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Marshall Health Network Arena

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Marshall Health Network Arena
The arena in 2021
Map
Interactive map of Marshall Health Network Arena
Former names
Huntington Civic Center (1977–1993)
Huntington Civic Arena (1993–2003)
Big Sandy Superstore Arena (2003–2019)
Mountain Health Arena (2019–2024)
LocationOne Civic Center Plaza
Huntington, West Virginia
Coordinates38°25′20″N 82°26′49″W / 38.4223°N 82.4470°W / 38.4223; -82.4470
OwnerCity of Huntington
OperatorASM Global
Capacity7,500 (arena)
5,600 (indoor football)
Construction
Opened1977
Cost
$10.5 million
($55.8 million in 2025 dollars[1])
Tenants
Huntington Blizzard (ECHL) (1993–2000)
River Cities LocoMotives (NIFL) (2001)
Huntington Heroes (AIFA) (2007–2008)
Huntington Hammer (UIFL) (2011)
Website
www.mhnarena.com

The Marshall Health Network Arena, originally known as the Huntington Civic Center, later as the Huntington Civic Arena and later, for sponsorship reasons as the Big Sandy Superstore Arena and Mountain Health Arena, is a municipal complex located in the downtown area of Huntington, West Virginia, one block west of Pullman Square. The arena consists of a 7,500-seat multi-purpose arena and an attached conference center.[2]

It is home to numerous concerts and events and was the home of the Huntington Hammer of the Ultimate Indoor Football League for 2011.

History

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The $10.5 million Huntington Civic Center was completed in 1977 and was the largest in the state of West Virginia when it opened.[3][4]

The new arena's first two shows were originally scheduled to feature Elvis Presley, but he died prior to the tour. As a result, the arena's actual opening show ended up being Heart.[5]

At the time, the city felt it would not be able to accommodate Marshall University basketball, and the arena was thus built in a location that Marshall objected to, and used a design that was not sports-friendly. Marshall thus remained at the older Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse and then constructed its on-campus arena, the Cam Henderson Center, in 1981. At first, the building was very successful; however, the completion of a larger arena in nearby Charleston, and the 25-year delay in construction of what became Pullman Square caused the building to become a money-losing effort for the city. The city then decided to turn the building over to private management.

In the fall of 1997, $3.5 million was allocated in bonds to renovate the aging Civic Center; however, work did not begin until 2000.[3] The 20-year-old facility had not been renovated or maintained since its initial construction. The interior and exterior were repainted in gray and maroon and the leaky roof was repaired. The conference area was expanded and the kitchen facility was upgraded.

From 1993 to 2000, the facility, by then called the Huntington Civic Arena, was home to the Huntington Blizzard of the ECHL. At this time the arena was modified to accommodate hockey and other team sports. In addition, the arena served as the home of the River Cities LocoMotives of the NIFL during their only season in 2001. The facility then served as the home for the American Indoor Football Association's Huntington Heroes. The team moved to the arena after spending their inaugural season in 2006 at the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse.

The naming rights for the arena were purchased by Big Sandy Superstores, a regional chain of furniture and appliance stores. In 2019, after expiration of the naming rights agreement, the arena resumed its generic name for a short time before the naming rights were acquired by Mountain Health Network, the owners of Cabell Huntington Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center. The arena name was changed to Marshall Health Network Arena in 2024, concurrent with Mountain Health Network being renamed Marshall Health Network.[6]

Notable appearences

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List of notable performances or apperances held at the Marshall Health Arena.

Performer Year(s) Note
AC/DC 1978 [7]
Def Leppard 2016 [8]
George W. Bush 2004 [9]
Heart 1977 [5]
Evan Jenkins (politician) 2017 [10]
Jim Justice 2017 [11][12]
Kiss 2016 & 1979 [13]
Patrick Morrisey 2017 [10]
Bernie Sanders 2016 [14]
Lynyrd Skynyrd 2018 [15]
Donald Trump 2017 [11][12]
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References

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  1. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Big Sandy Superstore Arena Facts". The Herald-Dispatch. 2010-02-07. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  3. 1 2 Terry, Edward (January 7, 2000). "Today's spotlight: Civic Arena repairs". Herald-Dispatch.
  4. ↑ Casto, James (2017-09-14). "1977 opening ended 20 years of delay, controversy". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  5. 1 2 Waddell, Ray (2004-07-12). "SMG Extends Big Sandy Contract". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  6. ↑ Marshall Health Network, ASM Global and City of Huntington officially name Marshall Health Network Arena.
  7. ↑ "AC/DC Tour History - 7 Sep. 1978 Huntington (Civic Center)". AC/DC. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  8. ↑ Halsey, Derek (2016-05-12). "Def Leppard busy as ever as they bring tour to Huntington". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  9. ↑ "Gallery: President George W. Bush visits in 2004". The Herald-Dispatch. 2014-09-14. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  10. 1 2 Thomas, Alex (2017-08-04). "Trump finds support at Huntington rally". WV MetroNews. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  11. 1 2 Santhanam, Laura. "Trump blasts Democrats, Russia investigations at campaign rally in Huntington, West Virginia". PBS. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  12. 1 2 Phillip, Abby (2017-08-03). "West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice leaves the Democratic Party at Trump's rally". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  13. ↑ Carr, Scott (2018-05-11). "Kiss Returns To Huntington, WV: Thirty Seven Year Anniversary Show - by Scott Carr". Pencil Storm. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  14. ↑ "Bernie Sanders energizes crowd in Huntington". WSAZ. 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  15. ↑ "Lynrd Skynrd (Nov. 17, 2018)". Visit Huntington WV. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
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