Nationwide Arena is a sports and entertainment arena in Columbus, Ohio. It opened in 2000 and is the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a franchise in the National Hockey League, who were joined for the 2004 season by the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League. It was also home to the Columbus Landsharks of the National Lacrosse League from 2001–2003. And, in 2006 it began hosting the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets, a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team that is a part of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Nationwide Arena is also one of three facilities in Columbus (along with the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Franklin County Veterens Memorial Auditorium) that hosts events as part of the annual Arnold Classic, a sports and fitness event hosted by former professional bodybuilder and current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

NATIONWIDE ARENA TICKETS EVENT DATE AVAILABILITY Cody Johnson Tickets 9/19 Sep 19, 2025 Fri, 7:30 PM Cody Johnson Tickets 9/20 Sep 20, 2025 Sat, 7:30 PM NHL Preseason: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. St. Louis Blues Tickets 9/21 Sep 21, 2025 Sun, 5:00 PM NHL Preseason: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Buffalo Sabres Tickets 9/22 Sep 22, 2025 Mon, 7:00 PM NHL Preseason: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets 9/24 Sep 24, 2025 Wed, 7:00 PM

Ownership

The venue is named for the arena's owner, Nationwide, whose world headquarters are located across the street. Nationwide's real estate development affiliate, Nationwide Realty Investors, financed and developed the project—making it one of very few privately financed arenas in the nation.

Construction

The arena is of an attractive brick design and serves as the center of an entertainment district located about one half mile north of the Ohio State Capitol. Seating capacity is approximately 18,136 for hockey, 17,171 for arena football, 19,500 for basketball, and up to 20,000 for concerts. The death of 13 year-old Brittanie Cecil from injuries sustained from a hockey puck flying into the stands at a Blue Jackets game in 2002 led to the installation of nylon netting to catch pucks that fly over the acrylic glass at all professional ice hockey arenas in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL.

Location

The area surrounding Nationwide Arena, appropriately called the Arena District, houses a variety of bars, clubs and a movie theater. Constructed as a seamless entity, Columbus uses the arena as a drawing point for the city with the various other establishments feeding off of the foot traffic. The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion concert venue, and Arena Grand Theatre adjacent to the Nationwide Arena property, completes the entertainment complex.

Facilities

Nationwide Arena also houses a smaller ice rink called the Dispatch IceHaus (formerly named the CoreComm IceHaus). This facility serves as the practice rink for the Blue Jackets and is also used for youth hockey games and open skating times for the public. This facility makes Nationwide Arena the first NHL arenas with an on-site practice facility and one of only two such facilities in NHL (the other being the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils).

Haunted?

Some people claim that Nationwide Arena is haunted. These claims stem from the fact that Nationwide was built at the site of Ohio Penitentiary. Some claim the prison's electric chair was placed where center ice is today. Although believed to be built over the prison, the arena is actually built over the prison's former parking lot. Nationwide's parking lot is built where the jail formerly stood. Many prisoners died not only through executions, but also in a fire that killed hundred of prisoners locked in their cells. Some fans and employee who frequent Nationwide claim experiencing paranormal activities. Whether skeptics or not, some Blue Jackets fans jokingly blame supernatural beings for unsuccessful seasons since the team's inception, as well as the death of Brittanie Cecil. ^[1]

It is also notable that Nationwide Arena is one of only two current venues (as of the end of the 2007-08 NHL season) to have never hosted a Stanley Cup playoff game. (The other is Jobing.com Arena, home of the Phoenix Coyotes.)

Notable Events

• It hosted the final World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) King of the Ring tournament in 2002 and the last WWE Bad Blood in 2004.
• On Saturday, March 3, 2007, it hosted UFC 68 , an mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It marked the first UFC event held in Ohio.
• The arena hosted the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Also, first and second round games of the 2004 and 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament were played there.
• On Saturday, September 22, 2007; Genesis played a sold out show as part of their Turn It On Again: The Tour tour.

Reception

ESPN The Magazine declared “the No. 2 stadium experience in professional sports.” ^[2] The Ultimate Sports Road Trip rated it the best arena in the NHL saying "This newer arena in downtown Columbus is the anchor for the emerging Arena District, already burgeoning with shops, restaurants and hotels. The venue is spectacular, from its nostalgic brick and stone veneer to its sweeping concourses with blue mood lighting and modern amenities. The arena bowl has state of the art scoreboards and surround LED graphics boards which look 21st century high tech. With a separate practice rink built right in the facility, theme restaurants and great food selection, not to mention a raucous hockey atmosphere, this NHL venue is a must see!" ^[3]

References

1. Nationwide Arena
2. The Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets
3. Services