Greater Charlotte Sports Hall Of Fame To Be Located At New Charlotte Arena

The Charlotte Bobcats, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) and the Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame (GCSHOF) have reached an agreement to develop a permanent exhibit honoring our region’s Hall of Fame inductees at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

The Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame was established in 2003 to honor outstanding sports figures in the Charlotte Region. The exhibit will feature plaques with portraits of the Hall of Fame inductees and a description of their accomplishments in sports. Plaques honoring the latest class of inductees will be displayed in the Trade Street Entry Lobby of the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Plaques honoring past classes of inductees will be displayed on the exterior wall of the Charlotte Bobcats Arena’s Ticket Office.

Startup funding for the exhibit will be provided by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. As a part of this agreement, the Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame’s annual fund-raising dinner and induction ceremony will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center from 2006 to 2010.

Mike Crum, Chief Operating Officer for the CRVA adds, “We are thrilled to have played a role in making a permanent exhibit for the Hall of Fame a reality. This agreement is a win-win for all parties involved and will improve the experience of fans attending events at the new arena and for visitors to our community.”

”Charlotte is a premier sports city with a wonderful sports legacy,” said Dan Owens, chairman of the GCSHOF Organizing Committee. “The new arena is the perfect place to showcase our Hall of Fame’s permanent exhibit. It will enable visitors to the arena to learn about Charlotte’s truly outstanding athletes and sports figures who paved the way for today’s dynamic sports environment that enjoys a national stature in motorsports, football, basketball and other major sports.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to honor the Charlotte region’s greatest athletes at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena,” said Ed Tapscott, President and COO of the Charlotte Bobcats Organization, which owns and operates the NBA’s Bobcats, and the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting and will manage the NCharlotte Bobcats Arena. “Located in the heart of Uptown and home to over 150 events a year, the Charlotte Bobcats Arena is the ideal location to showcase the top sports legends of our community.”

The mission of the GCSHOF is to raise public awareness and help preserve the area’s rich sports history and heritage. Each year, the Hall inducts up to five outstanding athletes and sports figures from the region who are honored at a dinner and induction ceremony. Proceeds from the annual event benefit the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers.

The four 2005 inductees of the Hall of Fame are:

• Bobby Jones, collegiate and professional basketball player
• Bruton Smith, motorsports pioneer
• David Thompson, collegiate and professional basketball player, and
• Hoyt Wilhelm, professional baseball player (posthumous award)

The inaugural inductees (class of 2004) were: Jim Beatty, the late Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Mullins and Floyd “Chunk” Simmons. Beatty was the first man to break the four-minute indoor mile record; Earnhardt was a NASCAR racing legend; Mullins is the former UNC Charlotte head coach and athletic director, and Duke University and NBA basketball star; and Simmons is a celebrated Olympic decathlete.

The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority is a subsidiary of the City of Charlotte and operates Visit Charlotte, Ovens Auditorium, Cricket Arena, Charlotte Coliseum and the Charlotte Convention Center. The mission of the organization is to “To effectively market the Region as a visitor destination, to achieve maximum sustainable economic impact, and to successfully manage publicly owned facilities to the benefit of all citizens and visitors.”

The Charlotte Bobcats Arena is scheduled to open in the fall of 2005 and will be home to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats and the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting. The state-of-the-art arena is located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte and will host approximately 150 events a year including professional and collegiate sports events, concerts and family entertainment.