American Airlines logo before switching to the current version. PNC Plaza serves as the main entrance on the south side with fountains designed by artist Athena Tacha in 2000.
The first event took place the day after the naming deal closed with an Eagles concert. Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames tour held its final show there the next night. the 19th of August 2001 marked the first sporting match when the Dallas Sidekicks played against the San Diego Sockers. The arena opened officially on the 17th of July 2001 at a total cost of $420 million. A few weeks after opening, staff discovered the glass installed in bathrooms was not what had been ordered. Drivers passing by complained about seeing clear views into restrooms from the street. Workers replaced the glass with the correct type the following week. The Mavericks used a practice court inside the building until 2017 when they moved training to a separate facility in the Dallas Design District. Their lease runs through 2031 and could lead to a move to Irving if Las Vegas Sands builds their proposed resort nearby.
The venue hosted the Big 12 Basketball tournament in 2003, 2004, and 2006. It also held Professional Bull Riders events annually between 2005 and 2009. The NBA Finals appeared here twice for the Dallas Mavericks against the Miami Heat. The Heat won the 2006 series four games to two while closing out play in Dallas. The Mavericks returned the favor by winning the 2011 series four games to two in Miami. Some fans nicknamed these matchups the "American Airlines series" because American Airlines held naming rights for both arenas. Boston Celtics split two games in Dallas during the 2024 NBA Finals before winning the championship in five total games. The arena hosted the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game on the 24th of January 2007. A watch party for the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals took place there even though the Stars lost to Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum played host on Saturday the 18th of June 2011. UFC 103 featured Franklin versus Belfort on the 19th of September 2009. Hendricks fought Lawler at UFC 171 on the 15th of March 2014. Pettis faced dos Anjos at UFC 185 on the 14th of March 2015. Miocic squared off against dos Santos 2 on the 13th of May 2017. Woodley battled Till on the 8th of September 2018. Peña and Nunes met again at UFC 277 on the 30th of July 2022. Professional boxing saw Jake Paul fight Nate Diaz on the 5th of August 2023. WWE held multiple events including Survivor Series 2003 and Night of Champions 2008. Hell in a Cell occurred here in both 2010 and 2014. TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs appeared in 2016 while Great Balls of Fire came later. The 2022 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony took place on April 1 with The Undertaker headlining the induction.
The Simpsons episode "The Burns and the Bees" pictured this venue as Dallas Arena. Fox's singer search program The X Factor used it for audition stages on June 21 and 22, 2011. New Japan Pro-Wrestling held G1 Climax series matches there on the 6th of July 2019. Junior Gold Championships opened their annual bowling tournament for youth bowlers within these walls. The arena hosted first and second-round games of NCAA men's basketball tournaments in 2006 and 2018. Women's basketball finals took place here in 2017 and 2023 alongside regional semifinals in 2016 and 2011. Two Mavericks games in early 2022 faced delays when the roof developed leaks against the Timberwolves and Warriors. WNBA played a game between Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever on the 27th of June 2025. PWHL hosted its first Dallas game on the 28th of December 2025 featuring Seattle Torrent versus New York Sirens before 8,514 fans.
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Common questions
Who owns the American Airlines Center and when was it built?
H. Ross Perot Jr. owned the Dallas Mavericks franchise that helped drive the project, while David M. Schwarz led the design work for the arena. The facility opened officially on the 17th of July 2001 at a total cost of $420 million.
Where is the American Airlines Center located in relation to major highways?
Dallas voters chose a site just north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway near Interstate 35E for the venue. This location sat on land where an old power plant once stood before construction began.
How much did American Airlines pay for naming rights to the arena?
American Airlines announced they would buy the naming rights for $195 million on the 18th of March 1999. The airline is headquartered nearby in Fort Worth and operates out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
When did the American Airlines Center host its first sporting match?
The 19th of August 2001 marked the first sporting match when the Dallas Sidekicks played against the San Diego Sockers. The venue hosted the Big 12 Basketball tournament in 2003, 2004, and 2006 shortly after opening.
What notable events occurred inside the American Airlines Center during 2025?
WNBA played a game between Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever on the 27th of June 2025 at the facility. PWHL hosted its first Dallas game on the 28th of December 2025 featuring Seattle Torrent versus New York Sirens before 8,514 fans.