Амика Мьючуал Павильон: История и современность спортивной арены в Провиденсе

Indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island

The Amica Mutual Pavilion (originally Providence Civic Center and formerly Dunkin' Donuts Center ("The Dunk")) is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the Providence College Friars men's basketball program, due to the high demand for tickets to their games in Alumni Hall, as well as for a home arena for the then–Providence Reds, who played in the nearly 50 year old Rhode Island Auditorium. Current tenants include the Providence Bruins ice hockey team, of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Providence College Friars men's basketball team, of the Big East Conference. The center is operated by the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, which also operates the Rhode Island Convention Center and Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

The idea for a Civic Center in Providence had been proposed as early as 1958, on the site of what later became the Providence Place Mall. The project was proposed as a joint federal state city project, which would create jobs and bring economic benefits. However, the plan failed due to the inability to secure federal funds. The plan was revived again as a statewide bond issue in the 1968 general election; voters outside of Providence soundly defeated the referendum. The opening ceremony was held November 3, 1972, with a Providence Reds hockey game. In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority purchased the building from the city of Providence and spent $80 million on an extensive renovation. Major elements of the construction included a significantly expanded lobby and concourse, an enclosed pedestrian bridge from the Rhode Island Convention Center, a new center hung LED video display board, a new restaurant, 20 luxury suites, four new bathrooms, and all new seats with cupholders in the arena bowl. Behind the scenes improvements included a new HVAC system, ice chiller, and a first of its kind fire suppression system. These renovations were completed in October 2008.

The COVID 19 pandemic of 2020 2021 resulted in the cancellation of most of its normal sports and concert programming. These rights were later extended, and subsequently expired on June 30, 2022, though the convention center authority and Dunkin' agreed to continue allowing signage referring to the arena as the Dunkin' Donuts Center through the summer, until a new sponsorship agreement was announced. Most of the major signage, including the main sign facing Sabin Street, was removed on August 24, 2022. Dunkin' officially stated that the company would not be renewing its agreement with the convention center authority on the same day. On September 6, 2022, it was announced that Lincoln, Rhode Island, based Amica Mutual Insurance purchased the naming rights and the arena would now be called the Amica Mutual Pavilion.

The Providence Friars men's basketball team has been the only major tenant of the arena since its inception, having played almost all of its home basketball games at the arena since 1972 with the exception of the 2020 21 season where their home games were at the on campus arena Alumni Hall due to COVID 19 concerns. The Providence Friars men's basketball team and their fans have made the AMP one of the most intimidating environments in recent years for NCAA basketball. The Friars have an all time record of 615–236 (.722) at the AMP. On rare occasions, the Providence Friars women's basketball team has played "home" games in the arena, most notably for games against URI or UConn, where demand for tickets would be enough to warrant an arena larger than the 1,854 seat Alumni Hall.

The arena has been the site of many collegiate tournaments, including the inaugural 1980 Big East Conference men's basketball tournament; the Division I men's basketball ECAC New England Region tournament, organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), in 1978 and 1979; NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament first and second round games in 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1996, 2010, and 2016; the 1978 and 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament East Region finals; the inaugural 1985 Hockey East Tournament, as well as the second tournament a year later in 1986 before the tourney made Boston a permanent home; and the 1978, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1995 and 2000 NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championships. The University of Rhode Island (URI) men's basketball team also played some home basketball games at the Providence Civic Center beginning in 1973, although this practice stopped with the opening of the Ryan Center in 2002. The arena had been scheduled to host the first and second round games of the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament until the tournament was moved to venues within the Indianapolis, Indiana, metro area due to the COVID 19 pandemic in the United States. The arena will now host first and second round games of the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

During a live performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on May 4, 2014, eight female performers were sent to the hospital after a high wire snapped while they were attempting a routine where they hang by their hair high above the floor. The performers fell from between to the ground, but none suffered life threatening injuries. On May 1, 2016, Ringling Bros. ended 145 years of tradition when they staged their last performance with live elephants as part of its "Blue" tour at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Eleven elephants headed to Florida for retirement after the show.

Sugar Ray Leonard fought Floyd Mayweather Sr. at the Providence Civic Center on September 9, 1978. Leonard won the bout by TKO in the tenth round. This being the only major boxing card held in Providence. The arena has long been a regular stop on WWE tours. It was the site of WWF King of the Ring tournaments four times: from 1987 to 1991, before the event became a pay per view, and once after in 1997. In 1994, it hosted the Royal Rumble. It has hosted the Backlash pay per view three times: the first edition of the event on April 25, 1999; the 2009 edition on April 26, 2009 (the last to be held until 2016); and the 2022 edition on May 8, 2022, the second and last to be billed as "WrestleMania Backlash". In December 2005 the arena hosted WWE Armageddon. In addition to major events, the arena also hosted WWE's weekly shows frequently. January 13, 2014, edition of WWE Raw was held at the arena. WWE Smackdown held two shows at the arena in 2015, on April 21 and August 25. The SmackDown portion of the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake Up was held at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, while the Raw portion was held at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. On October 22, 2018, Roman Reigns revealed his leukemia diagnosis during a Raw show held at the arena. In November 2015, the Rhode Island Comic Con expanded into the arena from the adjacent Rhode Island Convention Center, where it had been held since it began in 2012. It has been held in both buildings ever since. The arena was used by Hasbro (whose headquarters are in Downtown Providence) to host its first ever HasCon in September 2017.