The Akins Ford Arena (Classic Center Arena was the working name during construction) is an arena under construction in Athens, Georgia. The arena will seat 5,500 for hockey. A ground breaking ceremony was held May 8, 2022. The arena is planned to open in the fall of 2023.[1] The ECHL has an agreement in place with an ownership group to bring a team to the arena when it opens.[2]
The arena will also be the home of the Georgia Bulldogs men's ice hockey team club team which play in the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference which was renamed College Hockey South in February 2022.
The naming rights to the facility was announced on August 20, 2024.
The arena was due to host the opening home games for the Athens Rock Lobsters on December 6th and 7th but the arena failed its certificate of occupancy inspection and had to be cancelled. The fire system had not been fully tested was the reason for the failure.[3]
References[]
- ↑ https://arenadigest.com/2022/05/08/classic-center-arena-construction-underway/
- ↑ https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/weekly-sports-league-and-franchise-report/n-5827934
- ↑ https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/2024/12/06/akins-ford-arena-denied-certificate-of-occupancy-rock-lobsters-cancelled/76826973007/