Photos by Meg Minard , Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14
Broadmoor World Arena 3185 Venetucci Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Year Opened: 1998
Capacity: 7,750
The World Arena
Editors Note: The Colorado College Tigers hockey team moved into the brand new Ed Robson Arena in 2021.
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The Colorado College men’s hockey team has a long standing winning tradition which is evident when stepping inside the World Arena. Yes, this arena is called the World Arena. When walking up to the main entrance, the design and logo makes you feel as if you are walking to an arena in a science fiction movie. The Tigers hockey team has won two national titles. They have ten Frozen Four appearances as well as 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. They have produced two Hobey Baker winners as well as a bunch of NHL players. Colorado College plays in the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
The Colorado College Tigers played their first game in 1938 at the Broadmoor Ice Palace (later called the Broadmoor World Arena). In 1951, Colorado College became one of the original members of the Mid-West Collegiate Hockey League, now known as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association – WCHA, an NCAA Division 1 conference. In 1998, the Tigers moved into the brand new World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO.
The Colorado Springs World Arena is a premier sports and entertainment venue in the Pikes Peak region. It holds 7,343 permanent seats for ice hockey. In addition to being the home of the Tigers, it also provides a venue for concerts, musicals, Harlem Globe Trotters, Disney on Ice, and the like.
Food & Beverage 5
Although the World Arena counts Colorado College as a main tenant, you can tell that it is a regional arena. One major piece of evidence supporting this is the amount of food and beverage selections here.
The arena has two bars: The Arena Bar and the Ice House. It has three separate Food Action Stations’ appropriately numbered 1, 2, and 3. One serves Asian, the second Italian, and the third BBQ (prices range from $5 – $10 depending on whether kid sizes are ordered or if one doubles-up the size). The favorite seems to be #3 BBQ the Smokehouse.
Besides that there is the Top Dog (burgers, brats), Habanero’s (southwestern), Bella Forno’s (wood paddle pizza and sandwiches) lining the concourse ranging from $4 to $10, depending on what you order. On this night I had the Broadmoor World Arena brunch burger. This massive burger includes an egg, bacon, avocado, cheddar cheese and sauce for $8 dollars. It was well worth it. Not all burgers come with fries however. There is a grilled cheese station that is a unique touch that isn’t seen at many stadiums. A basic grilled cheese cost five dollars or for two dollars more, fans can have a premium sandwich with toppings. Top it off with a three dollar cup of tomato soup and you leave feeling like you came in from a cold day to warm up.
I was surprised to see beer and alcohol offered here but that seems to be the theme for most Colorado venues. There is a big number of different micro brews found along the concourse (many local to Colorado): Bristol Brewing Company (the brewery is just 2 miles from arena), Laughing Dog (Ponderay, ID), New Belgium (Ft Collins, CO) and others. Mainstays such as Bud and Bud Light can be found as well.
Atmosphere 4
On the outside of the arena, there are many benches in which to sit and wait for friends or for the gates to open. The unique quality of these benches is they are pieces of art with the artists name displayed on a post next to the bench. They include a Zamboni, hockey pucks, a goaltender, a mountain range, etc. All are built with a different medium (tiles, wood, metal, tubes, etc.).
The Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame is located on the concourse. It contains close to 100 plaques honoring individuals and teams who have been from or associated with Colorado who have demonstrated strong community presence and/or outstanding athleticism or coaching. Plaques include the 1980 US Olympic Ice Hockey team, Alan Cockrell (Colorado Springs Sky Sox), Judy Bell (Women’s golf), Pete Susemihl (lead in the effort of getting World Arena built), and many, many more.
There are also showcases of the Colorado College Tigers trophies, team photos, and programs from throughout its existence. This is a must see for college hockey fans. I like the programs and trophies dating from the 40’s and 50’s. Once inside the seating area, you will see a bunch of yellow championship banners. The amount of banners hanging is a good nod to the long standing Tiger hockey history.
I am impressed by the out of town scoreboards and how fast they update the games. I was following my favorite team online that night and the scoreboard was keeping up.
Neighborhood 4
There is a Hampton Inn & Suites across the parking lot, a LaQuinta, Fairfield Inn and Suites, and a Residence Inn all within walking distance (less than 1/2 mile) from the arena. There are plenty of chain restaurants within walking distance of the arena including Chili’s, Fazoli’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback, Carrabba’s, etc. There are lots of options for pre or postgame meals. I have learned that you can get a parking pass, leave, and come back and they won’t double charge you. While this may not be convenient, I did it on this night due to the amount of restaurants nearby. Getting a good parking spot and walking to a restaurant is ideal although the lot is fenced in so you have to be paying attention to where the pedestrian exits are.
The Bristol Brewing Company is located 2 miles north on I-25 and is a local micro brewery in Colorado Springs. Their facility does not serve food. It has a table-shuffleboard, a bar, several counters with stools for conversing with friends and a few TV’s w/sports events displayed. It was quite crowded two hours before the game I attended at World Arena. The website does state it closes at 9pm so it may be a place to visit pre game.
And, there is nothing like driving down and around Colorado Springs and seeing the Rocky Mountains. There is a superb view of Cheyenne Mountain from the stadium entrance.
Fans 3
Colorado College is among the college hockey leaders in attendance most years and has averaged over 6,000 fans for the past few seasons. The fans seem into the game and knowledgeable. Lots of standing up and cheering when the team is announced; a certain choreographed display of clapping and pointing the arm celebration after each goal; one section would yell ‘Go’ – across the ice the other section would yell ‘Tigers’ with no prompting from the video board or PA announcer. For the most part, fans are into the game and only leave and return to their seats during stoppage of play (a pleasant surprise).
I did find the fans to be somewhat quiet on this night. Maybe it was due to a weak opponent but it didn’t seem like a college hockey atmosphere that I am used to in the Midwest. I would rather see a pep band here playing more so than piped-in music. Loud arena music seemed to hurt any momentum that the fans would have from chanting or cheering. Seemed more like a minor league hockey crowd then a college hockey crowd.
Access 5
World Arena is right off the I-25 interstate. There is plenty of parking at the arena itself ($5). Traffic flows nicely and directions to the parking lot are well marked. The arena is located just off of a busy commercial strip but traffic is rarely a problem before or after a game.
There are some buses that go to this area as well if you are a fan of mass transit.
Return on Investment 4
The food prices here are fair as are the ticket prices. Tickets range from $15-$40 dollars. There doesn’t seem to be many obstructed or bad seats in the building. On this night, I had a first row seat in a corner on the lower level. The view was great and there was plenty of leg room. I sat in the upper deck for half a period and it was a decent view. The seating pitch is high enough where you won’t have any issues seeing over people in front of you.
Extras 4
The history displayed inside the arena as well as on the concourses deserves extra points. The amount of places to eat or stay within a block or so of the arena is worth another bonus point. Roster sheets are plentiful and there are plenty of games and entertainment during stoppages. My favorite game is the chuck a puck. For $1, fans could buy a numbered foam puck to throw on the ice. Whoever is closest to the center wins a prize.
Final Thoughts
Going to the World Arena seems more like a minor league hockey experience rather than a collegiate hockey game. There is nothing wrong with this however as the building, food options, and other attributes here make it a worthy visit.
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