By 1998, the Dallas Mavericks, then owned by
H. Ross Perot Jr., and the Dallas Stars were indicating their desire for a new arena to replace the aging and undersized
Reunion Arena, which closed in 2008 and was demolished the next year. Dallas taxpayers approved a new hotel tax and rental car tax to pay for a new arena to cover a portion of the funding, with the two benefiting teams, the Mavericks and the Stars, picking up the remaining costs, including cost overruns. The new arena was to be built just north of
Woodall Rodgers Freeway near
Interstate 35E on the site of an old
power plant.[8][9]
On March 18, 1999,
American Airlines (AA) announced that it would be acquiring the naming rights for the arena for $195 million.[10][11] AA is headquartered in nearby
Fort Worth and is based at
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. From its opening in 2001 until 2013, the AAC had the then-current AA logo; thereafter the AAC has used the current AA logo.[12]
The AAC includes a practice court for the Mavericks, who used it for regular practices until 2017 when a separate facility was built in the Dallas Design District near the arena.
The Mavericks' lease on the AAC runs through to 2031.
Design
Principal design work was carried out by the
Driehaus Prize winner and
New Classical architect
David M. Schwarz of
Washington D.C.
American Airlines Center was designed to be the heart of a new urban, commercial area designed to reinvigorate the city of Dallas called
Victory Park. The facility itself features a conservative, traditional design with sweeping brick façades and smooth arches. The interior includes retractable seating, public art and a technological arena. Because of the
Quonset hut-like appearance of its roof and the fact that American Airlines holds the naming rights some fans have come to refer to it as "The Hangar".
PNC Plaza
On the south side of the arena,
PNC Plaza (formerly called Victory Plaza[14] and
AT&T Plaza) serves as the principal entrance into the facility. Designed by artist
Athena Tacha in 2000, the plaza provides an open space with fountains flanked by retail and office buildings. With several
HD video displays from
Daktronics mounted on the side of the arena and office buildings, the plaza is often used for outdoor events and movie showings.[15]
American Airlines Center-Mavericks Victory Party for NBA Championship 2011
Inside American Airlines Center prior to a Mavericks game
Inside American Airlines Center during a Stars game
Western entrance of the American Airlines Center before game 3 of the
2019 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators
American Airlines Center during warmups before game 3 of the
2019 Stanley Cup playoffs between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators
Notable events
Sports
After the
Dallas Desperados played their first season in the AAC, they moved to nearby
Reunion Arena and played there for their second season. For their third season, they moved back to the AAC, where they played until the league folded.
The American Airlines Center, as well as the then-named
American Airlines Arena in
Miami,
Florida, hosted the
2006 and
2011NBA Finals, in which the
Dallas Mavericks played the
Miami Heat in both franchises' first two Finals appearances. The Heat won the 2006 series 4-2, closing out in Dallas, and the Mavericks won the 2011 series 4-2, closing in Miami. Because American Airlines held the rights to both venues in the NBA Finals, these series were nicknamed by some as the "American Airlines series".[16][17]
On September 24, 2016, the arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.[25]
American Airlines Center hosted the opening round of round-robin matches of
New Japan Pro-Wrestling's
G1 Climax series on July 6, 2019.
The arena also hosted the Junior Gold Championships Opening Ceremony. The Junior Gold championships is an annual bowling tournament every July, for the best youth bowlers in the country and in the world.
American Airlines Center hosted first and second round games of the
2006 and
2018 NCAA men's basketball tournaments. For the NCAA women's basketball tournament the American Airlines Center hosted the Finals in
2017, and in
2023, along with the regional semifinals/finals in
2016 and
2011.
Two Mavericks games in early 2022--one against the Timberwolves on March 21 and a playoff against the Golden State Warriors on May 24--had to be delayed when the roof developed a leak.[26]
On Tuesday, June 21 and Wednesday, June 22, 2011, it played host to the Dallas audition stages in the first season of the
Fox singer search program The X Factor.
Other information
Built on and in the shadows of the former Dallas neighborhood of
Little Mexico, the beginnings of the Mexican American population in the Dallas area.
A few weeks after the first event, it was found that the glass installed in the bathrooms was not the same as what was originally intended. Many who drove by the arena complained they had a clear view into the restrooms. The glass was quickly changed to the correct type the next week.